Hyundai cars in India (13)

autocar.india

•7h

Yes, the Kia Carens Clavis diesel automatic is a smart upgrade for your kind of running and long trips. The 1.5 diesel with the smooth 6‑speed automatic cruises at low revs, is easy in traffic, and delivers good highway economy, so your yearly fuel bill stays reasonable after 20,000-25,000km. Space and comfort are a clear step up from your Ertiga, too. The second row is nicer for adults, the third row is usable for shorter stints, and the cabin is quieter over distance. The safety kit is solid with 6 airbags on all trims, and the ride is comfortable enough to keep you fresh after a full day’s drive.Pricing should sit around Rs 20-22 lakh on-road if you choose a mid or upper-mid trim. The top variant can go higher in some cities. Given your mileage, the diesel automatic also keeps clutch wear out of the picture and makes city usage easy. The only catch may be performance when fully loaded on steep ghats; it will do the job, but you may need to plan overtakes and use manual shifts.An alternative is the Hyundai Alcazar. It's in the more desirable SUV shape with better road presence, and as such, it will feel like more of an upgrade from your Ertiga. It uses the same smooth and efficient diesel AT powertrain as the Clavis, too. However, the third row is not as spacious, and you will definitely have to stretch your budget to get higher variants.

Kia Carens Clavis

Hyundai Alcazar

autocar.india

•21h

Pick the Maruti Brezza ZXi manual. For a 30 km daily city run, it’s the easiest to live with and will consistently return the best real-world mileage here. Its light controls make it easy to drive in town, and its 1.5 petrol feels stronger than the Venue’s 1.2. Ride comfort over broken roads is better too, and the ZXi trim packs all the features you’d need and stays within your Rs. 11-13 lakh budget.The Venue HX5 petrol manual is fine in town, but with four people and the AC on, it feels short on punch on the highway, and the mileage gain over Brezza isn’t big enough to matter. The Victoris is mechanically identical to the Brezza, but the VXi is out of your budget. Do note, the Brezza isn’t exciting to drive, and quick overtakes will need a downshift.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Hyundai Venue

autocar.india

•20h

Go for the Mahindra XUV 3XO, and get the petrol with the 6‑speed automatic. It gives you a roomy back seat, a strong crash rating, and a planted and secure highway ride that suits your 80 percent highway use. The turbo petrol engine is the strongest here, and it's the only one of your shortlist to get a smooth torque-converter automatic gearbox. The only real downside is that the boot is not as big as that of rivals, and fuel economy won't be as good either, but for your largely highway use, the difference won't be so bad.The Hyundai Venue HX5 is fine for four but tight for five on long trips, and while the Kia Syros HTK Plus feels the largest, rear width and thigh support are only average, and its ride quality is quite choppy. Tata Nexon diesel would be lovely on highways and is safe, but the diesel automatic is an AMT, which is nowhere near as smooth as the XUV's torque converter, or even the Hyundai/Kia's DCT.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Hyundai Venue

Kia Syros

Tata Nexon

autocar.india

•1d

The Kia Seltos IVT would be our recommendation. While the Honda Elevate undoubtedly offers the best value for money at current prices, there are two factors working against it in your case. First, you don't have a Honda showroom in your city, which could make routine servicing and warranty-related work less convenient. Second, the Elevate facelift is expected in the not-too-distant future, which could impact resale values of the current model.Between the Seltos and Creta, we'd pick the Seltos. It feels a little more premium inside, has a richer feature set and remains one of the best-looking SUVs in the segment. It is also newer than the Creta and therefore likely to remain fresh for longer. The naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with the IVT automatic is smooth, refined and perfectly suited to your low daily running and occasional 400km trips.

Kia Seltos

Honda Elevate

Hyundai Creta

autocar.india

•1d

You can go ahead and buy the Hyundai i20 Asta IVT now. There's no further facelift planned, and the Bayon-based crossover will be positioned much higher and closer to the Hyundai Creta in price. For mostly city use, the i20's smooth, automatic and light controls make traffic a breeze, and it fits your budget better than most compact SUVs would. You still get six airbags, a big screen, a sunroof and all the everyday comforts, and it’s fine for the odd highway run. However, the i20 doesn’t get a 360 camera, and Android Auto/CarPlay aren't wireless unless you buy a special adapter accessory.If a 360 camera is a must and you want the SUV look, the Hyundai Venue SX(O) DCT or Kia Sonet GTX+ have it, but they’ll sit well past Rs 14 lakh on-road in most cities, and their dual-clutch automatics aren’t as smooth as the i20’s CVT in bumper-to-bumper traffic.Another alternative you could consider is the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor Turbo Petrol V AT, which gets a punchy but efficient engine, a smooth automatic, and the features you want at around your Rs 14 lakh budget.

Hyundai i20

Hyundai Creta

Hyundai Venue

Kia Sonet

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor

autocar.india

•19h

Go for the Kia Seltos IVT. With 20 km a day and only a few 200-300 km trips a year, the Seltos keeps life simple on highways and in the city, with wide service support and no charging stops to plan. It also gives you the most rounded mix of space, features and safety from your shortlist, and it feels easy to drive every day.The Seltos is E20 compliant, and material-wise, it should be fine with slightly higher blends. A drop in fuel efficiency, though, is to be expected from higher ethanol content. The honest catch is the running cost. An EV like the Mahindra XEV 9e will be cheaper per km and quieter. If you have a fixed parking spot with a plug at home, the XEV 9e starts to make sense for your short daily runs, but fast-charging on intercity routes can still be hit-or-miss outside big cities. Alternatively, consider the Hyundai Creta Electric.Overall, the Seltos makes the most sense for your usage.

Kia Seltos

Mahindra XEV 9e

Hyundai Creta Electric

autocar.india

•1d

The Hyundai Creta N Line is a sportier-looking derivative of the Creta. It gets revised front-end styling, red detailing, larger 18-inch wheels, a rear spoiler and dual tip exhausts on the outside. The interior gets an all-black look with red detailing, which does give the cabin a sporty flavour. Unique to the Creta N Line is the option of a manual gearbox with the turbo-petrol engine. The steering has also been redone for more weight.The larger wheels and tweaks to the steering do make the Creta N Line feel slightly sportier to drive. However, the dual tip exhausts sound no different to the standard Creta's, and that's a downer. Further, the move to larger wheels comes with a firmer ride, which can get uncomfortable. Also, the 6-speed manual gearbox isn't the slickest or most enjoyable. We'd stick to the DCT.In a nutshell, while the N Line does look distinctive and attractive, it isn't the best Creta you can buy. The standard model feels comfier, and its lower price also makes it a better deal. If you want an enjoyable driving experience above all else, the Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI DSG or VW Taigun 1.5 TSI DSG will satisfy you more.

Hyundai Creta

Skoda Kushaq

autocar.india

•14m

Given your low monthly running, we would recommend a petrol car over a diesel. The fuel-efficiency advantage of a diesel only starts to make strong financial sense when you're covering substantially higher distances. Since you're already driving a 2022 Creta Diesel, moving to a petrol for your next car would also help you avoid concerns around DPFs and future diesel regulations.We also wouldn't let ethanol-blending concerns drive your purchase decision. While India could move towards E27 or even E30 fuel in the future, there is currently no official roadmap confirming this. Most modern E20-compliant petrol cars have been engineered with a margin of tolerance and should be able to handle somewhat higher ethanol blends without any immediate issues. At worst, some rubber components may wear slightly faster over many years, but these are typically inexpensive parts to replace. The bigger impact is likely to be a small reduction in fuel efficiency rather than any major reliability concern.For a Rs.10 lakh CSD budget, we would suggest looking at the Hyundai Venue 1.0 Turbo Petrol or the Skoda Kylaq. The Venue's turbo-petrol engine feels punchy and refined, offers a premium cabin and is very well suited to everyday use. The Kylaq, meanwhile, feels more substantial, offers excellent safety credentials and has one of the most enjoyable turbo-petrol engine and automatic gearbox combinations in the segment.

Hyundai Venue

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai Creta

autocar.india

•1d

Given your requirements, a compact SUV would be a good next car for you. The higher seating will put the new driver at ease and will have a great bearing on confidence behind the wheel. Your priority for space, reliability and stress-free ownership leads us to the Maruti Suzuki Brezza AT and Hyundai Venue DCT. The Brezza is a no-nonsense compact SUV with good space, proven reliability and a practical interior. Your comfort and experience with Maruti's aftersales make it the one we'd recommend for you. You'll get a similar hassle-free experience with Hyundai as well. The new Venue ticks the important boxes for you, but it is pricey at the top end, in case the latest features are a must-have. The Venue's turbo-petrol engine does deliver punchier performance than the Brezza, but fuel economy isn't as good. If you want a larger SUV, there's the Honda Elevate CVT. However, the new driver in the family might not feel as comfortable driving it, given its size. If the hatchback form factor suits you, the Hyundai i20 CVT is a very likeable choice. Among EVs, the Punch EV is an option, but your running doesn't really justify going electric. You'd rather spend similar money on a larger or better-equipped petrol-automatic car.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Hyundai Venue

Honda Elevate

Hyundai i20

Tata Punch EV

autocar.india

•43m

Honda City SV manual suits your 50 km daily run best. Its 1.5 petrol is the smoothest here and the clutch and steering are light, so long city commutes will feel easier. In real traffic you will usually see better economy than the other two, and the rear seat space and ride comfort are still the class benchmark for family use.Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 TSI is no longer available with a manual so your choices are either the 1.5 TSI DSG or the 1.0 TSI manual. They are the fun pick if you love strong mid‑range and highway performance. For daily stop‑go, though, the turbo’s appetite will make it a bit costlier to run.Hyundai Verna 1.5 manual is very smooth and well equipped, but the Honda City still remains the better car to drive and be driven in.

Honda City

Volkswagen Virtus

Hyundai Verna