Maruti Suzuki Swift 1.2 Petrol ZXI AMT

Autocar India

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Your daily 20 km city drive and occasional highway trips are exactly what the Maruti Suzuki Swift does well. It is easy, efficient and already familiar to you, and since you are not facing any real limitation, moving to a mid-size SUV right now will feel more like a lifestyle upgrade than a necessity. You will gain space, comfort and a higher driving position with options like the Hyundai Creta or Kia Seltos, but in your current usage, the difference in day-to-day practicality will not be dramatic.Waiting also works in your favour. Your car still has useful life left, and upgrading later means you extract better value from it while also stepping into a newer generation of cars, when the upgrade will feel more meaningful.On the question of selling versus retaining, the approach is simple. If you upgrade later, sell the Swift while it still holds good value. If you upgrade now, keep it only if you genuinely need a second car.

Kia Seltos

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Hyundai Creta

Autocar India

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Mostly city use, a strict Rs 10 lakh budget and a preference for sporty looks with low running costs, in that case, the Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXi Plus is the one we’d pick. It looks sporty without trying too hard, feels light and easy in traffic, and the 1.2 petrol engine is efficient in daily use, so you won’t feel like you are spending mindlessly. Maruti’s service is everywhere, and parts are well-priced, which helps long-term peace of mind for a first-time owner. The Swift is also simple under the skin with no turbo or complex tech, which is good for longevity and hassle-free upkeep.A couple of trade-offs to note for your use. The rear seat and boot are fine for a small family, but not the roomiest. Also, it cruises okay, but quick highway overtakes need a downshift and a firm press on the pedal, so keep that in mind if you plan many long trips.If you want a slightly bigger-feeling car with a calmer ride while still staying near your budget, look at the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. It won’t look as sporty as the Swift, but it feels more spacious inside, is also light on fuel, and shares the same low-running-cost strengths.Overall, for a first car that looks sporty, is easy to live with, and feels worth the money over many years, the Swift fits your brief best.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Autocar India

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The Maruti Suzuki Brezza VXi AT is a good option for your wife’s city use in Pune, it is the right size, has a smooth automatic and is not too powerful, and it's easy on the pocket. Compared to your Hyundai Creta, the Brezza feels much smaller in traffic and easier to park. The high seat and big windows make it simple to judge gaps and U-turns, which will help on narrow Pune roads. The AT here is a regular automatic (not an AMT), so it moves off gently, shifts with minimal jerks, and is very calm in stop-go traffic. AC performance is strong, and overall fit and finish are better than in the Maruti Suzuki Swift or Baleno. Maruti’s service reach in Pune is a bonus for easy ownership. The cabin does not feel as plush as a Venue or XUV 3XO, but for daily city use, it works very well. If you want to spend less and still want a very smooth auto, look at the Nissan Magnite Turbo CVT. It is very compact, and the CVT is easy in traffic, though the cabin feels simpler, and Nissan’s service network is smaller. If you do stretch, the Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5L AT is also easy to drive despite its power and offers top safety and features.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Hyundai Creta

Nissan Magnite

Autocar India

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Go for the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R VXi 1.0 AMT - for a short 12 km office run, it uses less fuel, is very easy in traffic, and gives all the basics without spending extra. Since you already have a Hyundai Verna for longer trips, the Wagon R’s small size and tall seat make daily city driving and parking simple. The AMT's shifts are relatively smooth, if a bit slow, but it will make driving in stop-and-go traffic a lot less tiresome. If you don't encounter much traffic on your route, then the manual will be fine too. The VXi has the basics: good AC, power windows, remote locking, rear parking sensors, and a simple Bluetooth music setup with a Smartplay dock available to mount your phone. Maruti’s wide service network and low-cost parts also make it a safe and easy second car to own.One thing to be aware of: the Wagon R can feel a little basic, and if you want something with a bit more style, then the Maruti Suzuki Swift is a better bet.Test drive both the manual and AMT and see which works better for your use.

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Autocar India

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You're right, it's difficult to find a car at this price that's suitable for a tall driver. Try the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, which does offer a bit more space than its counterpart, the Maruti Suzuki Swift. Moreover, it uses the older 1.2-litre four-cylinder K12 petrol engine, which is smoother than the three-cylinder Z12 engine in the Swift. You could also consider the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, in which you can get the option of a punchier 1.0 turbo-petrol engine, although space remains the same as the Baleno. Finally, also consider the Nissan Magnite or Renault Kiger, which could offer a bit more space, and if you don't mind a sedan, there's also the Honda Amaze, which is known for its interior packaging efficiency.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Nissan Magnite

Renault Kiger

Honda Amaze

Autocar India

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Choose the Mahindra XUV 7XO diesel; for seven-up highway trips, it combines strong torque, planted high-speed manners, and tougher bad-road ability than an MPV like the Kia Carens.Since the Maruti Suzuki Swift will handle city duty, your new car will mostly cruise highways with a full load of 7. The XUV’s diesel pulls strongly in the 60-100 km/h band even when packed, and its suspension and clearance will cope better with the rough stretch to your village. The Mahindra diesel is a well-proven unit and delivers well on the refinement front too. Your highway use also keeps the DPF healthy. Aim for 20-30 minutes at about 60+ km/h on each long run. The one thing you give up is third-row and boot practicality versus the Carens; with all three rows up, you’ll fit only 1-2 cabin bags at the rear.If third-row comfort for adults and luggage space matter more than SUV stance, consider the Kia Carens Diesel AT Prestige Plus, which carries a bit more luggage with all seats up.

Kia Carens

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Autocar India

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We would suggest you go for the Maruti Suzuki Fronx Delta+ AMT. The Fronx has a fuel-efficient 1.2-litre engine mated to an AMT gearbox that is well-tuned and smooth enough for daily driving. It is also fairly spacious, offers a large boot and a comfortable ride, which makes it an ideal companion for everyday city commutes and occasional highway drives.If you want something smaller and easier to manoeuvre, you can consider the Maruti Suzuki Swift AMT. It is a more compact car, which makes it even easier to drive and park in the city. However, the new Swift now comes with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, which feels a bit less powerful compared to the Fronx’s four-cylinder engine. Because of this, the AMT gearbox also works better with the Fronx engine than it does with the Swift.Within your budget, you can also consider the Hyundai i20 IVT/CVT in the Magna variant. The CVT gearbox is very smooth, which elevates the overall driving experience and makes the car extremely easy to drive in traffic. The interiors of the i20 also feel quite premium. The only downside is that you will have to trade a bit of fuel efficiency for that smoothness, which is something to keep in mind since efficiency is an important factor for you.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Hyundai Venue

Autocar India

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We would recommend sticking to the Maruti family and upgrading to the new Swift. The Swift, in its ZXI AMT guise, will fit in your budget and deliver your requirements. It is compact, which makes it easy to handle, and has enough power at 82hp for the city and the highway from the 1.2-litre engine.In terms of efficiency, the AMT version returns 12.7kpl in the city and 19.7kpl on the highway. The AMT is one of the nicer versions in the segment and makes light work of city driving. The ride comfort is good too, and the Swift is tuned for bumpy Indian roads. The ZXI will also get you a good kit like 15-inch alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging and rear AC vents.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Autocar India

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The Swift's 1.2L 3-cylinder petrol engine is very drivable and is likely to deliver slightly better fuel efficiency compared to the Baleno's/Glanza's 1.2L 4-cylinder unit. The Maruti Suzuki Swift is quite peppy up to 60kph of speed, after which you will find performance to be a bit lacklustre. And since you've mentioned you want a car for city and highway usage both, we recommend you opt for the Baleno or Glanza instead, for its more effortless performance.There's little to choose between the Baleno and Toyota Glanza, as both are nearly identical. Though the Glanza's beige-black interior colour scheme looks a touch more upmarket than the Maruti's.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Toyota Glanza

Autocar India

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While there are quite a few petrol automatic options within your Rs 12 lakh budget, the most fuel-efficient options include the Maruti Suzuki Baleno AMT (and its twin the Toyota Glanza), Maruti Suzuki Dzire AMT, Maruti Suzuki Swift AMT, Maruti Suzuki Fronx AMT (and its twin the Toyota Taisor). All feature AMT gearbox options. While AMTs aren't the most sophisticated or smoothest type of automatic transmission, they are fine for average city driving. What sets AMTs apart from other automatics is real-world fuel economy, which is on par and sometimes even better than a comparable manual's. Of the above options, we'd choose between the Baleno, Glanza, Fronx and Taisor. Their larger 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine makes them feel a bit zippier than the Swift and Dzire that use 1.2-litre three-cylinder units.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Toyota Glanza

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor