We are a family of three planning to buy our first car with a budget of under Rs 10 lakh. Our priorities are safety, interior space and good after sales service in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Which car would you recommend?

Autocar India

•1h

Consider the Kia Carens Clavis 1.5 turbo-petrol DCT. It is not so large as to become cumbersome in the city, yet it comfortably seats seven and has a genuinely usable third row. The 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine has enough power when fully loaded, and highway performance is strong too. Your budget will get you one of the mid or upper trims, which are very well equipped and offer good value for money. Kia’s after-sales service also has a good reputation in India.One catch is that the DCT can hesitate at times, but overall, it is quite smooth.If you want a more SUV-like presence, the Hyundai Alcazar is a solid choice too. It uses the same powertrain as the Clavis, so the driving experience is broadly similar. However, the Alcazar’s third row is not quite as comfortable for adults as the Clavis’s.Overall, the Kia Carens Clavis is a good fit for your needs.

Kia Carens Clavis

Autocar India

•14h

Get the Tata Punch EV 40kWh Adventure. It fits closest to Rs. 12 lakh and comfortably does a 100 km daily city run with AC, leaving a buffer so you are not range-watching. It is easy to park in tight spots, and you still get fast charging for quick top-ups if plans change. Running costs are low, and Tata’s EV network is the widest today.The honest catch is that the rear seat is comfortable for two but a squeeze for three because of the narrow width.If you want a smaller footprint for city use, then the updated Tiago EV 24kWh is also a solid choice. It can now also charge at up to 30kW, so quick top-ups are possible, but total range will be significantly less than the Punch EV.

Tata Punch EV

Tata Tiago EV

Autocar India

•18h

The Tata Sierra is a large and capable SUV, and for your work, would give loads of space for camera gear and garment boxes alike, but in your budget of Rs 15-16 lakh, you will only get the base model. Moreover, the downside of it being a large and heavy vehicle is that the mileage is not great compared to rivals, whether comparing the petrol or diesel versions. However, should you go with the Sierra and want to get the maximum mileage, the diesel is probably the best way to go, and if possible, we would recommend stretching the budget by at least Rs 1-1.5 lakh to get a few more features.Consider the Kia Seltos instead - it too has a large and spacious cabin, almost as big as that of the Sierra, and good boot space as well. However, its engines, comparable to what you get in the Sierra, offer better real-world mileage. And, as safety is another concern, the Seltos has scored a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating, just like the Sierra. What's more, you can get mid-spec variants, at least with the petrol engines, in your budget of Rs. 15-16 lakh, so you don't necessarily have to increase it so much. If you want even more space, and don't mind picking an MPV over an SUV, the Kia Carens Clavis is a far more practical option.

Tata Sierra

Kia Seltos

Kia Carens Clavis