Citroen cars in India (5)

Autocar India

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There is a wide range of sub-4m cars available in your budget. We've listed the best city cars for each body style:1) Hatchbacks: Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Toyota Glanza 2) Compact sedans: Maruti Suzuki Dzire3) Crossover/compact SUV: Maruti Suzuki Fronx, Citroen C3

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Toyota Glanza

Citroen C3

Autocar India

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For your usage of mainly city driving (30km daily) with occasional highway trips and a family of four, we would suggest going for the Skoda Kylaq.The Kylaq offers a comfortable ride, a spacious cabin for four adults, and the torque converter automatic is smooth, which makes it very easy to drive in city traffic. It is also compact enough, so parking and manoeuvring in tight spaces won’t be an issue. On highways, too, it feels stable and enjoyable to drive.The Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue are good options for the city as well, but both use a DCT automatic, which is not as smooth at low speeds as a torque converter, especially in stop-and-go traffic.The Citroen Basalt is actually great value for money and offers excellent cabin space, making it very comfortable for a family. However, it is a larger car, so it won’t be as easy to park and manoeuvre in the city. If you prioritise space and comfort over ease of driving, it is definitely worth considering.The Maruti Suzuki Jimny is not suitable for your needs. It is primarily an off-roader, has heavier steering, and is not as easy to drive in the city. The ride is also bouncy, and overall, practicality is limited for family use.

Skoda Kylaq

Kia Sonet

Hyundai Venue

Citroen Basalt

Maruti Suzuki Jimny

Autocar India

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There's actually quite a variety of automatic hatchbacks within your budget. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno and its twin, the Toyota Glanza, are well-rounded products. Good ride comfort and excellent fuel economy are highlights, and the AMT gearbox is good enough for average driving. However, gearshifts aren't the smoothest, and you'll feel this over a quick overtaking manoeuvre. If you are open to the Citroen brand, the C3 is a great option. Its 1.2-litre engine and torque converter auto gearbox combo is excellent, and ride comfort is also very good.You could also look at the Tata Altroz DCA in Creative S trim. The dual-clutch auto gearbox is very smooth and well-suited to city use. There's also a toughness to the package that gives great confidence at highway speeds.We are also fans of the smooth and polished Hyundai i20 CVT, but the Sportz(O) that fits your budget isn't an ideal choice as it misses out on the safety of a rear wiper. Finally, if you have the option to install an EV charger at home or office, the Tata Tiago EV is also an option to consider. Being all-electric, it's super smooth and very refined. However, it works best as a city car.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Toyota Glanza

Citroen C3

Tata Altroz

Hyundai i20

Tata Tiago EV

Autocar India

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A robust suspension and punchy power are elements we'd recommend you give weightage to. Our shortlist of models suited to your needs includes the following:1) Skoda Kylaq: Tough build, punchy engine, fun handling. Rear seat space isn’t ideal for three passengers.2) Mahindra XUV 3XO: Tough build, suspension comfort, strong engines, roomy interior. Boot isn't the largest.3) Tata Punch Turbo: Small dimensions make it suited to hills, and ample power from the turbo engine. Smallest for rear seat passengers4) Citroen C3 Turbo: Great engine, good ride comfort. Feels a bit basic, dealer network isn't the largest.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Skoda Kylaq

Tata Punch

Citroen C3

Autocar India

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There are a couple of options that you can consider. We've listed the highlights for each.1) Skoda Kylaq: Punchy engine, fun handling. Rear seat space is tight, though2) Mahindra XUV 3XO petrol: Strong engine, good ride comfort. Boot space is limited3) Maruti Suzuki Fronx Turbo/ Toyota Taisor Turbo: Strong engine. Reliability and hassle-free ownership experience 4) Citroen C3: Strong engine. Feels a bit basic, and the service network isn't very large.

Skoda Kylaq

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor

Citroen C3

Autocar India

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Do note that you will only get the base models of most of these SUVs in your budget of Rs 15 lakh (the two Mahindra cars are entirely out of your budget), so be prepared to increase your budget if you want more features or a more powerful engine. That being said, among your chosen options, the Tata Sierra is the most spacious and comfortable, and best suited for tall passengers, so that should be your choice from the five-seaters.If you want a seven-seater, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is the best value-for-money option you could pick, and it meets all your requirements, including the budget. However, another car worth considering is the Citroen Aircross X, which comes in both 5- and 7-seat options, and is priced really well. It's spacious, comfortable and gets a punchy engine with a smooth 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Tata Sierra

Citroen Aircross

Autocar India

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If you are looking for something with similar performance to the Citroen Basalt/Aircross, you should consider the Volkswagen Taigun or the Skoda Kushaq with the 1.0 TSI and torque converter automatic. The facelifted Kushaq now gets an 8-speed automatic replacing the old 6-speed unit, and the Taigun will get the same when it is facelifted later this year.The 1.0 TSI makes a healthy 115hp and 178Nm, which delivers better performance than the naturally aspirated engine in the Elevate and is on par with the Basalt. The 6-speed torque converter automatic was also smooth-shifting and very convenient to use, and we expect the 8-speed to be more of the same. With 80 percent of your driving in heavy Bengaluru traffic, this transmission will be a boon.Prices for the facelifted Kushaq will be announced later this month, and we expect our first drive reviews to drop around the same time. Before you decide, take a test drive, of course.

Citroen Basalt

Citroen Aircross

Volkswagen Taigun

Autocar India

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As a first-time buyer, it’s good that you’re looking at both sides carefully.The Citroen C3 is a solid and very likeable car. Its biggest strength is ride comfort, it handles bad roads better than most cars in this segment and feels mature for its size. The 1.2-litre turbo petrol, in particular, is a gem. It’s strong, smooth and easily one of the nicest small-capacity turbo-petrol engines around today. If you enjoy driving and want something that feels a bit different from the usual crowd, the C3 stands out. For your daily run of under 50km and occasional long drives, it will be perfectly comfortable. Mileage is reasonable, especially with the naturally aspirated engine, though the turbo will be slightly lower.The Nissan Magnite has other strengths. It has better road presence with its SUV styling, a more practical cabin, a bigger boot and a feature list that feels more complete. Nissan, as a brand, has built a reputation for reliability, and its dealership and service network is currently more established than Citroen’s in most cities. That adds peace of mind, especially for a first-time buyer.So if you like to drive and value comfort and engine performance, the C3 is the more enjoyable car. But if you want a safer, more practical and lower-risk ownership experience, the Magnite is the wiser choice.

Citroen C3

Nissan Magnite

Autocar India

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While Citroen's sales figures are low, rest assured, the carmaker has no plans or intention to leave our market. India is a major production base for Citroen, and the company is heavily invested here. Citroen's poor sales performance is actually not reflective of the products, which are well-engineered and well-suited to Indian buyer requirements. The Basalt X stands out for its ride comfort and also has a very pleasant 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, which feels its best with the smooth auto gearbox. Citroen has also jazzed up the cabin with the Basalt X, and this has added greatly to its appeal. If you like the Basalt X and have a Citroen dealer in close proximity, it's a great car to buy.

Citroen Basalt

Autocar India

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Yes, the Citroen Basalt X or Aircross X would make great upgrades from your Honda Amaze. For one, they are a size larger, and secondly, they are very well priced - although consider upping your budget very slightly to get a higher-spec automatic variant.Both cars have excellently calibrated suspension, which gives them superb ride quality as well as sharp handling. This is only complemented by their smooth yet punchy 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine and 6-speed torque converter automatic. Considering your requirements, either of these would be a great option for you.

Citroen Basalt

Citroen Aircross