Mumbai

Abhishek

•6w

I own a 2018 Maruti Swift ZXi petrol manual. We are a family of four, with a 20 km daily city drive and occasional highway trips every 3-4 months. I have no issues with my current car. Should I upgrade to a mid-size SUV now or wait? Also, should I sell the Swift or keep it? My budget for a new car is Rs 15-20 lakh.

Autocar India

•6w

Your daily 20 km city drive and occasional highway trips are exactly what the Maruti Suzuki Swift does well. It is easy, efficient and already familiar to you, and since you are not facing any real limitation, moving to a mid-size SUV right now will feel more like a lifestyle upgrade than a necessity. You will gain space, comfort and a higher driving position with options like the Hyundai Creta or Kia Seltos, but in your current usage, the difference in day-to-day practicality will not be dramatic.

Waiting also works in your favour. Your car still has useful life left, and upgrading later means you extract better value from it while also stepping into a newer generation of cars, when the upgrade will feel more meaningful.

On the question of selling versus retaining, the approach is simple. If you upgrade later, sell the Swift while it still holds good value. If you upgrade now, keep it only if you genuinely need a second car.

Explore cars mentioned

Maruti Suzuki

Swift

from ₹6.84 Lakh

Hyundai

Creta

from ₹12.92 Lakh

Kia

Seltos

from ₹13.02 Lakh

Prakash

•6w

Hi,I am going to buy a car first time chose two car,One is Tata Tiago on budget and other comparing to all aspects is Maruti Fronx .which should be better for me.Or waiting for upcoming maruti car .I need a car this year.

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More questions on similar cars

Pankaj

•1d

Harrier Petrol Pure X Manual vs Hyundai Creta S(O) IVT vs Kia Seltos HTK(O) IVT - which would be the better choice? My daily usage is around 40 km in the city, and I do highway trips of around 600 km once every 2-3 months.

Autocar India

•11h

Pick the Kia Seltos HTK(O) IVT. With 40 km of city use every day, it is the easiest to live with - the CVT automatic is smooth in traffic, steering is light, the ride is comfy, and it will likely use less fuel than a Tata Harrier petrol. For your 600 km runs every 2-3 months, it cruises quietly, feels relaxed, and the back seat is spacious too.The Hyundai Creta S(O) automatic comes close, but it isn't as well-equipped or as new as the Seltos. The Harrier petrol Pure X manual is the wrong fit here. It is larger and heavier, the manual will tire you in stop-and-go traffic, and it also takes more effort to park in tight city spots.One trade-off with the Seltos IVT - it does not have the performance of the Harrier petrol or the turbo petrol version of the Seltos.

Unnithan

I currently drive a Hyundai i10 (2012 model) that has covered nearly 90,000 km. I am now looking to upgrade to a family SUV with a budget of around Rs. 20 lakh. Please suggest a suitable option that offers good comfort for both city driving and highway journeys.

Autocar India

•16h

Its hard to recommend a specific car without knowing a few more specifics like importance of rear space, who will drive it, etc. However, if you are looking at an all rounder we would suggest the Kia Seltos. The new second generation car has grown larger and more room inside, including at the rear, where the previous car was not as spacious. Since your running does not seem very high we would recommend the 1.5 litre naturally aspirated petrol coupled to the automatic gearbox. The autobox is a CVT but is does not have a prominent 'rubber band effect' - where revs rise faster than the corresponding speed increase and in fact, it is quite enjoyable when driven at regular speeds in the city. On the highway too, its just fine and the handling at higher speeds is very secure and stable and the car tracks straight and level even on less-than-perfect surfaces. As typical of Kia, the Seltos is also very well equipped and at your budget, you would get a decently specced mid-level variant.

Kia Seltos

Rohit Mishra

•16h

Hi everyone, I am considering buying either the Renault Duster Techno Plus Turbo Petrol or the Kia Seltos HTX CVT Automatic. My usage will be around 60% city and 40% highway driving. My main priorities are reliability, low maintenance, good after-sales service, comfort, and overall ownership experience. Which one would you recommend and why? Owners' feedback on long-term reliability, service quality, and maintenance costs would be greatly appreciated.

Autocar India

•11h

For your priorities, we would lean towards the Kia Seltos HTX CVT. The new Renault Duster is an impressive product. It rides exceptionally well, the turbo petrol engine is strong, and it has a more rugged SUV character than the Seltos. If driving feel and ride comfort are your top priorities, the Duster makes a very strong case.However, when you specifically mention reliability, low maintenance, after-sales service and overall ownership experience, the Seltos comes out ahead. Kia's service network is larger, ownership costs are more predictable, and the brand has built a strong reputation for customer satisfaction. The naturally aspirated petrol paired with the CVT is also a relatively stress-free powertrain for long-term ownership.The Seltos is also likely to feel more premium on a daily basis. Interior fit and finish, feature count and overall refinement are all areas where it has an edge. The rear seat is also more accommodating than the Duster's.

Kia Seltos

Renault Duster

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Balaji

•4d

I am looking to buy a 6/7-seater EV. My primary usage will be as a 4-seater, with occasional 6-seater use. I will mainly drive it in the city for my daily office commute and undertake long-distance trips of around 500 km once every two months. I have a solar setup at home and can charge the vehicle comfortably. My budget is Rs 30-40 lakh, although I can stretch it slightly if required.

Autocar India

•3d

You should go for the Mahindra XEV 9S. It's a proper three-row EV, and it fits your use case perfectly. With home solar charging, your running costs are very low, and the smooth, quiet drive is just right for city runs as a 4-seater. When you do need six or seven seats, the third row is reasonably spacious, and for your 500 km trip every couple of months, you’ll need just one quick top-up at a highway charger.Do note that with all three rows up, boot space is tight, so your highway trips will require some planning.Alternatively, consider the Kia Carens Clavis EV. It isn't as feature-rich and doesn't have as much range as the XEV 9S, but its third row is more comfortable for adults.

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Anshuman Mishra

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I am planning to buy an automatic car for my family and am confused between the Kia Sonet and the Skoda Kylaq. Could you please advise which one would be the better choice and explain the pros and cons of each?

Autocar India

•4d

Skoda Kylaq is the better family automatic, mainly because it gives you a bit more cabin and boot space and a calmer ride over bad roads. It feels more secure at highway speeds with a full load, and its turbo engine with the automatic pulls cleanly, so hills and quick overtakes are easy even with the AC on. The petrol Kylaq automatic uses a torque convertor gearbox which is also smoother than the dual clutch unit on the Sonet so it would fare better in city traffic. Kia Sonet makes sense if you want more features and need Kia’s service reach which is wider. For weekend trips with four on board it will do the job too, but rear seat width and long-journey comfort are not its strong points and within a year it will get a major update, thus buying it now would not be ideal.

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Sandeep

•3d

I want to buy a car under Rs 12 lakh. It should be a petrol automatic and will be my first car. I need good ground clearance, a good engine and gearbox combination for 70% city and 30% highway use, and my daily running is around 30 km in Bengaluru traffic. Comfort, space, decent fuel efficiency, ease of driving, and long-term ownership are important to me. I do not want a Fronx, Baleno, i20, Exter, Punch, or Nexon. Please suggest a value-for-money option. Thank you.

Autocar India

•2d

Given your exclusions, the Skoda Kylaq automatic would be our first recommendation. Specifically, the Signature automatic is if you can stretch slightly. The 1.0 TSI turbo petrol and torque converter automatic are a very good combination for Bangalore traffic. The gearbox is smooth, the engine has enough punch for highway overtakes, and the car feels more premium and substantial than most options in this price range. Ground clearance is good, it is easy to drive, and it has the solid feel that many first-time buyers appreciate.Another strong option is the Mahindra XUV 3XO MX2 Pro automatic. It has a wider rear seat, feels bigger inside and is one of the most spacious compact SUVs in the segment. The torque converter automatic is smooth, and it is comfortable for city use. The downside is that fuel efficiency is not that great, and the boot is on the smaller side.If you are willing to consider a sedan, the Honda Amaze CVT is also worth a look. The CVT is exceptionally smooth in traffic, reliability is excellent, and it is the kind of car you can comfortably keep for a decade. The only reason it is not our primary recommendation is that you specifically mentioned wanting good ground clearance.

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Posted on: 21 Apr 2026