I am planning to buy a new car. My monthly running is around 2,000-2,500km. I currently drive a 2019 Santro AMT. Diesel and EVs are not an option. Please suggest a reliable, fuel-efficient petrol automatic within a budget of ₹20-22 lakh.

Autocar India

•8w

Given your running, we'd recommend a petrol-electric hybrid which would meet your requirements for great efficiency and automatic transmission. Options within your budget include the Maruti Suzuki Victoris and Grand Vitara, Hyryder and Honda City Hybrid, all of which are reliable products.

The Maruti Suzuki Victoris is the newest and incorporates several improvements over the Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, with which it is closely related. The Victoris makes for a sensible choice, packing in plenty of features and great efficiency. However, boot space is limited on the hybrid and space at the back is also not great for an SUV/crossover of this size.

The Honda City Hybrid, in comparison, offers a better back seat experience and also more room for luggage. Do note, as good as the Honda City Hybrid is, it's not a very popular product, and this could impact resale when it's time to sell.

Explore cars mentioned

Maruti Suzuki

Victoris

from ₹12.23 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki

Grand Vitara

from ₹12.54 Lakh

Toyota

Urban Cruiser Hyryder

from ₹12.79 Lakh

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More questions on similar cars

Manu

•1w

I’m planning to buy the Maruti Suzuki Brezza VXI Automatic and will be taking delivery in the next 3 days. Before proceeding, I would like some advice. Is it worth going ahead with the purchase now, or should I wait for a possible facelift? I have already waited for about a month. Are there any drawbacks I should be aware of apart from the missing turbo punch? I’ve seen some videos where the engine sounds quite loud during hard acceleration-should engine noise be a concern? I could only test drive the manual version of the Brezza and not the automatic. During the test drive, I didn’t notice much difference in terms of weight or overall driving feel. My priority is a peaceful, comfortable, long-term car with low noise levels, decent mileage, and good performance for both city and highway driving. I also test drove the Maruti Suzuki Fronx and Tata Nexon (AMT variants), but I didn’t like the AMT transmission. The DCT variants are more expensive, and I have heard they are not ideal for heavy traffic. The main reason I am considering the Brezza is its torque-converter automatic transmission. Should I go ahead with the Brezza Automatic, consider the Maruti Suzuki Victoris Automatic even if it costs around ₹3 lakh more, or look at another option?

Autocar India

•2d

We are not sure of the exact timelines for the launch of the facelifted Maruti Suzuki Brezza. But looking at the spy pictures floating around, we can assume it should be towards the end of next year. What you can expect from the facelift are minor cosmetic changes and some feature enhancements, but no changes to the powertrain.The Brezza’s naturally aspirated petrol engine is fairly refined as long as you don’t rev it too hard. Under hard acceleration, it can sound a bit loud, but in regular driving, it remains smooth and comfortable. You are right in choosing the Brezza for its automatic transmission - it uses a traditional torque converter, which is smoother than both AMTs and DCTs. And yes, DCTs can feel jerky in heavy traffic.The Maruti Suzuki Victoris is a bigger car but comes with the same engine and transmission options. Both the Victoris and Brezza are good in the city but can feel a bit lethargic on the highway. If you don’t need the extra space, the current Brezza is good enough. It’s a proven and reliable product for long-term ownership.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Barun C

•3d

I am planning to buy a 5-seater SUV with a budget of around ₹22 lakh. My yearly driving will be approximately 10,000 km, with 70% city use and 30% highway driving. My main priorities are comfortable driving, good boot space, and strong fuel efficiency. Another key factor for me is reliable after-sales service and a wide service network across India, as we often travel to remote areas. I am open to strong hybrid options, but I am not interested in an EV. Which SUV would you recommend considering my requirements?

Autocar India

•5h

Since your annual driving isn't all that high, it would be sensible to buy a petrol SUV. A diesel, or strong hybrid, makes sense if you end up driving a lot more to save on fuel cost and offset the premium you pay during purchase. The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara would be a good option to consider since it will tick the boxes you want. It is easy to drive and comfortable over Indian roads, has a good boot, and the 1.5-litre petrol engine with mild-hybrid tech is efficient too. In comparison to its rivals, the Grand Vitara returns better fuel efficiency. Being a Maruti, it has a good reach of service centres and spares available at an affordable cost, and if you do end up on tricky roads often, there is also the AllGrip version that gets AWD for better traction and grip. If not, the Alpha (O) trim is the top-spec and is generous with features and equipment.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

PSR

•5d

I am using WagonR (CNG). I want to upgrade to an automatic petrol SUV. I am considering Grand Vitara Zeta AT, Victoris ZXI AT and Creta S (O) iVT. Please suggest me good car in terms of comfortable driving and milage. I use car 50% in city and 50% on highway. My annual usage is 5000-6000 km.

Autocar India

•2d

The Hyundai Creta IVT is the best pick of the three models on your shortlist. It's got the smoothest gearbox, and engine performance is also significantly better than the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara AT and Victoris AT. Fuel economy is decent too, and should not pinch over your 5000-6000km of annual usage.What also strengthens the Creta's case is that it's more spacious than the Maruti Suzuki models.However, we'd also recommend checking the Kia Seltos IVT. As you may know, the Seltos and Creta are closely related products. The recently-launched second-gen Seltos is built on the Hyundai Group's latest platform (the Creta continues on the last-gen platform). IIt comes with better tech as well as the promise of better safety. The new Seltos is also roomier than the Creta, making it better suited to family use.

Hyundai Creta

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