I want to buy a new car for my parents, who are first-time drivers, so an automatic is a must. We live near a highway, so most driving will be highway or short village-to-town runs. I want a hatchback with low maintenance and easy driving for beginners. My budget is up to ₹10 lakh. I’ve shortlisted the Maruti Swift 2024 ZXI AMT - what do you think?

Autocar India

•14w

While the Maruti Swift ZXI AMT is a good choice, we would recommend the Maruti Suzuki Baleno AMT Alpha, which costs a similar amount. The Baleno's engine feels stronger and will be more suited to highway driving. Like the Swift, the Baleno is also easy and cheap to maintain and delivers good fuel economy.

Also worth looking at is the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R 1.2 AMT. It has the same engine as the Baleno, but what makes it worth considering for your parents is its higher seating and elevated driving position. Getting in and out of the car is easy and the large glass area makes visibility very good. Also, the high seating also gives confidence when driving on the highway.

Explore cars mentioned

Maruti Suzuki

Swift

from ₹6.84 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki

Baleno

from ₹7.07 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki

Wagon R

from ₹5.92 Lakh

Got a suggestion for Piyush?

Add a Comment

Latest questions people are discussing

Bazz

•2d

I own a 2018 Maruti Swift petrol manual. I am now looking for a bigger car with good ground clearance and better fuel efficiency. My daily commute is about 25 km. I liked the Tata Sierra. Should I wait for the Sierra EV or consider hybrids like the Grand Vitara? Hybrids come at a higher premium. Are they worth it, or should I go for an EV?

Autocar India

•12h

Unless you buy a strong hybrid vehicle, no other vehicle larger than your petrol Maruti Swift will deliver better fuel efficiency. That said, since your daily commute is only 25km, paying a premium for a hybrid vehicle or EV (over a similar petrol vehicle) doesn't make much financial sense.If you like the Tata Sierra, we'd recommend stretching for the turbo-petrol version only. However, the fuel efficiency is likely to be low due to its 1.5-tonne kerb weight. Alternatively, you can opt for the 1.5 petrol (mild-hybrid) versions of Maruti Grand Vitara, Victoris or Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, which are fuel-efficient and have good ground clearance.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Satish V

•1w

Hi Sir, I need car advice for a family of 4-5 members. I want an AMT/AGS car costing less than ₹10 lakh, with about 80% city usage. Most importantly, our family members are stout, so I need a car that comfortably accommodates them. Thank you.

Autocar India

•1d

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno would suit you. The car is among the more spacious in its class, and the automatic version would fit within your budget. However, we would definitely recommend you take your family down to the showroom and make sure you are all reasonably comfortable inside. You could also consider the Nissan Gravite or its sister car, the Renault Triber.The automatics would also fit your budget. But most importantly, with three rows of seating, you could better spread out your family of 5 so each has sufficient shoulder room.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Gurcharan Gandhi

•1d

I have been driving a Ford EcoSport Trend+ since 2018 and have done over 1,00,000 km on it. I am fully satisfied with its performance. Now I want to buy a mid-size petrol SUV. I am a driving enthusiast and prefer a car with good driving dynamics, strong road grip, and handling. My budget is up to ₹15 lakh. Which car would you suggest is best for me?

Autocar India

•6h

Since you are a driving enthusiast and are looking for a mid-size SUV with good driving dynamics, we would recommend the new Skoda Kushaq. Skoda recently unveiled the facelift and will also be announcing prices this month. The Kushaq is one of the more driver-focused mid-size SUVs with very good handling manners. It will feature two engines as before, a 1.0-litre TSI and a 1.5-litre TSI. If the bigger engine is out of budget, the 1.0-litre is also quite peppy and fun to drive, with good grip and cornering. Another SUV worth waiting for would be the Renault Duster, which is launching on the 17th of this month. It gets a powerful turbo-petrol engine, and Renault has developed a good chunk of it at MMRT (Madras Motor Race Track) in Chennai and assures us that the handling would be exciting. If you aren't in a hurry, we advise you to wait till we get our hands on the Duster and even the updated Kushaq for a definitive verdict.

Skoda Kushaq facelift

Renault Duster

View all Posts