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

•19h

Sadly, Hyundai doesn't offer an automatic gearbox with the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine in the Venue. The 1.0 Turbo Petrol DCT is a good powertrain overall - powerful yet efficient if driven carefully. However, with the combination of turbo lag and hesitation from the gearbox at low speeds, the experience is not smooth, and this can have an impact on both mileage as well as wear-and-tear over time. Thus, if your usage is primarily in the city, this powertrain might not be the one for you. If you want a smooth and efficient petrol automatic car in your budget, consider the Honda Amaze CVT, which isn't an SUV, but offers good space and comfort in an efficient, reliable package. Alternatively, while Hyundai doesn't offer the 1.2 petrol with a CVT in the Venue, it is offered in the i20, which is not quite as spacious, but works as a family car. Finally, if you want the best all-rounder, consider the Maruti Suzuki Brezza 1.5 petrol AT - it is smooth, efficient, powerful and spacious, and while perhaps not as high-tech as the Hyundai car, is a better overall package for your needs.

Hyundai Venue

Hyundai i20

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Honda Amaze

autocar.india

•17h

The Hyundai Venue and Volkswagen Taigun GT Line are quite different propositions. The Hyundai car is a compact SUV, while the Taigun GT Line is a midsize SUV with a stronger focus on driving dynamics. If your priority is a comfortable, easy-to-drive city car with good features and a strong ownership experience, the Venue is the better fit. However, if you enjoy driving and want a more engaging car with a stronger turbo petrol engine and a better ride and handling balance, the Volkswagen car is the clear choice. The Taigun also offers slightly more space too and feels more composed on the highway. The only drawback is that it is a more expensive car, so the decision really comes down to whether you value driving enjoyment more over outright value. If you do, go for the Taigun GT Line. If not, the Venue is the more sensible choice.

Hyundai Venue

Volkswagen Taigun

autocar.india

•18h

For your usage, the Honda Amaze VX CVT is the more practical choice. Your 20km daily commute in Pune traffic means you need a car that is smooth, reliable and easy to live with, and the Amaze’s CVT gearbox is far better suited to stop-start conditions than the Venue’s DCT. The Venue HX6 DCT is a good car, but the 1.0 turbo petrol paired with a dual-clutch automatic of this Hyundai car is not the most efficient setup in heavy traffic, and the gearbox can feel a bit jerky at low speeds. The Amaze’s naturally aspirated petrol engine is also simpler and more predictable in terms of power delivery and mileage. This also helps with long-term ownership, and Honda’s reliability record is strong.On ethanol blending, both cars are E20-compliant and there is no official roadmap beyond E20, so it should not be a deciding factor. Higher ethanol blends will reduce fuel economy, but most cars are built with higher materials tolerances to handle slightly higher blends, should they be introduced. Honda, especially, has been at the forefront of compliance, being among the first brands to introduce E10 and E20 compatibility, well before their official introduction.The only reason to pick the Venue would be if you specifically want the SUV body style, a more feature-rich cabin or a more premium feel, but for your usage the Amaze is the better fit. The Venue HX6 DCT is also far more expensive than the Amaze VX CVT.

Honda Amaze

Hyundai Venue