Hyundai cars in India (12)

Autocar India

•20m

Purely from an enthusiast point of view, the Skoda Kylaq would be the pick here. It is the most engaging of the lot, the turbo petrol feels punchy, and it genuinely has that fun-to-drive character you are looking for. The problem is your running. At 120 km a day, fuel efficiency will start mattering very quickly, and the Kylaq’s real-world economy will begin to pinch.The Marutu Suzuki Brezza actually fits your overall requirement better. No, it is not the most thrilling engine here, but it is efficient, and the ride and handling balance is genuinely sorted. Also, the seating height is just right for older parents to get in and out comfortably without it being too low or too tall. It is also one of the easiest cars here to live with long-term.Given your running and the fact that 60 percent of it is highway, the diesel manual options in the Maruti XUV 3XO or Hyundai Venue are worth serious consideration too. The Mahindra XUV 3XO diesel in particular is the enthusiast’s diesel pick here because the engine is strong, punchy, and the chassis is genuinely enjoyable. The only trade-off is that it does feel a bit heavier in everyday use than the Brezza.

Skoda Kylaq

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Hyundai Venue

Autocar India

•12h

Instead of your take-home salary, it would be better to help us with the budget you are comfortable allocating for your new car purchase, because several factors affect your capacity to spend like age, responsibilities, existing liabilities, etc.Assuming you plan to sell your outgoing Alto 800 and use the sales proceeds as a down payment, with an EMI of around Rs 15,000, you could look at cars with an on-road price of Rs 8.50-9 lakh. For the money, you could consider a Maruti Baleno or Toyota Glanza, both of which will feel like a proper upgrade compared to your outgoing car. SUV alternatives are the Tata Punch and Hyundai Exter, and if you prefer a sedan, the Maruti Dzire is also a good buy.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Tata Punch

Hyundai Exter

Toyota Glanza

Autocar India

•1d

Go for the Hyundai Creta Electric Executive. Being an entry-level variant, it doesn't get a sunroof, but it packs all the other basics. Additionally, it gets a small 42kWh battery, which Hyundai claims will travel 420km; but you can easily expect 250-300km in the real world. So if you have a limited, fixed run as well as home charging provision, the Creta Electric is smooth, spacious and a sensible buy.The Kia Carens Clavis EV is another excellent option worth considering - it has the same electric powertrain as the Creta Electric, and it also gives you the flexibility of three-row seating.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Kia Carens Clavis EV

Autocar India

•8h

With a budget under Rs. 10 lakh and an even split between city, village roads, and highways, the Tata Punch CNG in a mid-variant is the stronger fit. It rides over rough village patches without scraping, feels steady at highway speeds for a small car, and the twin-cylinder CNG layout still leaves useful boot space for bags on longer trips.This suits your use because village roads need good ground clearance and a tough suspension, highway use needs a car that feels stable and confident, and CNG saves running costs while keeping day-to-day drivability easy in traffic.The trade-offs: it is not very quick in CNG, so fast overtakes need a bit of planning, and higher trims may stretch your budget in some cities, so stick to the lower-mid variant and add only the features you truly need.The Hyundai Exter CNG is an alternative, and it also gets a dual tank setup, but it won’t handle broken village roads as confidently as the Punch.Overall, for your mix of roads, the Punch CNG lines up best.

Tata Punch

Hyundai Exter

Autocar India

•1d

Coming to the first part of your question, you mentioned that you loved the driving experience of the Renault Duster 1.3 Turbo DCT, you are planning to skip it because your family wasn't happy with the space at the back. We would strongly advise you to reconsider.Yes, space is tighter than most rivals in this class, and ingress/egress (for rear passengers) is a bit difficult, but if you're rarely going to have passengers at the back, it shouldn't be a deal-breaker for you. If you really enjoyed the drive experience, it is certainly worth going for. The turbo-DCT isn't very fuel efficient, but keep in mind that the hybrid is likely to command a significant premium over it, so unless your usage is over 1500km per month, it is worth opting for the turbo-petrol DCT.The Kia Seltos is an excellent all-rounder, when it comes to space, comfort, interior quality and it is one that checks all the right boxes, however unlike the Duster, it lacks that emotional appeal, so it won't tug at your heartstrings. If you go for it, you won't go wrong with it.Your concern of whether the petrol engine will be capable of handling higher Ethanol blend is valid, so opting for an EV could be an option, but be prepared to pay a premium for an electric powertrain. As far as the Hyundai Creta Electric goes, yes, it does feel a bit old compared to the modern offerings, however it is an excellent car - one that we easily recommend.

Renault Duster

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

Autocar India

•2d

You want a diesel automatic, and you’re leaning toward the Tata Nexon Fearless+. For mostly city use with some weekend drives, the Nexon diesel automatic works well and costs a lot less than a Hyundai Creta or Kia Seltos diesel automatic. However, being an AMT, the Nexon's automatic transmission will feel slow and a bit jerky, especially in slow traffic, compared to a proper torque converter automatic. Considering these factors, you should also take a look at the Hyundai Venue 1.5 diesel AT HX8. It's priced similarly to the Nexon but comes with a more refined diesel engine and a smoother automatic in the form of a 6-speed torque converter. The Hyundai's cabin also feels more premium than the Tata and its backed by Hyundai's widespread service network throughout India.

Tata Nexon

Hyundai Creta

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•2d

Given your high level of driving, with mostly highway usage, good fuel economy must be a high priority. The best answer would be a diesel or a hybrid, but neither of those will fit in your budget of Rs 5-10 lakh. A good option worth considering might be a used diesel SUV like a Gen 1 Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza diesel or Gen 1 Hyundai Creta diesel. If well-maintained and in good condition, these would be good upgrades from your Celerio CNG, and you should be able to find examples in your budget.However, if you would like to stick to a new car, do not discount CNG entirely. There are plenty of new CNG models that use twin-cylinder setups to reduce the impact on boot space. Good options that fall in your budget are the Tata Punch i-CNG and the Hyundai Exter Hy-CNG Duo, both of which have reasonably sized boots, despite the use of CNG tanks.

Tata Punch

Hyundai Exter

Autocar India

•2d

Considering your usage, we would skip the hybrid and go for either the Seltos IVT or the Creta IVT, with a slight lean toward the Kia Seltos. At your kind of running, the fuel savings from the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder strong hybrid will take a very long time to justify the higher upfront cost, so buying it purely for efficiency does not make much sense.The Seltos IVT feels more premium and richer overall as an upgrade from a 14-year-old Honda City. The cabin feels more contemporary, the IVT automatic is exceptionally smooth in traffic, and the overall driving experience is effortless in daily city use. It also feels a bit more special inside than the Hyryder.The Hyundai Creta is equally good mechanically and rides slightly softer over rough roads, so if comfort is your absolute top priority, it remains a very strong option too.The Hyryder hybrid only really starts making stronger sense if you specifically want the silent EV like feel in traffic and intend to keep the car for a very long time. Otherwise, for your usage pattern, the Seltos IVT is the sweeter all-around package.

Kia Seltos

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Hyundai Creta

Autocar India

•1d

With just 50 km a week, we would strongly advise against a diesel automatic. Your running is simply too low for a modern diesel to make sense, and repeated low usage can create DPF-related headaches over time.Between your options, the Hyundai Creta petrol automatic or Kia Seltos petrol automatic are the much smarter choices. If we had to pick one, we would lean toward the Seltos IVT because it feels slightly more premium inside, and the IVT automatic is exceptionally smooth in daily use. The Creta IVT is equally good mechanically and rides a touch softer, so if comfort is your absolute top priority, it remains a very strong option too.

Hyundai Creta

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•3d

The biggest advantage of Hyundai Alcazar in your use case is the captain seat configuration. Since you are a family of four, it can actually work beautifully as a comfortable four seater, with the second row offering noticeably better individual comfort than the Seltos. With the third row folded down, you also get a genuinely large boot, which makes it a very practical long distance family car.That said, the new Seltos feels like the more premium and more contemporary product overall. It is larger and more spacious than the Seltos you currently own, the cabin feels richer, the ride is comfortable and because it is the newer product, it will naturally feel fresher for longer. Importantly, both the Alcazar and the Seltos use the same 1.5 turbo petrol engine paired to a DCT, so outright performance and drivetrain character are broadly similar.The real question is what role this second ICE car will play. If it is primarily a comfortable family tourer and rear seat comfort matters most, the Alcazar makes a very strong case. But if you want something that feels like more premium, modern without stepping into a larger three row SUV format, the new Seltos is the better fit.

Hyundai Alcazar

Kia Seltos