Citroen Basalt

Autocar India

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The logical spiritual successor to the Volkswagen Polo for many owners has been the Skoda Kylaq, and we think it meets your needs as well. It retains that solidly built, fun-to-drive nature and also comes with a punchy 1.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine and has received a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating. In your Rs 13 lakh budget, you'll get a mid-spec Signature+ variant, which gets you all the essentials and not too many gimmick features.Another often-overlooked option is the Citroen Basalt X, which offers a similarly punchy engine, fun chassis and European solidity as the Skoda and Volkswagen, but is a size up and much more spacious. However, it also costs more, and in your budget, you'll get a lower variant with fewer features than the Kylaq.If you want to skip fuel-blend questions entirely and your driving is mostly city, look at the Tata Punch EV. It’s quiet, quick off the line, and fits the budget. Just remember, highway trips need a bit of charging planning.

Skoda Kylaq

Citroen Basalt

Tata Punch EV

Autocar India

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You do not need to worry too much about E20 or future ethanol blends while buying a new petrol car today, especially if you are planning to keep it for 10 to 12 years. All modern petrol cars from major manufacturers, including the Kia Seltos, Citroen Basalt and Honda Elevate, are already designed to run on E20 fuel. More importantly, cars that are only E20 compatible cannot run on E85 or higher ethanol blends, because those require dedicated flex fuel engines with significant changes to the fuel system and engine calibration. This means fuel companies and the government will still have to continue supplying E20 compatible fuel alongside any future higher ethanol blends for flex fuel vehicles.For your usage, the Kia Seltos IVT is the best all round choice. Since most of your driving is in the city, the naturally aspirated petrol with the IVT automatic will feel extremely smooth and effortless in traffic, while the cabin feels genuinely premium and well insulated for long term ownership. It also strikes a very good balance between comfort, features and ease of driving, which is exactly what matters in a car you plan to keep for over a decade.The Citroen Basalt is the alternative if you are more budget conscious and want maximum practicality. It offers massive boot space, excellent rear seat room and a very comfortable ride, making it a superb family car for the money. However, it does not feel as polished, premium or as refined overall as the Seltos, especially inside the cabin and in terms of overall ownership experience. The Honda Elevate CVT sits somewhere in the middle with Honda’s strong reliability reputation and easygoing nature, but it feels less feature rich and not as plush inside as the Kia.

Honda Elevate

Kia Seltos

Citroen Basalt

Autocar India

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Check out the the Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI Signature. It will feel closer to your old Punto than the Fronx does. The steering has good weight and the car turns in eagerly, so it is easy to place in tight bends and hairpins. The suspension takes rough patches well without tossing you around, and the car feels steady at highway speeds. The 115hp turbo petrol has strong pull once spinning, so quick overtakes on climbs are simple, and with the manual, you have full control of gears on steep sections. It also has a solid safety record, which matters on hill roads.A couple of things to note. At very low revs, you may need a downshift to get going cleanly on an uphill, so keep it in the right gear. Also, Skoda’s service reach is not as wide as Maruti’s, so check dealer support in your town.Other alternatives include the Renault Duster Techno Plus 1.3 Turbo, which feels tough, comfortable and characterful, but not as nimble, and as it's a brand new product which means its reliability is yet to be proven. You could also check out the Citroen Basalt X 1.2 Turbo AT, which is excellent value for money, but its dealer network is even smaller than Skoda's, so that needs to be borne in mind.

Skoda Kushaq

Renault Duster

Citroen Basalt

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Autocar India

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This usually happens because the engine and the automatic gearbox are cold. Right after a cold start, the engine idles a bit higher, and the gearbox oil is still thick. When you slot into reverse at that moment, the reverse clutch grabs with more force than it does when warm, so you feel a quick jerk. Once the engine settles and the oil warms up, the shift into reverse feels smooth.If the jerk is small and happens only on the first cold start, it is generally normal and not harmful. Try this: start the car, keep your foot firmly on the brake, wait 5 to 10 seconds for the idle to settle, then shift to R. Do not touch the accelerator while selecting reverse. This should remove the thud.If the jerk is strong, comes with a clunk noise, or keeps happening even after a short warm-up, get it checked under warranty. Ask the workshop to run a true cold-start test after the car sits overnight and to check a few simple things: gearbox oil level and condition, any transmission software updates, engine idle speed when cold, and the engine and gearbox mounts. These can also cause a harsh engagement.Based on what you described, it sounds more like normal cold behaviour than a fault. Try the short pause on start-up. If it still bothers you, have Citroen log it on a cold morning, and they can fine-tune or fix anything if needed.

Citroen Basalt

Autocar India

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For your usage of mainly city driving (30km daily) with occasional highway trips and a family of four, we would suggest going for the Skoda Kylaq.The Kylaq offers a comfortable ride, a spacious cabin for four adults, and the torque converter automatic is smooth, which makes it very easy to drive in city traffic. It is also compact enough, so parking and manoeuvring in tight spaces won’t be an issue. On highways, too, it feels stable and enjoyable to drive.The Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue are good options for the city as well, but both use a DCT automatic, which is not as smooth at low speeds as a torque converter, especially in stop-and-go traffic.The Citroen Basalt is actually great value for money and offers excellent cabin space, making it very comfortable for a family. However, it is a larger car, so it won’t be as easy to park and manoeuvre in the city. If you prioritise space and comfort over ease of driving, it is definitely worth considering.The Maruti Suzuki Jimny is not suitable for your needs. It is primarily an off-roader, has heavier steering, and is not as easy to drive in the city. The ride is also bouncy, and overall, practicality is limited for family use.

Skoda Kylaq

Kia Sonet

Hyundai Venue

Citroen Basalt

Maruti Suzuki Jimny

Autocar India

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If you are looking for something with similar performance to the Citroen Basalt/Aircross, you should consider the Volkswagen Taigun or the Skoda Kushaq with the 1.0 TSI and torque converter automatic. The facelifted Kushaq now gets an 8-speed automatic replacing the old 6-speed unit, and the Taigun will get the same when it is facelifted later this year.The 1.0 TSI makes a healthy 115hp and 178Nm, which delivers better performance than the naturally aspirated engine in the Elevate and is on par with the Basalt. The 6-speed torque converter automatic was also smooth-shifting and very convenient to use, and we expect the 8-speed to be more of the same. With 80 percent of your driving in heavy Bengaluru traffic, this transmission will be a boon.Prices for the facelifted Kushaq will be announced later this month, and we expect our first drive reviews to drop around the same time. Before you decide, take a test drive, of course.

Citroen Basalt

Citroen Aircross

Volkswagen Taigun

Autocar India

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While Citroen's sales figures are low, rest assured, the carmaker has no plans or intention to leave our market. India is a major production base for Citroen, and the company is heavily invested here. Citroen's poor sales performance is actually not reflective of the products, which are well-engineered and well-suited to Indian buyer requirements. The Basalt X stands out for its ride comfort and also has a very pleasant 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, which feels its best with the smooth auto gearbox. Citroen has also jazzed up the cabin with the Basalt X, and this has added greatly to its appeal. If you like the Basalt X and have a Citroen dealer in close proximity, it's a great car to buy.

Citroen Basalt

Autocar India

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Yes, the Citroen Basalt X or Aircross X would make great upgrades from your Honda Amaze. For one, they are a size larger, and secondly, they are very well priced - although consider upping your budget very slightly to get a higher-spec automatic variant.Both cars have excellently calibrated suspension, which gives them superb ride quality as well as sharp handling. This is only complemented by their smooth yet punchy 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine and 6-speed torque converter automatic. Considering your requirements, either of these would be a great option for you.

Citroen Basalt

Citroen Aircross

Autocar India

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The Citroen Basalt is very spacious and offers a more comfortable ride, but the year-old Basalt is poorly equipped. While the new car has made a huge leap forward, the Skoda Kushaq will still feel like the more rounded package, with a better interior fit all around and more features too.

Skoda Kushaq

Citroen Basalt

Autocar India

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You should consider buying the Mahindra XUV 3XO. It offers good ground clearance and excellent ride quality, especially over rough roads. You will not be skimping on features either, as within your budget, you can get the AX7 petrol manual, which is very well equipped. If you want an automatic, you can opt for the AX5 variant.If you want a larger car with a bigger boot, you can also consider the Citroen Aircross or the Basalt. In your budget, you will get the mid-variant of either of these cars, which are decently equipped. The highlight of both these cars is the fact that you get a midsize SUV for the price of a compact SUV, and their ride quality, too, is right up there with the very best in the segment.We would also suggest waiting for another two months for the new generation Renault Duster, which is slated to launch in March. The Duster has traditionally offered excellent ride quality and strong rough-road ability.

Renault Duster

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Citroen Aircross

Citroen Basalt