I want to buy an automatic car for city driving, mainly for commuting between home and office. My budget is ₹7 lakh.

autocar.india

•20h

A city fuel efficiency of 13-15kpl with the air conditioning on is slightly on the lower side for a Wagon R 1.0, but it isn't necessarily a cause for concern, especially if you're driving in Lucknow's city traffic with frequent stops and the AC running throughout your journey.Your 20km daily commute should be enough for the engine to reach its normal operating temperature, but fuel efficiency can still vary depending on traffic conditions, idling time and driving style. We'd recommend checking that your tyre pressures are maintained at the manufacturer's recommended levels, avoiding hard acceleration and excessive idling, and using good-quality fuel from reputed fuel stations.

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R

autocar.india

•3d

Consider a Maruti Suzuki Celerio CNG manual. Your 100 km daily run will make CNG pay back fast, and the simple manual plus Maruti’s cheap, widely available service keeps maintenance low. The Celerio is small enough for the city but feels calmer than the tiny entry hatches on the highway, so those mixed runs won’t be tiring. It also fits your Rs. 5-7 lakh budget without stretching.You should know the compromises. Performance on CNG is softer, so overtakes need planning, and the tank eats most of the boot. Also, CNG pumps must be convenient on your route; if they aren’t, get the same Celerio in petrol manual and keep life simple while still keeping costs sensible.Cruise at 80-90 on the highway, stick to regular services, and this combo will give you low running costs with minimal fuss.

Maruti Suzuki Celerio

autocar.india

•4d

If you have CNG pumps in your area, pick the Tata Tiago CNG. At your budget, you would get a low to mid trim manual version, which should do just fine for your mix of city and highway driving. If your city drive is a lot and with heavy traffic, consider upping your budget for the automatic version. As for the car, the Tiago makes for a very good first buy, its small dimensions are easy to manage, and the clutch and steering are both light and easy to use. The engine is not refined, but its performance is decent enough when driven at a relaxed and normal pace.You can also consider the Maruti Celerio CNG; it too makes for a good first buy with easy controls and tight dimensions, but it loses boot space as it comes with a single large CNG tank and spare inside the boot, unlike the Tiago, which has the spare wheel and a dual tank setup below the boot floor. If it's a petrol only that you want, then the Celerio is the better option, as it has a more refined engine and will be more fuel efficient too.

Tata Tiago

Maruti Suzuki Celerio