I am planning to buy my first new car with an automatic transmission and expect to drive around 20,000 km annually for the next 10 years. It will be mainly used in Mumbai’s bumper-to-bumper traffic with daily office commutes of about 80 km, weekly family outings, and occasional long trips. I am also considering the future risk of diesel restrictions like those in Delhi NCR. While I like the Victoris' strong hybrid top trim, the rear seat comfort is a concern for my family. Although I find the Syros, Kylaq, and 3XO top trims comfortable. I am unsure about their long-term cost effectiveness - which option would be the right choice for me?

Firstly, we don’t think you should worry about diesel restrictions on new cars in Mumbai. The current diesel engines are quite clean, and if there is a ban in the future, it will only be the older diesels that will be taken off the road. 

The Maruti Suzuki Victoris hybrid would have been a good choice. But as you said and we have pointed out too in our tests, the boot space is compromised because of the hybrid batteries, and the rear seats are not very spacious. 

The other cars you have listed are all turbo-petrol petrol, so they won’t be economical and will burn a hole in your pocket if you drive 80km every day. Since you have shortlisted some compact SUVs, we suggest you look at the Hyundai Venue diesel. It has just been launched, so it's very fresh and will age well over a 10-year lifecycle, and the diesel engine is very efficient and keeps your running costs under control.