As a first-time buyer, and with the BH passing budget of 11 Lakh on road, per year running will be 15K km (60% city, 40% highway), which car will be suitable for a family? I have shortlisted Brezza Zxi, Sonet HTK+ diesel, and Venue HX5 diesel. I am thinking in the long term. (10 yrs)

autocar.india

•1d

Go for the Hyundai Venue HX5 Turbo Petrol DCT. It's the best choice among your shortlisted options. Since you're a new driver, its compact dimensions will be easier to get used to, and as you mentioned, the lighter controls are a big advantage.With 70% of your driving on highways, the manual gearbox is a straightforward and dependable choice. At the same time, the clutch is light enough to remain comfortable in city traffic. Sticking with the manual also allows you to move up to the better-equipped Hyundai Venue N Line N6 Petrol MT variant within your budget.It's not that the Venue's DCT has inherent issues in traffic. Rather, it can feel jerky at crawling speeds, and it requires slightly more careful use, such as shifting to Neutral or Park when stopped for longer at traffic lights, to minimise premature wear.The Kia Seltos HTE Petrol MT gives you a larger car and a bigger engine, but being the base-spec variant, it misses out on several features. As a first-time buyer, the size may be more of a hindrance than a benefit.

Hyundai Venue

Kia Seltos

autocar.india

•1d

Go for the Hyundai Venue turbo petrol automatic. The naturally aspirated petrol does feel underpowered, so the turbo petrol is the right choice if you want a punchier driving experience. The automatic gearbox is a 7-speed dual-clutch unit, and while there have been some concerns about dual-clutch reliability in the past, Hyundai’s implementation is generally well sorted. This Hyundai car is a relatively light car, and the gearbox is not heavily stressed in everyday use. It is perfectly safe to take to the hills, and the gearbox has a manual mode that allows you to hold gears on descents and for overtakes. Overtaking on highways is not an issue either, as the turbo petrol has strong mid-range performance. Since budget is not a constraint, go for the top variant. It gets all the features, including the full ADAS suite, which adds an extra layer of safety on highways. The only thing to keep in mind is that dual-clutch gearboxes can feel a bit jerky at very low speeds in stop-start traffic, but overall the Venue turbo petrol automatic is a strong package and the right choice for your requirements.

Hyundai Venue

autocar.india

•17h

The Honda Amaze CVT VX is a very sensible upgrade from the Nexon AMT. The CVT gearbox is far smoother than the AMT, which will make both city driving and hill climbs much more pleasant. The Amaze also offers excellent visibility, a comfortable driving position and a reliable ownership experience. However, it is a sedan, so you will lose the higher seating position and ground clearance of an SUV, which can be useful on highways and rough roads.Given your usage, a compact SUV with a proper automatic gearbox is a better fit. The Maruti Suzuki Brezza automatic is a strong recommendation here. It uses a 6-speed torque converter automatic, which is much smoother than the Nexon AMT, and it offers excellent visibility, a comfortable driving position and low running costs. But it is on the pricier side.Overall, the Amaze CVT is a good alternative if you are happy to move to a sedan, but if budget permits, the Brezza is the more versatile choice.

Honda Amaze

Tata Nexon

Maruti Suzuki Brezza