Hector has very poor mileage, and I want to buy a small automatic car for my wife. She does not drive yet, and she does not like Tata or Mahindra.

My dad is 60 years old. He currently drives a Skoda Slavia 1.0 MT for his daily commute of around 30-40 km (to and fro), mostly on small two-lane roads with moderate traffic. He really loves the car, particularly because of its very light steering at city speeds. He also drives sedately and prioritizes fuel efficiency. The only issue now is that, due to ageing, he feels he may switch to a smaller automatic car. His priorities are fuel efficiency, ease of driving, light steering, and compact dimensions. He is inclined towards the Kylaq, as he has developed a liking for Skoda cars after owning the Slavia. What are the other EV and petrol options available in the sub-4-metre segment with light steering and easy drivability comparable to Skoda cars? Or should we go with the Kylaq 1.0 AT?

Hi Autocar team, I need your help in choosing an automatic family car that is reliable, safe and builds confidence in a new driver. I am planning to replace my 2017 Maruti Baleno Alpha petrol as it feels flimsy and dents very easily. Further, it no longer inspire confidence on highways and its braking confidence is also not great. I would appreciate your recommendations for another car. I am currently based in Pune and have planned for BH registration because there is a reasonable possibility of moving to another state in the future (most likely among Madhya Pradesh, Bangalore or Delhi). I will be primarily using it for city driving (90%) with occasional highway trips that may be very long (up to 1,000 km) sometimes. I usually travel with 2 adults and 1 child. I am looking for a car that can comfortably accommodate 4 adults and 1 child whenever required. My annual running is currently under 8,000 km, but it could increase significantly because there will be two drivers and an automatic car is likely to be used more. There will be one experienced driver who is comfortable with car of any size. Second driver is relatively new and gets intimidated by judging front-left corner and vehicle dimensions. I am looking for features such as rear camera that can help in significantly building confidence. I want to first look for a car in Rs. 10 lakh on-road mark but am comfortable with spending around Rs. 14 to 16 lakh if the car offers more safety, confidence and better ownership experience. I am looking for the best overall fit rather than trying to maximize budget. My priorities are reliability and hassle-free ownership, safety, easy maneuverability and confidence in city traffic. I value predictable ownership, service quality and peace of mind more than outright performance. I am comfortable with either petrol, hybrid or EV car with automatic transmission. EV seems interesting because I have a dedicated parking and home charging is possible. My area has mostly good roads with occasional monsoon-related road damage. We have taken test-drives of a few hatchbacks and compact SUVs with automatic transmissions. One thing that has became clear to me is that commanding seating position and a clearer view of road ahead significantly increase confidence, especially for the newer driver. However, we are still unsure whether this benefit alone justifies moving up from a hatchback to an SUV. Initially I thought a small hatchback would be ideal because I could pass it on to my parents after 3-5 years. However, if a slightly larger vehicle offers better safety, comfort and confidence, I would rather keep it for 5-10 years and later buy my parents a separate car. Based on the above requirements, what would be your top 5 recommendations and in what order? More importantly, which body style would you choose among premium hatchback, compact SUV, midsize SUV, hybrid SUV or EV? Which popular models you will not choose despite their popularity, and why? How much importance should I give to reliability versus crash safety while choosing a family car that will mostly be driven in the city but I make take it occasionally for long highway trips? Also, will I regret staying with a hatchback, or moving a segment up, the more sensible long-term decision for my use case?

I am planning to buy a TC or CVT automatic car around 15 lakhs. City driving of about 30 kms daily, and on weekends about 100 kms. Highway trips once every 6 months (mainly to a hill station). My priorities are safety, features, comfort, low running costs, and a sunroof. Please suggest the best options.