Since you are a family of 5 and open to the idea of a 7-seater, we would recommend opting for a 7-seater, as every member of your family can sit in comfort. We would suggest you look at the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga or its sister car, the Toyota Rumion, as they offer a fairly spacious third row of seats and are powered by an efficient 1.5-litre petrol engine. 

The ride is also very good, and at highway speeds, it's stable. Though over undulating roads, it does have some vertical movement at the rear, but it's never excessive.   

The ex-showroom price of a Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor S AMT is around Rs 9 lakh, while a Kia Sonet HTX DCT costs Rs 2.50 lakh more. For the extra money, the Sonet gets you a more powerful turbo-petrol engine. Also, a more advanced dual-clutch automatic transmission, which makes it a better performer than the Taisor's 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol paired with a 5-speed automated manual gearbox. 

Additionally, you get a lot more features too, like a sunroof, ventilated seats, etc, which justify the premium it commands. The Taisor will certainly be more efficient than the Sonet. But on the whole, the Sonet DCT is the better pick, and since you can afford it, go for it, for a superior drive experience.

The two SUVs you've shortlisted are virtually the same under the skin, so choosing between them really comes down to preference. They both meet your criteria of safety, good looks and economy. 

The Maruti Victoris has the slight edge on the Toyota Hyryder thanks to its slightly lower pricing, more modern tech and longer features list - including ADAS with Level 2 Autonomous driving. 

While the Victoris has scored a 5-star rating from both Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP. The Hyryder is yet to be tested, but as they share the same mechanical make-up, its overall score shouldn't be too far off.

All three options on your shortlist are nice to drive in their own ways. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno is very comfortable at city speeds with excellent bump absorption and a peppy engine. Tata's Altroz feels the toughest of the three cars and drives with a big car feel out on the highway. The Citroen C3 has a nice engine, and it also balances ride and comfort very well. 

However, for reliability and ease of service, the Baleno is your best bet. The Baleno is known to be a trouble-free car, and Maruti's vast network means you are never far from a service centre. Service costs are also competitive. 

The Toyota Glanza is essentially a rebadged version of the Baleno, but does cost more for similarly-specced variants. We'd recommend sticking to the Baleno. Within Rs 7 lakh, you'll get the Sigma variant, though we'd recommend upping your budget a bit (and bargaining hard with your dealer!) to get the higher-spec Delta trim. 

It packs in extras such as a powered mirror adjust as well as a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that would add greatly to your experience.   

The Hyundai Alcazar is a decent option for a 6/7-seater SUV with a comfortable ride quality. However, its third row of seats is not the most spacious or comfortable for adults. 

If you're fine with going for an MPV, take a look at the Toyota Innova Hycross strong hybrid. It's got a refined petrol-strong hybrid CVT powertrain that has a claimed fuel efficiency of 23.34kpl. 

Moreover, its cabin is far more spacious and comfortable than the Alcazar, and it has a comfortable ride on the highways too. Toyota Innova Hycross strong hybrid prices range from Rs 26.30 lakh to Rs 32.38 lakh (ex-showroom, India). 

Given your requirements, you should consider the Toyota Hyryder, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Victoris strong hybrid. Since your usage is high, you'll benefit from the exceptional fuel efficiency of the same strong hybrid-petrol powertrain that powers all three. The Hyryder and Grand Vitara mileage is 27.97kpl, while the Victoris mileage is 28.65kpl, which is slightly higher (claimed). 

All three SUVs also come equipped with all the features you want in their respective top-end trims - a panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, alloy wheels, a touchscreen infotainment system and much more. 

We would recommend you go for the Maruti Victoris since it's the newest of the lot. It has the most features and also a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash safety rating, which the other two don't have. 

As for pricing, the top-spec Victoris ZXI+ (O) string hybrid is priced at Rs 19.99 lakh, while the Grand Vitara Alpha+ (O) costs Rs 19.72 lakh and the Hyryder V is priced at Rs 19.76 lakh (ex-showroom, India).