I have been driving a manual Celerio for the past 10 years. The biggest benefit has been its very low maintenance, and I have never faced any electrical or mechanical issues. I am now planning to buy a new car next year, but I am confused about the budget. Initially, I was considering up to Rs 10 lakh, but now I feel I can stretch it to Rs 12 lakh. My main requirements are good city mileage, decent performance, and very low maintenance. Around 90% of my driving will be in the city, with a daily running of 30 to 40 km, and I also plan to do mountain trips about three times a year.

Asked by: Ahmed Saad

With a Rs 12 lakh budget you can get multiple body styles, including hatchbacks, compact sedans, or even SUVs. Since you've had a pleasant ownership experience, you could consider sticking to the Maruti brand itself, and shortlist Maruti Brezza, Dzire and Fronx.

If you're open to the sedan body style, get the Dzire for its space, comfort, efficiency and overall premium feel. For your mountain trips, though, the Fronx turbo will feel the most effortless to drive. That said, all the listed cars will fall within your budget, are likely to be efficient and low maintenance, and will feel like a big upgrade over your Maruti Suzuki Celerio.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Answered by

Autocar India Team

Dec 16, 2025

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