Hi Autocar team, I need your help in choosing an automatic family car that is reliable, safe and builds confidence in a new driver. I am planning to replace my 2017 Maruti Baleno Alpha petrol as it feels flimsy and dents very easily. Further, it no longer inspire confidence on highways and its braking confidence is also not great. I would appreciate your recommendations for another car. I am currently based in Pune and have planned for BH registration because there is a reasonable possibility of moving to another state in the future (most likely among Madhya Pradesh, Bangalore or Delhi). I will be primarily using it for city driving (90%) with occasional highway trips that may be very long (up to 1,000 km) sometimes. I usually travel with 2 adults and 1 child. I am looking for a car that can comfortably accommodate 4 adults and 1 child whenever required. My annual running is currently under 8,000 km, but it could increase significantly because there will be two drivers and an automatic car is likely to be used more. There will be one experienced driver who is comfortable with car of any size. Second driver is relatively new and gets intimidated by judging front-left corner and vehicle dimensions. I am looking for features such as rear camera that can help in significantly building confidence. I want to first look for a car in Rs. 10 lakh on-road mark but am comfortable with spending around Rs. 14 to 16 lakh if the car offers more safety, confidence and better ownership experience. I am looking for the best overall fit rather than trying to maximize budget. My priorities are reliability and hassle-free ownership, safety, easy maneuverability and confidence in city traffic. I value predictable ownership, service quality and peace of mind more than outright performance. I am comfortable with either petrol, hybrid or EV car with automatic transmission. EV seems interesting because I have a dedicated parking and home charging is possible. My area has mostly good roads with occasional monsoon-related road damage. We have taken test-drives of a few hatchbacks and compact SUVs with automatic transmissions. One thing that has became clear to me is that commanding seating position and a clearer view of road ahead significantly increase confidence, especially for the newer driver. However, we are still unsure whether this benefit alone justifies moving up from a hatchback to an SUV. Initially I thought a small hatchback would be ideal because I could pass it on to my parents after 3-5 years. However, if a slightly larger vehicle offers better safety, comfort and confidence, I would rather keep it for 5-10 years and later buy my parents a separate car. Based on the above requirements, what would be your top 5 recommendations and in what order? More importantly, which body style would you choose among premium hatchback, compact SUV, midsize SUV, hybrid SUV or EV? Which popular models you will not choose despite their popularity, and why? How much importance should I give to reliability versus crash safety while choosing a family car that will mostly be driven in the city but I make take it occasionally for long highway trips? Also, will I regret staying with a hatchback, or moving a segment up, the more sensible long-term decision for my use case?

autocar.india

•2d

Given your low monthly running, we would recommend a petrol car over a diesel. The fuel-efficiency advantage of a diesel only starts to make strong financial sense when you're covering substantially higher distances. Since you're already driving a 2022 Creta Diesel, moving to a petrol for your next car would also help you avoid concerns around DPFs and future diesel regulations.We also wouldn't let ethanol-blending concerns drive your purchase decision. While India could move towards E27 or even E30 fuel in the future, there is currently no official roadmap confirming this. Most modern E20-compliant petrol cars have been engineered with a margin of tolerance and should be able to handle somewhat higher ethanol blends without any immediate issues. At worst, some rubber components may wear slightly faster over many years, but these are typically inexpensive parts to replace. The bigger impact is likely to be a small reduction in fuel efficiency rather than any major reliability concern.For a Rs.10 lakh CSD budget, we would suggest looking at the Hyundai Venue 1.0 Turbo Petrol or the Skoda Kylaq. The Venue's turbo-petrol engine feels punchy and refined, offers a premium cabin and is very well suited to everyday use. The Kylaq, meanwhile, feels more substantial, offers excellent safety credentials and has one of the most enjoyable turbo-petrol engine and automatic gearbox combinations in the segment.

Hyundai Venue

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai Creta

autocar.india

•1d

If you have the budget to accommodate the Rs. 3 lakh price difference, go for the Kia Seltos HTE(O) IVT. It is a significantly larger car, so your weekend trips with 4-5 people and luggage will be far easier. It also has a smoother and more refined powertrain overall, and its IVT automatic gearbox works equally well in the city and on the highway. Ride quality is better, the boot is much larger, and rear-seat space is something your passengers will appreciate.As for the Hyundai Venue, while a good SUV on its own, it is simply at a disadvantage for its size, given your intended usage. Its 1.0-litre turbo petrol is more powerful and feels punchier than the Seltos' 1.5 litre NA petrol, but it also suffers from serious turbo lag, and the DCT gearbox can be very clunky at low speeds, both of which are made worse when the car is full up. Thus, overall, the Seltos is just the better choice.Your automatic gearbox should have no real issue with sitting idle for 15-20 days at a time. What needs to be looked out for is the battery, which could discharge, and the fuel in the tank. E20 petrol, which is the norm in India now, can separate into petrol and ethanol if it comes in contact with moisture, which is a possibility when the car is left idle for a long. It is thus advisable in any case to run the car, even briefly, at least once a week.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Venue

autocar.india

•2d

Go for the Mahindra XUV 3XO, and get the petrol with the 6‑speed automatic. It gives you a roomy back seat, a strong crash rating, and a planted and secure highway ride that suits your 80 percent highway use. The turbo petrol engine is the strongest here, and it's the only one of your shortlist to get a smooth torque-converter automatic gearbox. The only real downside is that the boot is not as big as that of rivals, and fuel economy won't be as good either, but for your largely highway use, the difference won't be so bad.The Hyundai Venue HX5 is fine for four but tight for five on long trips, and while the Kia Syros HTK Plus feels the largest, rear width and thigh support are only average, and its ride quality is quite choppy. Tata Nexon diesel would be lovely on highways and is safe, but the diesel automatic is an AMT, which is nowhere near as smooth as the XUV's torque converter, or even the Hyundai/Kia's DCT.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Hyundai Venue

Kia Syros

Tata Nexon