What is the ideal tyre pressure for the Maruti Suzuki Baleno during city driving with two occupants? Is the recommended 29 PSI by Maruti suitable, or should it be adjusted? Also, what tyre pressure would be ideal for occasional highway trips?

Autocar India

•17m

For a Maruti Suzuki Baleno with two people in the city, set 29 PSI in all four tyres, checked cold; for occasional highway runs with two onboard, use 30-31 PSI cold. Maruti’s placard (fuel-lid/door frame) for most Baleno trims lists 29 PSI for normal load, which balances ride comfort and steering feel in city speeds under 60 km/h.

On highways, adding 1-2 PSI helps the tyre run cooler (due to less sidewall flex) at sustained 80-100 km/h and can improve straight-line feel slightly without making the ride harsh. In fact, a note, most people fearing high speed blowouts lower tyre pressure on highways, this is very dangerous and can actually lead to blowouts on older and weaker tyres, due to heat build up. This happens as with lower pressures, sidewalls flex a lot, leading to internal friction. Thus, raising pressure by 1 or 2 PSI is actually better.

If you’re carrying 4-5 people or luggage over 50-80 kg in the boot, go to 32 PSI cold. Always set pressures cold (after the car has been parked for at least 3 hours or driven under 2 km), because heat can raise readings by 2-3 PSI; don’t bleed air from hot tyres.

The one thing you give up by running 30-31 PSI on the highway is a touch of softness over small bumps; expect a firmer feel over sharp joints compared to 29 PSI.

Once a month, use a digital gauge with ±1 PSI accuracy, check all four tyres and the spare, and rotate every 8,000-10,000 km to keep wear even and pressures consistent.

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AJAY YADAV

•1w

Hi Autocar Team, I am a regular reader and trust your expertise in the automotive space. I currently own a Volkswagen Polo with tyre size 195/55 R16. Would upgrading to 195/60 R16 be a good decision for improving ride comfort? Also, could you please suggest which tyre would be better for my usage between the Apollo Apterra Cross and the Vredestein Ultrac? My priorities are ride comfort and puncture resistance, as the roads in my area are quite patchy.

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•3d

Thank you for being a regular reader of Autocar India. 195 is the width of your tyre in millimetres, while 55 or 60 is the ratio of the sidewall height to its width, expressed as a percentage. To convert this to millimetres, multiply 195 by 0.55 or 0.60, which shows that the difference in sidewall height is only about 10mm and not really enough to make a significant impact on ride quality.Instead, we recommend that you stick to the manufacturer’s original size but opt for more premium tyres like the Vredestein you mentioned, or equivalents from Michelin. In addition to better cornering, premium tyres generally have lower noise levels and improved ride quality.

Satish Nagaraj

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Planning to buy an automatic hatchback under ₹11 lakh. Please advise which is the best in terms of ride, mileage, smoothness, etc.

Autocar India

•8h

There's actually quite a variety of automatic hatchbacks within your budget. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno and its twin, the Toyota Glanza, are well-rounded products. Good ride comfort and excellent fuel economy are highlights, and the AMT gearbox is good enough for average driving. However, gearshifts aren't the smoothest, and you'll feel this over a quick overtaking manoeuvre. If you are open to the Citroen brand, the C3 is a great option. Its 1.2-litre engine and torque converter auto gearbox combo is excellent, and ride comfort is also very good.You could also look at the Tata Altroz DCA in Creative S trim. The dual-clutch auto gearbox is very smooth and well-suited to city use. There's also a toughness to the package that gives great confidence at highway speeds.We are also fans of the smooth and polished Hyundai i20 CVT, but the Sportz(O) that fits your budget isn't an ideal choice as it misses out on the safety of a rear wiper. Finally, if you have the option to install an EV charger at home or office, the Tata Tiago EV is also an option to consider. Being all-electric, it's super smooth and very refined. However, it works best as a city car.

M Murali

I am looking to buy a petrol automatic car under ₹12 lakh, primarily for city driving. My main priorities are good mileage, ease of driving, and overall affordability. Could you please suggest the best options available in this budget?

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•2d

While there are quite a few petrol automatic options within your Rs 12 lakh budget, the most fuel-efficient options include the Maruti Suzuki Baleno AMT (and its twin the Toyota Glanza), Maruti Suzuki Dzire AMT, Maruti Suzuki Swift AMT, Maruti Suzuki Fronx AMT (and its twin the Toyota Taisor). All feature AMT gearbox options. While AMTs aren't the most sophisticated or smoothest type of automatic transmission, they are fine for average city driving. What sets AMTs apart from other automatics is real-world fuel economy, which is on par and sometimes even better than a comparable manual's. Of the above options, we'd choose between the Baleno, Glanza, Fronx and Taisor. Their larger 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine makes them feel a bit zippier than the Swift and Dzire that use 1.2-litre three-cylinder units.

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