Maruti Suzuki cars in India (19)

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

For your needs, either the Tata Punch or the Maruti Suzuki Ignis would be a good option. The Tata Punch sits at a comfortable height, and its doors open up to almost 90 degrees, which makes ingress and egress easier. The seating position is also not too tall, so it should feel comfortable even for someone with knee issues.

If you want something that feels more spacious, especially in the rear seat, then the Ignis ticks all the boxes as well. Its 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine is smoother, more responsive and nicer to drive too.

To buy these cars brand new, even the base variants will be slightly above ₹6 lakh on-road. If you are okay with stretching the budget a little, you can go ahead with a new car. Also, you can consider used versions of higher variants within your budget.

If you are keen on a hybrid and can wait for 6 to 8 months, then we would recommend you do so. MG, JSW Motor and Renault will all be launching either strong and/or plug-in hybrids this year. 

As for the driving pattern, it doesn't make much of a difference if your daily runs vary, as you have indicated, from 10 to 100 km. An important factor when considering a hybrid is simply how many kilometres you would drive in its time with you. 

If you are going to keep the car for a long time, like 4 years and would on average have a running of about 1800km per month. In the case of something like a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, a strong hybrid over the regular engine makes sense. As for plug-in hybrids, you'll have to wait to see the pricing difference and figure out if it works for you.      

We would suggest you consider the Hyundai i20 IVT. The gearbox is smooth, the cabin is spacious, and within your budget, you can get the Sportz (O) variant. It is compact, easy to drive and park in the city, and also offers a reasonably large boot.

If you want something slightly larger, you can consider the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. It is more spacious inside, more comfortable for a larger family and also has a bigger boot. The AMT gearbox is not as smooth as the CVT in the i20, but it is well-tuned and will also be more efficient.

From the options you listed, we would recommend going for the Kia Seltos diesel manual. Even in the base variant, the Seltos still gets most of the essential features. Being a larger car, it will also feel more comfortable and stable on long highway drives. The diesel engine offers good performance and will feel effortless on the highway, which suits your usage pattern well.

From a pure efficiency point of view, it makes sense to go for the manual transmission. Torque converter automatics tend to reduce fuel efficiency slightly, and with diesel efficiency already coming down due to tighter emission norms, the manual will help maximise mileage. Also, since 70 percent of your driving is on the highway, the manual transmission should not feel inconvenient.

If the lowest running cost is your main priority, then the Maruti Suzuki Victoris LXi CNG is worth considering. The running cost will be much lower than that of even diesel engine cars. Thanks to smart packaging of the CNG tanks under the boot floor, the boot space, unlike most CNG cars, is not compromised.

However, compared to diesel cars like the Seltos, the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine will not feel as effortless on the highway. Also, it does not come with a spare tyre, only a puncture repair kit, which is something to note, considering you spend most of your time on the highway.

The Mahindra Thar will prove to be uncomfortable for your usage. Its ride quality tends to feel quite bumpy, especially on our less-than-perfect Maharashtra roads. Also, the amount of driving you do, it will become tiring over long distances. 

For your usage pattern, the Seltos diesel manual would be the better choice thanks to its comfort and strong highway performance. If your focus is purely on minimising running costs, then the Victoris CNG is the alternative to consider.

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.