I want to buy my first car, preferably an SUV ,with a budget of up to ₹10 lakh for a family of five. My daily commute is around 20 km, and the car will be driven by my wife and me. Which would be the best option considering fuel costs, comfort, maintenance, service and long-term reliability?

Autocar India

•2h

The Mahindra XUV3XO will meet your requirements of a car with a peppy engine and good safety. The petrol automatic comes paired with a torque convertor gearbox, which is the smoothest autobox around. Since your driving is mostly in the city, you will really appreciate this. We would recommend the 1.2 litre MPFi turbo engine, which would offer you more than enough pep and a slightly better mileage than the direct injection unit. Though bear in mind that on the whole, mileage will still be lower than something like the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, as Mahindra tunes all its engines for a peppy feel. If mileage isn't a priority and you simply want a very peppy and lively drive feel, opt for the direct injection unit. The 3XO will also meet your requirements for safety as it comes well equipped with 6 airbags and ESP as standard, and it has secured a 5-star rating in the BNCAP crash tests

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Autocar India

•1d

With your daily running of around 50-60 km, your monthly usage will easily cross 1,500 km, so choosing a fuel with low running costs makes sense. In this case, CNG is generally a better fit than diesel, especially since most of your driving is in the city.One of the better options to consider is the Tata Nexon CNG. Unlike most CNG cars, the Nexon uses a turbo-petrol engine, which means it still feels reasonably strong and comfortable even on the highway. The turbo engine produces good torque, which helps maintain performance despite running on CNG. This makes the Nexon CNG a good balance between low running costs for the city and decent highway performance for weekend drives.Another practical option is the Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG, particularly the LXi or VXi variants. The Brezza uses a 1.5-litre engine with factory-fitted CNG. It is known for being smooth and reliable while still offering good mileage and reasonable performance.

Tata Nexon

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Autocar India

•1d

The update is expected around April-May 2026, and there are chances that the CNG version could get improvements such as a better-packaged CNG tank, like in the Maruti Victoris and possibly a 6-speed manual. Even if the exact changes are different from what is currently expected, the facelift will at least bring cosmetic updates and feature additions.Since the timeline is quite close, waiting a few weeks will give you clarity on what the updated model offers. If the changes are meaningful, you can buy the new version. If they are minor, you can still choose the current model, often with better discounts as dealers clear older stock.Given how close the facelift appears to be, it makes sense to wait a little before buying the Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG so you can decide with full information once the updated model is revealed.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Maruti Suzuki Victoris