We have a Hyundai Grand i10 manual purchased in 2017, which my son currently drives. We now want to purchase an AMT car and are considering the Hyundai Exter, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, or any other option you may advise. Body strength, safety, and a comfortable AMT are our key priorities.

Autocar India

•5w

If safety is your top priority, then instead of the Hyundai Exter (which has not yet been crash-tested) and the Maruti Suzuki Baleno (which has received a 2-star GNCAP rating), we would suggest the recently facelifted Tata Punch. It has secured a 5-star BNCAP rating, giving it the added level of safety you are looking for.

The Tata Punch is also easy to drive, the AMT gearbox works well in the city, the ride quality is comfortable, and it feels confident at higher speeds.

On the downside, the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine lacks punch for highway use, and the rear seat is not the most spacious.

Explore cars mentioned

Hyundai

Exter

from ₹6.28 Lakh

Tata

Punch

from ₹6.22 Lakh

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Related questions you may find helpful

•1d

I am looking for a compact car under ₹6 lakh. I am open to buying either a new car or a second-hand one, but my main condition is that the car should not have very low or very high seating, as there is a knee problem in the family. Please suggest which car would be a good option to buy within this budget.

Autocar India

•23h

For your needs, either the Tata Punch or the Maruti Suzuki Ignis would be a good option. The Tata Punch sits at a comfortable height, and its doors open up to almost 90 degrees, which makes ingress and egress easier. The seating position is also not too tall, so it should feel comfortable even for someone with knee issues.If you want something that feels more spacious, especially in the rear seat, then the Ignis ticks all the boxes as well. Its 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine is smoother, more responsive and nicer to drive too.To buy these cars brand new, even the base variants will be slightly above ₹6 lakh on-road. If you are okay with stretching the budget a little, you can go ahead with a new car. Also, you can consider used versions of higher variants within your budget.

Tata Punch

Maruti Suzuki Ignis

srikanth p

•2d

We are expecting the HX10 turbo manual Verna. Is it possible?

Autocar India

•1h

Hyundai has only introduced the HX8 variant of the Verna with the turbo-petrol-manual combination, and if the company sees substantial demand for the top-end, it could possibly be introduced down the line, but not in the near future.The good news is that even the HX8 variant is well-equipped, with a vast list of features including Level 2 ADAS. The only additional features the HX10 variant gets are 7-airbags, 360-degree camera, blind-view monitor, 4-way powered front passenger seat, powered boss mode for the front passenger seat and a 10.25-inch digital driver's display. If you can live without these features, the HX8 is a great option to consider.

Hyundai Verna

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

•2h

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.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

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