Hyundai cars in India (12)

Autocar India

•2d

Go for the Tata Nexon EV with the 45kWh battery. You can easily expect around 350km of real-world range, and with home charging, you can top up its battery overnight and run for a week without worry, keeping your 50-75km usage in mind. In daily traffic, it feels smooth and quiet.But if you can't arrange for home charging, then you could consider the Mahindra XUV 3XO diesel-AT option. Keep in mind, being an AMT, gearshifts aren't very smooth, and on account of its weight, the XUV 3XO won't be as efficient as a Kia Sonet or Hyundai Venue diesel-automatic, which will also be far smoother to drive.

Tata Nexon EV

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Kia Sonet

Hyundai Venue

Autocar India

•2h

If it fits in your budget, go for the Kia Seltos, as it meets most of your broad set of requirements. Kias are known to be reliable enough for prolonged usage. The Seltos has a spacious and well-appointed premium interior that looks and feels upmarket. It's also pretty fun to drive, especially if you opt for the 160hp 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. The new-gen Hyundai Creta is coming in 2027 and might be worth waiting for, but you will get most of what it offers in the Seltos available today. However, as you've pointed out, it might be worth moving a segment lower to get more for your money, in which case we'd recommend the Hyundai Venue. It offers much of what the Seltos offers, including reliability, features and high-quality interior - albeit in a smaller form factor at a more affordable price. If reliability trumps all else, consider a Maruti Suzuki compact SUV like the Brezza or the Fronx.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Venue

Autocar India

•11h

We would recommend you shortlist the Skoda Kylaq 1.0 Turbo-AT and the Hyundai Venue N Line 1.0 Turbo-AT. Given that your son has only recently learnt to drive, it will be better to buy him a 'relatively' compact car that's both user-friendly. It has a good audio system, and at the same time has the 'cool' factor that a young driver would be looking for. Both the Kylaq and Venue N Line fit the bill. Also, the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engines in these cars will be adequately powerful and fun to drive, without feeling overwhelming for a new driver.A hatchback alternative that you could consider is the Hyundai i20 N Line Turbo-DCT, which should cost you around Rs 14 lakh for the top-end version.All these will comfortably fall within your Rs 20 lakh budget with some cash to spare, which you could utilise to upgrade the vehicle down the line, once he has mastered the art of driving, and wants a bigger car.

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai i20

Hyundai Venue

Autocar India

•11h

Hyundai Venue 1.0-litre Turbo-DCT - the drive experience is smooth, ride comfort is good, steering is light, and on account of its raised seating position, visibility is good too. All of these factors make it very user-friendly and ideal for a new driver. Alternatively, you could also consider a Skoda Kylaq 1.0 Turbo-AT, which feels as good, although its service network isn't as wide as Hyundai's. You'll be happy to know that both Venue and Kylaq have scored 5 stars in BNCAP crash tests.

Hyundai Venue

Skoda Kylaq

Autocar India

•9h

The Skoda Kylaq is a well-rounded car. It feels a bit more engaging to drive as far as driving dynamics goes, and its turbo-petrol engine is much stronger than the i20's too. If you plan to take it on the highway too, the Kylaq will feel more effortless in comparison. Keep in mind, it rolls off from a standstill more aggressively than the i20, but you get used to it soon.The Hyundai i20 is smooth and refined, and the IVT feels seamless and very convenient for city use. Sure, performance isn't exciting like your other turbo-petrol cars, but for driving in traffic, it feels perfectly fine. Also, being a Hyundai, servicing and maintenance costs will be lower, too. In conclusion, purely as a city car, the i20 IVT does a great job; the Kylaq will be the better option if you also plan to drive on the highway.

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai i20

Autocar India

•8h

Go for the Kia Carens Clavis DCT HTK+(O) 1.5 turbo-petrol for a chauffeur-driven family car with easy entry for parents and a little fun when you take the wheel. It fits your brief best at this budget.Your parents will find it easy to step in because the floor is low and the rear doors open wide, so they do not have to climb up or drop down. The rear seat is roomy and supportive, and the ride is comfortable at city speeds, which helps in tier-2 traffic. The automatic here is a DCT, which is an automatic that changes gears very quickly. On the highway, the turbo-petrol picks up speed easily, so overtaking feels stress-free and even exciting. Kia’s service reach in smaller towns is also quite good now, which matters for easy ownership.Two things to be aware of: in very slow bumper-to-bumper traffic, the DCT can feel a touch jerky and hesitant if you are gentle on the throttle, and the car is long, so tight parking needs some care. If you prefer two rows and an even softer ride, look at the Hyundai Creta 1.5 petrol IVT SX. It is very smooth in traffic and easy enough on ingress/egress, though not as exciting as the Clavis turbo.Take your parents along for the test drive and check step-in height and rear-seat comfort, then do a short highway run to feel how easily it gains speed.

Kia Carens Clavis

Hyundai Creta

Autocar India

•8m

Go for the Tata Punch. The car has a good ground clearance of 193mm (unladen) and offers a very good ride quality over bad roads. The front seatbacks are adjustable, and the rear seatback is a bit more vertical than those of other cars. Thus, in your case will meet your requirement of an upright seating posture. Within your budget, you will also get a variant closer to the top trim. The Hyundai Exter could also be another option that meets your ground clearance requirement, and at your budget, you could get a slightly better-equipped model too. However, the rear seat is more reclined than the Punch and other cars, too.

Tata Punch

Hyundai Exter

Autocar India

•2d

Your logic is quite sound. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno Alpha AMT fits your first brief of being the least hassle, while being reasonably fun. It does have the best 1.2 NA petrol around, and it falls well inside your budget.Coming from a 2011 Figo, the Baleno will feel easier in the city, with lighter steering, better low-end responses and, of course, an automated shift. For 900-1000km a month, its 1.2 petrol is punchy enough, and Maruti’s wide service network means quick, cheap upkeep almost anywhere. It will also hold value well. It's just that an AMT will never be as smooth as any other automatic, and maybe the manual is the better bet here.The Skoda Kylaq AT makes a compelling argument as the fun option. Though we would recommend it overall, apart from the fact that you will only get it in a low to medium variant in your budget Classic+, as you have mentioned, you could even stretch to a Signature.Still, it's not barebones on features by any means, and if that's okay with you, you should definitely follow the emotional pull. Yes, it won't be as frugal on maintenance costs (or fuel costs) as the Maruti, but they're not bad enough to be a deal breaker.If you want a middle ground between these two, consider the Hyundai i20 N Line or the Maruti Fronx Turbo, both of which offer the best of both your diverging requirements.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai i20

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Autocar India

•3d

Go for the Hyundai Creta Electric for your 50 km Mumbai commute, an EV is the easiest and most comfortable to drive while keeping running costs low. In traffic, it pulls away smoothly, feels very quiet inside, and with a rated range of 420km to 510km, depending on which battery you choose, charging requirements will be minimal. The driving position is commanding, visibility is good, the steering is light, and the ride handles bumps well, which helps on broken city roads. One thing you have to make sure of, however, is that a charger can be installed at your home, which is essential to EV ownership today. If you're uncertain about the charging, consider a strong hybrid like the Maruti Suzuki Victoris. It also delivers very low running costs (though not quite as low as an EV), and the advantage is that you don't have to charge it.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Autocar India

•2d

Go for the Hyundai i20 Sportz IVT automatic for your 12-13 lakh budget and mostly city driving, it is the easiest and most stress-free choice right now. The IVT is Hyundai-speak for a CVT automatic gearbox, and it's a smooth and seamless unit. The car is compact, the steering is light, and visibility is good, which makes driving in tight lanes and parking simple. It rides well over speed breakers and broken patches, and Hyundai’s big service network means ownership is easy in most cities.One thing to be aware of: if you often go with five adults, it will feel tight as the back seat is best for two.If you prefer a taller car with a higher seating position, more ground clearance and a punchier engine, look at the Nissan Magnite Turbo CVT. If you have access to home charging and mostly go on short city trips, the Tata Punch EV is also a great option with low running costs.

Hyundai i20

Tata Punch EV

Nissan Magnite