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Delhi
AK

Akshay

13w

I need a fun-to-drive car, mostly for highways and long drives. We take one to two long drives (400-1000) monthly. Budget of 30to 40 lakhs. Looking for ICE due to EV charging issues.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
13w
Unfortunately, there are not many cars in the Rs 30-40 lakh range anymore, as the executive sedan segment has gone extinct, and most premium and luxury SUVs start closer to Rs 50 lakh. There is one good option for you in the form of the Jeep Meridian.
It's a premium SUV with a luxurious interior and a strong diesel engine with a smooth automatic gearbox. It works great out on the highway, with good stability and comfort, and while not outright fun to drive, it has a strong engine and sorted dynamics. You even get the option of five or seven-seat layouts for the interior.
Jeep Meridian

Jeep Meridian

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Ankit

1d

Hi, first of all, thanks to Autocar for always replying to each query. I am looking for an automatic car. It should have a peppy engine and be fun to drive with proper safety. I will be driving my car mostly in the city and occasionally on the highway on weekends. I prefer petrol. I already own a Kia Sonet iMT. Kindly suggest any other car apart from the Kia.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
49m

The Mahindra XUV 3XO will meet your requirements of a car with a peppy engine and good safety. The petrol automatic comes paired with a torque convertor gearbox, which is the smoothest autobox around, and since your driving is mostly in the city, you will really appreciate this.We would recommend the 1.2-litre MPFi turbo engine, which would offer you more than enough pep and a slightly better mileage than the direct injection unit, though bear in mind that on the whole, mileage will still be lower than something like the Brezza, as Mahindra tunes all its engines for a peppy feel.If mileage isn't a priority and you simply want a very peppy and lively drive feel, opt for the direct injection unit. The 3XO will also meet your requirements for safety as it comes well-equipped with 6 airbags and ESP as standard, and has secured a 5-star rating in the BNCAP crash tests.

VehicleMahindra XUV 3XO
VehicleMaruti Suzuki Brezza
MG

M Goutham Krishna

1d

My office is located 10km from my house, with mixed city and highway driving. I am planning to buy a car which is automatic and fuel-efficient. Budget around ₹10 lakh. Could you please suggest a car that will be relevant for up to 15 years?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
1h

We would suggest you go for the Maruti Suzuki Fronx Delta+ AMT. The Fronx has a fuel-efficient 1.2-litre engine mated to an AMT gearbox that is well-tuned and smooth enough for daily driving. It is also fairly spacious, offers a large boot and a comfortable ride, which makes it an ideal companion for everyday city commutes and occasional highway drives.If you want something smaller and easier to manoeuvre, you can consider the Maruti Suzuki Swift AMT. It is a more compact car, which makes it even easier to drive and park in the city. However, the new Swift now comes with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, which feels a bit less powerful compared to the Fronx’s four-cylinder engine. Because of this, the AMT gearbox also works better with the Fronx engine than it does with the Swift.Within your budget, you can also consider the Hyundai i20 IVT/CVT in the Magna variant. The CVT gearbox is very smooth, which elevates the overall driving experience and makes the car extremely easy to drive in traffic. The interiors of the i20 also feel quite premium. The only downside is that you will have to trade a bit of fuel efficiency for that smoothness, which is something to keep in mind since efficiency is an important factor for you.

VehicleMaruti Suzuki Fronx
VehicleMaruti Suzuki Swift
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Posted on: 12 Dec 2025