I am planning to buy a car with a budget of around ₹10-12lakh. My primary usage will be highway driving for personal use. I am looking for a car that is easy to drive, safe, and offers a smooth driving experience.

Autocar India

•1d

We would recommend you shortlist the Skoda Kylaq 1.0 Turbo-AT and the Hyundai Venue N Line 1.0 Turbo-AT. Given that your son has only recently learnt to drive, it will be better to buy him a 'relatively' compact car that's both user-friendly. It has a good audio system, and at the same time has the 'cool' factor that a young driver would be looking for. Both the Kylaq and Venue N Line fit the bill. Also, the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engines in these cars will be adequately powerful and fun to drive, without feeling overwhelming for a new driver.A hatchback alternative that you could consider is the Hyundai i20 N Line Turbo-DCT, which should cost you around Rs 14 lakh for the top-end version.All these will comfortably fall within your Rs 20 lakh budget with some cash to spare, which you could utilise to upgrade the vehicle down the line, once he has mastered the art of driving, and wants a bigger car.

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai i20

Hyundai Venue

Autocar India

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Hyundai Venue 1.0-litre Turbo-DCT - the drive experience is smooth, ride comfort is good, steering is light, and on account of its raised seating position, visibility is good too. All of these factors make it very user-friendly and ideal for a new driver. Alternatively, you could also consider a Skoda Kylaq 1.0 Turbo-AT, which feels as good, although its service network isn't as wide as Hyundai's. You'll be happy to know that both Venue and Kylaq have scored 5 stars in BNCAP crash tests.

Hyundai Venue

Skoda Kylaq

Autocar India

•2d

Pick the Skoda Kylaq Prestige+ AT. For your use and budget, it feels like the best upgrade from your EcoSport.You drive mostly to Hosur and Bengaluru, at low monthly distance, so the smooth 6-speed automatic suits you well. It moves off briskly, has no jerks in slow traffic, and makes city driving simple. The Kylaq sits high and the seats are at a nice height, so getting in and out is easy. Ground clearance is good for village roads and speed breakers, and the suspension handles broken patches without fuss. It also has a strong 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that will feel like a good upgrade from a diesel. Coming from an EcoSport, the Kylaq feels sturdy, and for a bit of peace of mind, it has achieved a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating.For another alternative, look at the Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5 Luxury AT. It too is robustly built and safe, but it may stretch your on-road budget and isn't quite as refined as the Skoda.

Skoda Kylaq