We are planning to buy a car and are confused between the Hyundai i20 Asta Optional and the Hyundai Venue HX6T 1.2-litre NA petrol. Our budget is up to Rs. 12.5 lakh, and we drive around 8,000km annually, mostly in the city with light to moderate traffic. We occasionally take highway trips. We currently own a 2015 Wagon R VXi. The quoted prices are Rs. 10.44 lakh for the i20 and Rs. 12.7 lakh for the Venue. What makes more sense, a small hatchback or a Venue?

autocar.india

•23h

Pick the Tata Altroz for your trips. It stays flatter through ghats than the Punch and feels steadier than the i20, which helps people who get sick. On winding Konkan roads, side-to-side roll and float at the back are what trigger nausea; the Altroz sits lower and has a firmer, more tied-down tune, so there’s less sway in bends and less bobbing over crests. It is calm at highway speeds, too, so your family won’t be tossed about.A few tips for travel sickness: seat the most sensitive person in front and tell them to keep looking out and at the road and horizon. Motion sickness is caused mainly due to your body receiving differing signals, so if your are reading you eyes and looking down and at something steady, but your body is sensing motion. Thus, for people who feel sick its best to look out of the windows and not at a phone, for example. Also, if required, keep the windows cracked a bit for fresh air, which helps, and take short breaks more often rather than one break after a long drive. Eat a light meal and lime and ginger if you can, as it helps reduce nausea.

Tata Altroz

Tata Punch

Hyundai i20

autocar.india

•2d

Go for the Nissan Magnite Turbo CVT. Within your budget, it offers the smoothest city drive, easy steering, and good ground clearance over speed breakers, and the motor has enough pull for relaxed outstation runs. It also feels like a proper small SUV, so you sit higher, and the boot is useful for weekend bags. Pick a mid variant, and you should stay close to Rs 11 lakh on-road in many cities.Do note that the cabin plastics feel basic, and Nissan’s service network is smaller than Maruti or Hyundai. You could also consider a premium hatchback within this budget, such as the Hyundai i20 1.2 petrol IVT. It's lighter and nimbler in traffic, with a smooth automatic, but its 1.2-litre petrol engine isn't as punchy for high-speed usage, on your occasional outstation trips.

Nissan Magnite

Hyundai i20

autocar.india

•20h

Given your 2,500km monthly running, we'd actually recommend looking at a strong hybrid rather than a diesel. Our pick would be the Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid. It fits within your budget, has a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating, offers excellent fuel efficiency in both city and highway driving and is backed by Maruti Suzuki's extensive service network. It also provides the kind of smooth, refined driving experience that should feel like a natural progression from your Civic and Ciaz. While it isn't a sedan, it offers generous interior space and excellent long-distance comfort.Another advantage is that, being a petrol hybrid, it is a more future-proof choice for Delhi NCR. With increasing scrutiny on diesel vehicles and evolving regulations in the region, a petrol hybrid offers greater long-term peace of mind while still delivering running costs that are comparable to many diesel SUVs.The City Hybrid would have been another obvious recommendation given your preference for sedans, but as you've mentioned, it stretches your budget.Among your shortlisted cars, we'd still lean towards the Verna Turbo DCT if you want to stay with a sedan. However, with your annual running, fuel costs will be significantly higher than with a strong hybrid.We would also be cautious about choosing the Seltos, Sonet or Venue diesel purely for efficiency. While all three use the same proven 1.5-litre diesel engine paired with a torque-converter automatic, it isn't the most fuel-efficient diesel automatic in real-world conditions.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Hyundai Verna

Hyundai Venue

Kia Seltos

Kia Sonet