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Jayant Parihar

10w

Hello team, I read your blogs regularly and value your reviews. Please guide me on which car I should buy from my shortlisted options. This will be my first car, and I enjoy driving. My requirements are a minimalist design (not too many gadgets), a manual transmission, good comfort and space, and a roomy boot. I’ve shortlisted the Volkswagen Virtus, Honda Amaze, and Hyundai Basalt. My budget is ₹12–14 lakh. Please advise.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
10w

Thank you for your support. We're happy to help! 

Coming to your question, the Honda Amaze, while practical and comfy, does not have the driving thrill you would want. 

The Volkswagen Virtus, while impressive, will not fit in your budget apart from the base variant, which isn't too impressive. The Citroen Basalt X will be a good pick out of this lot. It has a punchy turbo-petrol engine that is lovely to drive, the ride comfort is excellent, and it has a large boot as well. 

Also, while it is feature-packed, it isn't unnecessarily complicated, and the functions are easy to use. The Basalt X would be our recommendation. 

Citroen Basalt

Citroen Basalt

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Abhinav karmani

1d

I’m planning to buy an automatic car for my parents, and I’m really confused between the Hyundai i20 and the Honda Amaze. The car will be used in city traffic, so comfort, ease of driving, and reliability are very important to me. Which one do you think would suit elderly drivers better and be easier to live with in the long run?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
1d

The Honda Amaze is a no-nonsense, user-friendly compact sedan, with a smooth and responsive 1.2-petrol-CVT combination. Its large 416-litre boot gives it an advantage over the i20.The Hyundai i20, on the other hand, feels distinctly more premium in terms of interior quality, as well as the equipment list. The i20's power delivery feels lazier than the Amaze's; however, it is much more refined in comparison. Moreover, the Hyundai also has broader, more supportive seats. Hence, for your parents, we'd recommend the i20 IVT for the more polished user experience it delivers.That said, Honda and Hyundai are known for their service support and reliability, hence your ownership experience is likely to be trouble-free by opting for either of these two cars.

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TD

Tarun Dey Sarkar

1w

I use a 2020 manual Wagon R and have run it for more than 1 lakh km. Now I want to upgrade to an automatic car, but my budget is Rs 9 lakh, and the engine should be punchy.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
4h

The Skoda Kylaq would be a good option for you as it offers a peppy engine and a smooth torque converter gearbox. However, since you have a Rs 9 lakh budget, you would only be able to opt for the base variant, which is quite under-equipped.Since you are coming from a Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, we assume you would want a few more creature comforts, thus consider the Hyundai Exter. The engine and gearbox will not feel as lively and smooth as on the Skoda, but it is fairly decent for everyday motoring, and at your budget, you would get a very well-equipped variant.

VehicleSkoda Kylaq
VehicleMaruti Suzuki Wagon R
VehicleHyundai Exter

Posted on: 5 Dec 2025