Maruti Suzuki Ignis

In your budget, you can consider the Maruti Suzuki Celerio VXi or ZXi AMT based on the features you want. It is easy to drive with good seat height for easy ingress and egress, and being a Maruti Suzuki car, it should be reliable and easy to maintain, even with low running. Ride quality is good and should keep him comfortable on highway commutes.

A more premium choice is the Maruti Suzuki Ignis. The Delta AMT should just about fit your budget, and its smoother and more powerful 1.2 litre four cylinder engine makes it nicer to drive than the Celerio.

If you are open to a used car, you can explore Spinny.com, where you may find more premium options like the Swift or the Glanza within your budget.

Within your budget, you have two Maruti Suzuki options, the Wagon R 1.2 ZXi AMT and the Ignis Delta AT. 

The Wagon R is the more practical choice with a roomier cabin and a larger boot, while the Ignis feels more premium inside and looks more stylish. Both use 1.2-litre four-cylinder engines, but they are not identical. 

On paper, the Ignis makes 8 hp less than the Wagon R, yet in real use, there is little difference, and the Ignis' 1.2 litre K12 engine actually feels a bit more responsive at low speeds than the K12N in the Wagon R.

The Maruti Suzuki Ignis and Baleno share the 1.2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine, which is known for its smoothness, refinement, free-revving nature and fuel efficiency. The Ignis is relatively smaller in size than the Baleno, and with its light controls, will be a touch easier to drive and park in tight spaces. 

That said, the new Maruti Suzuki Swift is still an excellent, fun-to-drive option, with a nicer steering (it returns to centre more naturally than the Ignis' unit), and its darty nature. Its 3-cylinder petrol engine is also very good in terms of drivability; yes, it doesn't revv as freely as the 4-cylinder 1.2 unit, but if you don't regularly spin the engine beyond 4000rpm, it'll keep you satisfied. 

Do drive the new Swift once, it might just be the one for you.

Given your requirement for a car for road trips, we recommend looking at the more powerful options within your budget, rather than the more feature-packed ones.

The Maruti Suzuki Ignis is a good fit for your needs. It has a nice 1.2-litre engine, and Maruti's easy-to-access service network also counts for a lot when venturing out of city limits.

Citroen C3 is the best-to-drive car within your budget, but the service network is small.

Tata Tiago and Tata Punch are also options to consider. They feel tough, and this adds greatly to confidence on a road trip.

Given your fathers age and requirement, the Maruti Suzuki Ignis is a good upgrade from the Celerio AMT. The Ignis will maintain the familiarity of Maruti and has strong efficiency as well, while the high seating makes it easy for ingress and egress. The seats are comfortable, the engine is smooth, and the compact dimensions make it easy in the city too. 

Thank you for being our long-time reader and viewer; we really appreciate it!

While both cars are a little old now, they’re still very competent at what they do, and each has its own small advantages. The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios offers a better back seat and boot, in case that is your priority.

However, if it is not, we would recommend the Maruti Suzuki Ignis for a few reasons. It’s more fuel-efficient, with an ARAI-rated Maruti Ignis mileage of 20.89 kmpl. its slightly taller stance makes ingress and egress easier with great forward visibility. Plus, it’s a bit more compact, which really helps with maneuverability in the city.