If you want to buy any of these SUVs, we suggest increasing your budget by ₹2-3 lakh. At a ₹10 lakh on-road budget, you will have to settle for the lower variants, which is a personal choice but does mean missing out on key features. 

Within a ₹10 lakh budget, a good option for you is the Hyundai Exter. It allows you to choose a fully loaded variant that comes with an 8-inch touchscreen, sunroof, cruise control, wireless phone charger, rearview camera, and other useful features. It gets a smooth and refined 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder engine that delivers power in a predictable and easy-to-manage manner. 

Since you are a new driver, opting for the AMT would be a sensible choice, as it adds to everyday driving comfort and convenience.

Amongst the cars you mentioned, you can consider the Tata Nexon or Kia Sonet. 

Both the Tata Sierra and Kia Seltos are good picks. The powertrain to pick in the Sierra lineup is the turbo petrol variant, however this iteration is only available in top variants. But this will be a couple of lakhs above the price band suggested by you. The 1.5-litre NA engine in the Sierra lacks the punch and is noisy. 

Instead, we would suggest going for the Kia Seltos, which gets well-equipped lower variants, and even the 1.5-litre NA is smooth and responsive. 

Considering your requirements, we would suggest the Kia Seltos HTX CVT with ADAS.

For daily city commutes, the 1.5 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with a CVT automatic feels smooth, refined, easy to drive and offers a comfortable ride. It is also well equipped and gets all the features you are looking for and more. For occasional highway use, this engine and gearbox combination has enough punch as well.

An alternative is the Hyundai Creta, which uses a similar engine and gearbox, but the Seltos feels newer and better specced. Another option is the Tata Sierra, though its 1.5 litre naturally aspirated engine does not feel as effortless as the one in the Seltos.

Yes, the Citroen Basalt X will be better in both aspects that you desire. The turbo-charged engine is very peppy and is nice to drive, and the ride of the car is excellent, a typical Citroen hallmark. 

We would rule out the Tata Nexon turbo as the power delivery isn't very strong like other typical turbo engines. If you want to consider something other than the Citroen, test drive the turbo version of the Nissan Magnite. 

The 1.0-litre unit has a good mid-range punch and is something that you would enjoy.  

The Tata Sierra is clearly the larger of the two cars and will give you more space than the Maruti Fronx, as well as a better ride, too. However, the base version of the Sierra isn't as well-equipped as the Fronx. 

More importantly for you, the versions that fit your budget come with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine, which is quite weak in its power delivery and not ideal for you, given that you are mostly driving on highways. Thus, a high variant of the Fronx would suit you better.    

A very Happy New Year to you too! 

Both the Tata and Mahindra cars are excellent choices, but of the two, we'd recommend waiting for the Mahindra XUV 7XO, whose launch is right around the corner. It will have a more modern interior and likely more features too, and going by its predecessor, the XUV 700. 

It will also have the more refined diesel engine and slicker manual gearbox. We will say the Tata Safari has the edge on space, especially in the third row, and its ride quality is slightly more comfortable. Plus, there will likely be a long waiting period for the Mahindra XUV 7XO once it is launched. 

So, if you are in a hurry, the Tata might be easier to get sooner. But in most other areas, the Mahindra comes out on top. Another consideration, especially for your elderly family members, is that ingress and egress to the cabin are slightly easier in the Mahindra than the Tata. 

With a usage of 400-500km a week, we would recommend sticking with a petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicle for the moment. 

The Tata Avinya range of EVs is still at least two years away, so there's plenty of time to consider a new car in between. Moreover, Tata is positioning the Avinya brand as a premium offering, so prices for its models will likely be north of Rs 30 lakh when it is launched. 

In the meantime, the Tata Sierra is a good option, with loads of space and comfort, and a strong features list. Its engines are not the strongest or most exciting, and neither is the handling, but its standout design is sure to turn heads.

We would recommend you look at the Maruti Suzuki Celerio. The Celerio will deliver well on the mileage and maintenance front, and it is also very easy to drive with a compact footprint, light controls and a good view outside. The car also secured a 3-star rating in the GNCAP crash tests, which is just about ok. 

If you'd like something better on this front, consider the Tata Tiago, which fares better with a 4-star rating. It offers a slightly better ride quality and stability at speed, but bear in mind the mileage will not be as good as the Maruti Celerio. Also, Tata dealers are not known to be very good with service.