I’m a first-time car buyer with no driving experience. I need an automatic car with safety features, reliability. My budget is under ₹15 lakh. Expected drive about 60 km daily, split roughly 50% highway and 50% city. Please advise.

Asked by: Bhanu Agarwal

We would suggest considering the new Hyundai Venue Turbo Petrol DCT. Within your budget, you can opt for the HX6 variant, which is well-equipped. The Venue is also an easy car to drive, even for a first-time buyer. Since it uses the same 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine and DCT gearbox as the earlier Venue. It is a tried and tested combination that should prove reliable in the long run.

The engine feels smooth and responsive in city traffic and has enough performance for highway use as well. It is spacious enough for four adults, offers a large boot, and the interior fit and finish are among the best in the segment.

New Hyundai Venue

New Hyundai Venue

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Autocar India Team

Dec 29, 2025

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Asked by: prateek I have a budget of ₹7-8 lakh, and the Nissan Magnite CNG is one of my choices, but I am worried about its resale value. Can I switch to the Maruti Fronx CNG by increasing my budget to ₹9 lakh? However, I am concerned about safety there. Please suggest the best approach. The Nissan Magnite CNG is available with a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, which is barely adequate to power this car. Furthermore, while running on CNG, performance will be lacklustre, and efficiency will also be low. And as you mentioned, resale value will be poor, hence it is best that you look at other options.The Maruti Suzuki Fronx gets all the basic safety features like ABS with EBD and ESP, which prevent an accident from happening in the first place. Additionally, there are 6 airbags to keep you protected in case of an impact. Do note that the Fronx's petrol engine is much smoother, and overall, it is much nicer to drive. However, if you want a proven, safe CNG car, go for the Tata Punch or Tata Altroz. While their powertrain isn't as smooth or as good as Maruti's, these are practical and spacious alternatives.

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Asked by: SUDARSHAN ARUN P My running is about 1,000 km per month, and I mostly work in villages in Rajasthan. Which car should I consider? Since your monthly driving is around 1000km, it will be better if you go for a diesel car. If you prefer a manual gearbox, the Tata Nexon diesel is a good option for its good ride quality. But if you want an automatic, you can consider the Hyundai Venue diesel AT. The ride quality of the 2025 Venue has been improved significantly, and now it gives a good ride quality on Indian roads. The Nexon’s automatic option is an AMT, which has noticeable gearshift jerks and can become tiring on long drives. In the smaller segment, the Tata Punch manual or the Hyundai Exter AMT are good alternatives. Exter’s AMT is one of the smoothest AMTs in the market.

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Asked by: Navneet kumar Hi Autocar, I currently ride a Yamaha FZ and want to replace it with a Triumph Speed 400, but the problem is that the Triumph dealership is not in my city (Bathinda). My question is: should I purchase it from a dealership located about 130 km away? Will it be a sensible choice considering service and maintenance? The Triumph Speed 400 is a largely reliable machine with few sporadic cases of big failures reported in the 2.5 years. It has been on sale, so by and large, you won't need to visit the service centre very often. Additionally, its long 16,000km / 1 year service interval means that unless you ride a lot, you only need to service it once a year - after the first service, at least. However, if something should go wrong, not having an authorised service centre nearby will be troublesome. You should speak to the dealership if a mechanic will be willing to visit your residence to service it. Otherwise, you have to transport it to the authorised workshop every time something like this occurs. Ideally, we would recommend buying a machine that has a dealership and service presence in your hometown and close to your residence or office.

Autocar India Team

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