I’m thinking of buying the Hyundai i20 Sportz (Optional) IVT. Is it a good choice? My driving is mostly in the city with occasional highway trips.

Autocar India

•19h

Go for the Nissan Magnite Turbo CVT automatic. Your running is low, and this is one of the few petrol non-AMT options that stays close to your Rs. 12 lakh budget, while being genuinely easy to drive every day. The CVT automatic is smooth in traffic, the steering is light, and the high ground clearance makes speed breakers and rough patches stress-free. It is sized right for the city yet fits four adults comfortably, and the boot is usable for weekend runs.Your 8-year-old, low-mileage Baleno should fetch a fair exchange, which keeps the upgrade cost sensible. Service costs on the Magnite are also friendly, so long-term ownership should be easy.Do note, the cabin plastics and refinement levels are not as nice as pricier rivals. If you prefer a hatchback instead of an SUV, the Hyundai i20 IVT is nicer inside and equally smooth.

Nissan Magnite

Hyundai i20

Autocar India

•4d

The Hyundai i20 IVT is one of the best fits for Mumbai city driving. The IVT automatic is extremely smooth in traffic, the cabin feels genuinely premium, reliability is strong, and it is comfortable enough for four adults while still being easy to park and manoeuvre in the city.If you prefer a sedan, the Honda Amaze CVT is a good choice too. The CVT is smooth, Honda’s reliability reputation is excellent, and the rear-seat comfort is better than the i20 if you regularly travel with four to five adults. It also feels more relaxed on occasional highway trips.If rear-seat space and overall width for five passengers matter more, then the Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic is worth considering, even if it means choosing a lower variant. It feels more substantial, has a wider rear bench and is more comfortable for five adults than the i20 or Amaze. The downside is that it will not feel as feature rich as the i20 or Amaze, and fuel efficiency is not as strong either.

Hyundai i20

Honda Amaze

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Autocar India

•13h

Push back politely and tie full payment to a supervised PDI before registration; most dealers agree when money is on the line. With an EV, you want to catch battery, charging and software issues early, and once it is registered, a swap becomes far harder. Ask for the VIN and Form 22 by email and propose a 30-minute supervised inspection with your inspector at their yard, with their staff present, no photos of other cars, and you signing an indemnity. If they won’t allow yard entry, ask for the same PDI in their workshop or delivery bay before invoicing and registration. Put this in writing on the booking email: PDI by customer or professional, before invoicing, with the right to reject allocation if defects are found. Make the PDI EV-specific: check odometer is low, no warning lights, charge port door and latch, both charging cables present, wallbox details noted, AC charging demoed for a few minutes, app pairing works, software version recorded, panel gaps and paint closely inspected. If the sales rep still says no, escalate to the dealer principal and the carmaker’s customer care with your written request. Be ready to switch dealers. The only real downside is it can delay delivery a bit.