I am looking for a car under 8-9 lakhs. At home, we have a 2015 Hyundai i10 Grand and a 2018 Maruti Suzuki Baleno. Both are manual and petrol. Now I am going to purchase a car for myself in Bangalore. Usage will particularly be on weekends with overall mix of (40% city and 60% outstation trips). I was willing to explore new automaker beyond Maruti and Hyundai. Mahindra 3XO and Skoda Kylaq has impressed me but their base variants doesn't offer the value for money. At this point I am in a confusion whether to go back to Maruti to get the value for money and reduce overall ownership cost.

Autocar India

•5w

In your budget, you will end up with the absolute base variants of the Mahindra 3XO and Skoda Kylaq. So, compared to cars with a lower starting price, they can feel a bit basic in terms of features and equipment.

That said, even in their base trims, both SUVs offer effortless performance, a more sophisticated driving experience thanks to their strong ride and handling, and in the case of the 3XO, excellent interior space.

We’d recommend considering the recently launched Skoda Kylaq Classic Plus, as it adds a good mix of essential and premium features like a single pane sunroof, 16 inch steel wheels with covers, cruise control, an auto dimming IRVM, and rain sensing wipers.

If you want to stay within the Maruti Suzuki family, you can look at the Maruti Suzuki Fronx Delta Plus. It offers more features, but it may not feel like a meaningful upgrade over the Maruti Suzuki Baleno you already own.

Skoda Kylaq Front Right Three Quarter — Skoda Kylaq

Explore cars mentioned

Skoda

Kylaq

from ₹8.62 Lakh

Mahindra

XUV 3XO

from ₹8.37 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki

Fronx

from ₹7.79 Lakh

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Latest questions people are discussing

Umang Jaiswal

•1d

Within a budget of around ₹12 lakh (could extend some), I want to buy a petrol manual car which is fun to drive, reliable and will not be so heavy on my pocket for fueling and maintenance. My monthly usage is around 400km, mostly city and occasional road trips. Which car will you suggest?

Autocar India

•1d

You can consider the Maruti Suzuki Fronx or the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor in their top turbo petrol manual variants. The engine, despite being turbocharged, has hardly any turbo lag and offers good punch. It also comes with a light clutch and a slick gearbox, which makes it easy to drive in the city. Even on an open road or around a ghat section, both these cars are surprisingly fun to drive, and over bad roads, the suspension delivers a comfortable ride as well. For a turbo petrol engine, efficiency is also quite impressive. Overall, there is actually not much to fault here.If you want something that feels a bit more premium, you can look at the Skoda Kylaq, the Signature+ MT variant. The Kylaq is a fun car to drive, but the clutch is heavier, and you will feel more turbo lag. It will also not be as efficient as the Fronx turbo petrol, and the peace of mind ownership experience may not be as strong.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor

Skoda Kylaq

Srujan

•5d

I really like the Skoda Kylaq 1.0 TSI AT, but I am unable to finalize my decision because of the rear seat space and a few other compromises. My other options within a ₹14 lakh budget are the Mahindra XUV 3XO RevX and the Nissan Magnite CVT. Considering these choices, which would be the best option overall? Also, what should I prioritise more in this segment - space and practicality or driving performance?

Autocar India

•22h

It's a shame that the Skoda Kylaq's rear seat space is not quite up to the best in the segment, because otherwise it is a superb compact SUV that scores highly on most other counts. Of the other options, the Nissan Magnite, while capable and a great value for money, feels like a sub-segment lower in terms of quality, space and performance. The Mahindra XUV 3XO RevX should be your best bet because it offers both - performance and rear-seat space. In fact, it has one of the most spacious cabins in the segment, although the boot is a bit smaller than others. The RevX offers a good feature set as well, along with a few unique styling embellishments, and overall, we feel this is the one you should pick.

Suresh

Hi Autocar Team, My monthly running is around 1,600-1,800 km, and about 85% of my driving is on highways. My priorities are safety, a refined engine, good mileage, and low maintenance costs. My budget is around ₹15 lakh. Currently, I drive a Hyundai i20 petrol manual, but now I want to switch to an automatic car. I have shortlisted the Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5 diesel Autoshift and the Kia Seltos lower variant. Considering my high highway usage and priorities like safety, refinement, mileage, and maintenance, which of these would you recommend?

Autocar India

•2d

While the Mahindra XUV 3XO has a strong and refined engine, the AMT gearbox is not the best performing units in terms of smoothness and response. Quick overtakes on the highway would require a lot more planning with an AMT, and over time, it can get frustrating. We would recommend checking out the Hyundai Venue as it gets a diesel engine mated to a 6-speed torque converter gearbox that is a lot better than AMT units. The Venue is also well equipped in its HX5 guise that falls within your budget. It is the newer car overall with a fresh and modern interior.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Hyundai Venue

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