Hyundai Amt Cars in India (2)

autocar.india

•2d

For a first car that will primarily be used in Bangalore, the i20 Sportz IVT is the most suitable choice within your budget. The 1.2-litre petrol engine paired with the CVT is smooth and easy to drive in traffic, while the i20 offers a comfortable, refined cabin and enough space for a small family. The Sportz IVT is also well equipped without requiring you to stretch to the higher variants.The Honda Amaze V CVT would be our second choice. Its 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and CVT are similarly smooth, and the sedan offers a 416-litre boot and a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating. It is particularly worth considering if you expect to carry luggage on your occasional long trips.

Hyundai i20

Honda Amaze

autocar.india

•4d

For a second car that will primarily see city use with occasional long trips, the Kia Syros is the most interesting choice of the three. The Syros gives you a more substantial upgrade, with a spacious cabin, excellent rear seat comfort, a 465-litre boot and a premium interior while remaining under four metres. Its 2,550mm wheelbase is also longer than both the Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue, which is why it feels particularly roomy inside.The low sales numbers would not be a major concern. The Syros uses familiar Kia powertrains and components, and Kia's service network is already well established. The headlamp position is unconventional and does expose the units to a greater risk of damage in a minor bumper corner impact, but it should not be a deal breaker if you like the car otherwise.The 360 degree camera is useful but not essential. It is particularly helpful in tight parking spaces and narrow city lanes, but a good rear camera and sensors do most of the job. It would not be worth choosing the Sonet's top variant solely to get a 360 degree camera. The Venue is the safer conventional choice if you prefer a newer, more established package, while the Sonet makes sense if you want a smaller, sportier-feeling cabin and more familiar product. But for your requirements, the Syros offers the most meaningful upgrade from a WagonR.

Kia Syros

Kia Sonet

Hyundai Venue

autocar.india

•1w

With a budget of around Rs 16 lakh and a monthly running of 1,200 km, the decision between petrol automatic and electric comes down to your usage pattern and priorities. Since you are giving more importance to fuel efficiency, low maintenance and safety, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXi petrol automatic is the most sensible choice from your shortlist. The Brezza is a proven, reliable car with a wide service network, low maintenance costs and a comfortable ownership experience. It is also a safe car with a good reputation for long-term durability, which is important given your running.The Hyundai Venue HX6 and HX5 are also strong contenders, offering a more premium cabin and a slightly more refined driving experience, but the Brezza edges them out on reliability and ownership costs. The Tata Nexon 3.0 Creative 45 EV is a good electric option, but at 1,200 km a month, the cost savings over petrol are not significant enough to justify the higher upfront cost and the dependency on charging infrastructure, unless you have a dedicated home charger and a predictable usage pattern.Overall, the Brezza ZXi petrol automatic strikes the best balance between efficiency, low maintenance and long-term peace of mind.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Hyundai Venue

Tata Nexon

autocar.india

•1w

Given your priorities of ride comfort, fuel efficiency and low maintenance, the Maruti Brezza automatic is the most sensible upgrade. It offers a comfortable ride, a proven naturally aspirated petrol engine and Maruti's strong service network, which keeps long-term ownership costs in check. The torque converter automatic is smooth in city traffic, and the Brezza's higher seating position will help with your back issues. The Sonet iMT is not the right choice here. While it is a good car, the iMT is not a true automatic and will not offer the same ease of use in Gurgaon traffic. The Baleno AMT and Exter AMT are also not ideal given your back issues and the fact that AMT gearboxes are not as smooth as torque converter automatics in stop-start conditions.On the EV front, your apprehension about charging is valid. Without a straightforward home charging solution, an EV will add unnecessary complexity to your ownership experience. The upcoming Bayon is interesting and if you can wait a few weeks you would have a better picture before making a decision. For now, the Brezza automatic strikes the best balance between comfort, efficiency and hassle-free ownership.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Kia Sonet

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Hyundai Exter

Hyundai Bayon

autocar.india

•2w

Both the Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue are the best diesel automatic compact SUVs on sale today, especially if the priority is effortless long-distance driving with low running costs. Both use a strong 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 116hp and 250Nm, paired with a smooth six-speed torque-converter automatic. This is an important advantage over the AMT automatics offered in several other sub-four-metre diesel SUVs, as a torque-converter feels more natural and refined in traffic, while also being better suited to relaxed highway cruising.For driving extensively across India, this powertrain makes a great deal of sense. The diesel’s strong low-end torque gives both SUVs confident overtaking ability even with passengers and luggage on board, while the automatic takes the effort out of city traffic and long days behind the wheel. The Venue diesel automatic has an official fuel-efficiency figure of 17.9kpl, while the Sonet diesel automatic is rated at around 19kpl, though real-world figures will naturally depend on driving conditions.Between the two, we would pick the Hyundai Venue. It is the fresher product, has a marginally longer wheelbase and feels a touch roomier than the Sonet, particularly in terms of overall cabin ambience. More importantly for someone planning extensive travel, Hyundai’s wider service network across India offers additional peace of mind for routine maintenance or support away from home. The Sonet remains an excellent alternative, particularly if you prefer its styling, cabin design or a particular variant’s feature mix. But for your requirement of a reliable, easy-to-maintain, no-nonsense diesel automatic SUV that can cover serious distances comfortably, the Venue would be our first recommendation. Choose a sensible mid-spec diesel automatic variant if available, and avoid paying extra for features you do not need, such as a sunroof.

Hyundai Venue

Kia Sonet