I'm planning to buy a car. It's my first car. My usage is mainly city usage and occasionally highway use. My priority is comfort, mileage, low maintenance and good resale value. My budget is about 15 to 18L. Need your expertise on what to choose?

autocar.india

•4h

While your concerns are valid, do note that all cars will see a mileage drop running on E20 petrol; it's just that E10 compliant cars like your 2021 Maruti Suzuki Brezza will see a relatively higher impact due to the engine not being calibrated for the fuel. As for which car to pick, since mileage is your maximum priority, we recommend the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Zeta (O). It remains the mileage king in its segment, and even when you factor in the efficiency drop, it will do better than the others you have shortlisted. Bear in mind, however, that it uses the same 1.5-litre petrol engine as your Brezza, so in terms of powertrain, it won't feel like much of an upgrade on that front. As for the new launches, the Grand Vitara may get a minor facelift later this year, but it will not really impact the overall ownership experience (or mileage), so we recommend going ahead and buying it now. The next-gen Hyundai Creta is not due until sometime in 2027.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Hyundai Creta

autocar.india

•3d

At Rs 8-10 lakh, there are no hybrid cars available in India. The only options in this price range are mild hybrids, which offer a small efficiency boost but do not provide the fuel savings or electric-only driving of a proper strong hybrid system. If you are specifically looking for a hybrid with a sunroof, you will need to increase your budget to around Rs 20 lakh or more, where cars like the Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid, Grand Vitara Hybrid and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid become available. These are proper strong hybrids and are among the most efficient cars in India today.If your budget is fixed at Rs 8-10 lakh, the best approach is to focus on a good mild hybrid car with a sunroof, such as the Maruti Suzuki Fronx or Brezza. If space is not the highest priority, get the Fronx, as it is better value for money, giving you more features for your money. The Brezza, however, has more interior space, more powerful engines and a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating, so it could be the better choice.But then your other requirement - a sunroof - will not be met by either of these, as Maruti only offers this feature in higher variants. So if that is of the highest priority, check out a petrol car like the Hyundai i20, Tata Punch or Kia Sonet. Overall, our recommendation is to go for one of the mild-hybrid Maruti models and forego the sunroof. It's the better decision in the long run.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Hyundai i20

Tata Punch

Kia Sonet

autocar.india

•6h

The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid is a very sensible choice for your first automatic. It is smooth, efficient and easy to drive in the city, and the hybrid system works well in stop-start traffic. However, your concern about feeling underpowered is valid. The hybrid system is tuned for efficiency rather than outright performance, and under hard acceleration, you will feel that the engine is straining a bit. Overall, performance feels adequate, and while it will climb hills and handle mountain roads without issue, performance doesn't feel particularly strong or effortless like some turbo-petrol or diesel cars.This Toyota car is a great choice if your priority is efficiency and ease of use, but if you want more performance and better overtaking ability, a 1.5 turbo-petrol automatic powered SUV like a Kia Seltos or Skoda Kushaq/VW Taigun would be a better fit.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kushaq

Volkswagen Taigun