Yes, you are right. The Kia Sonet’s and Honda Amaze’s 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol engines, although fine for city use, will feel a bit down on power for highway duties. Especially compared to your Hyundai Xcent diesel, you own currently. It has a lot more torque; these cars will feel slower in comparison and won’t really feel like an upgrade.

In your Rs 10 lakh budget, you can look at either the Mahindra XUV 3XO REVX M or the Skoda Kylaq Classic Plus. Both these cars are powered by turbo petrol engines, which give them strong performance, and both are genuinely enjoyable to drive. The Mahindra scores big on cabin space, making it one of the most comfortable cars in the segment for five adults. While the Skoda Kodiaq offers a much larger boot, which adds to its practicality.

If you are looking for better efficiency and a lighter clutch for a more effortless driving experience, you could also consider the Maruti Suzuki Brezza LXi. However, in Maruti’s case, we would recommend waiting as an update is due soon.

Keeping in mind your 16km daily commute in heavy traffic and the occasional 800km highway run, we would recommend going for the Kia Sonet HTX DCT as it has the smoother gearbox of the two. It also feels more premium inside out, and except for rear space, which is just about enough, the Sonet does feel like a more rounded product than the Tata Nexon Creative DCA.

That said, if you are looking for more space, there are two other cars with the same engine and gearbox combo as the Sonet and those are the Kia Syros and the new Hyundai Venue. Both these cars are newer than the Sonet, which is due to be replaced in about a year with a brand new model. Both these cars are more spacious and have more features too.

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.

We'd narrow your search down to the two Kia SUVs. The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder NeoDrive AT is decent but unexciting to drive and also has a ride that's slightly on the firmer side. 

The Kia Seltos IVT makes for a great option. It's got a very smooth CVT gearbox that works really well with the 1.5-litre petrol engine. It's not an out-and-out quick vehicle, but the build of power is likeable, and performance is more than adequate for both city and highway duties. Further, the Seltos also has the best ride comfort of the three models, and is significantly larger as well, giving way more passenger space. 

The Kia Sonet DCT has a sportier vibe with its more powerful engine and quick-shifting dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Performance is good, and you can enjoy yourself driving one. On the flip side, the gearbox isn't super smooth at low speeds and can even feel hesitant at crawling speeds. The Sonet is also essentially a smaller vehicle and doesn't offer the same level of space as the Seltos. 

Do note, for the same money, you could get a better-equipped Sonet. Still, of the two Kias, it's the Seltos IVT that we'd opt for. You will get an HTE(O) trim in your budget, but it's advisable to extend it a bit for the higher-spec HTK trim. It will add a rear wiper, rear defogger, alloy wheels, tilt adjust for the steering and more.