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Here are my observations on the cars you have shortlisted:

1. If you are not after the SUV stance and don't care for the 1.0L Turbo AT, then the Baleno/Glanza are a better choice than the Fronx/Taisor.

2. The Exter is to the Grand i10 as what the Fronx/Taisor are to the Baleno/Glanza, it can't get any simpler than that, and for that reason, if you don't want the SUVish stance, the Grand i10 would be a more value for money option. The Exter does have a few additional features though, but I would consider the Grand i10 over the Exter for the value-for-money aspect alone.

3. The Amaze and i20 get a CVT transmission, and I would recommend them any day over an AMT, albeit Hyundai AMTs have come a long way and are the best AMTs out there. However the Amaze is long in the tooth and isn't worth recommending at this time, the i20 however is a good choice worth considering not only for the CVT but also its spacious interiors and good balance of price, features and engine-transmission combo for the price.

From a combined reading of the above, and for obvious reasons of better space, features and more value for money while also keeping the future in mind, i.e. getting the car for the long haul, I would recommend you stick to the bigger hatchbacks, i.e. Baleno/Glanza or i20 and here are their pros and cons and the variants I would suggest.

1. Maruti Suzuki Baleno/ Toyota Glanza
The top-end Alpha AGS or V AMT would be my pick and I have to tell you, there is no difference between the two apart from the styling, so the Baleno would be the more value-for-money option. However, if you favour the Toyota badge, you could go for the Glnaza albeit it costs more.

The Baleno gets 30k cash discounts for the month along with a few accessory packages and other quirks, the Glanza also gets a new accessory package and a 30k cash discount along with a 5-year extended warranty at no additional cost.

2. Hyundai i20
The Sportz(O) IVT would be my pick, it also gets 30k cash discounts for this month and is a good option.

Now when comparing the features, the Baleno/Glanza gets Alloy wheels, Auto-dimming IRVMs, 360-degree cameras, Heads-Up Display, Push button start, mobile app connectivity, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 60:40 split rear seats, rear wiper and LED projector headlamps, whereas the i20 Sportz (O) IVT has to do with steel wheels, manual IRVMs, Rear camera, key fob, bench folding seats, no rear wipers and Halogen headlamps.

However, the i20 Sportz (O) does get a smooth CVT against the AMT as iterated earlier, more width, a better wheelbase, a Tire Pressure Monitor, a cooled glovebox, a sunglass holder, A sunroof and a wireless charger. However, if you don't want the Sunroof and wireless charger, you could save around 40k and get the Sportz IVT variant too.

Now coming to which option you should go for, I would recommend you do a thorough test drive of the Baleno AMT and the i20 CVT and see whether you can understand the differences in the behaviour of the AMT and CVT, If it doesn't bother you and you are comfortable with the AMT, then the Baleno is the best choice for you.

Hope it helps

Thank you for the detailed answer and narrowing down my options.

I have eliminated the turbocharged Fronx / Taisor.

What is your opinion of the Amaze facelift which is rumoured to launch in January? Would it be worth considering?

To be clearer, I am on the SUV bandwagon. Its just that most of the automatics are outside my budget.

If you are not hell bent on buying something new, you could consider something like a used Honda City.

It will fit your budget easily
Honda offers extended warranty coverage up to 10 years (you could max that out)
It is fairly reliable. Service experience is excellent.

If you are slightly more adventurous, you could also look at used a Toyota Yaris. Even 5-year-old examples will come with the latest safety features including 6/7 airbags and the Toyota trust leading to better overall value compared to the city. If it were me, I would opt for the Yaris.

Since you will hold on to the car for a long time, the low resale value of sedans in this current environment will only work in your favour.

Don't go for used cars in the sub-4-meter segment though if you can afford to buy them new. Baleno is a good, no-nonsense pick. Among SUVs, do take a look at the Renault Kiger with the 1.0 Turbo. It is a solid product that offers great value as well.

It is not that the Turbo Petrol Fronx and Taisor are not good cars, but they are quite expensive for what they offer, for example, the Fronx 1.0L Turbo Zeta AT costs 14.70 lakhs OTR Hyderabad and even with discounts it stays around the 14 lakh mark, so not within your budget, even if you go for the manual the Delta Plus 1.0L Turbo MT costs around 11.5 lakhs without discounts, and it isn't greatly equipped for the price.

If you want a VFM Petrol AT, the MX2 Pro XUV 3XO was a good option as it was priced at 9.99 lakhs ex-showroom, but now with the price hike, its on-road price has gone to over 12.75 lakhs and with the lack of features at its price point, it doesn't make much sense either unless you really love the car.

Now coming to the Honda Amaze, the top-of-the-line Elite Edition CVT costs under 12 lakhs OTR and is offered with a flat 50k cash discount as well, however, the facelift is coming soon and it would be better to wait for it, if you are interested in a sedan, its a reliable, safe and practical car with good engine and transmission, enough space and will serve you without niggles for as long as you want. so a good choice (considering the facelift will have a better kit) and if you are interested in sedans when their popularity is waning. The New Amaze should be priced around the same ballpark and should be worth waiting for, if you are interested in sedans, do take a test drive of the current gen as there are unlikely to be any changes in the engine-transmission combo in the facelift, just to get a feel of the car.

Now because you are on the SUV bandwagon like most are these days, me included, you do have a few options worth considering, with their pros and cons listed below, so here goes:

1. Nissan Magnite
The Acenta variant fits into your budget, but I would have preferred the N-Connecta for the features it offers, however, it is worth considering for its overall package and the value for money it delivers, but Nissan's future still looks bleak, so do mind that.

2. Renault Kiger
Sibling to the Magnite, the Kiger offers more or less the same experience but with a different look, the RXT(O) Turbo CVT costs 12.69 lakhs OTR but there are offers of over 60k this Diwali, so it should slot into the 12 lakh range, a value buy for the features, engine and transmission offered, but Renault too isn't selling much and this should be a factor to be considered before going ahead.

3. Citroen C3
Although Citroen lists it as a hatchback. it is somewhat a raised hatch with SUVish traits, the thing with Citroen is it is the most mechanically sorted car you can get under 12 lakhs, with great power, performance and handling, the car is a gem in this aspect, the top-end Shine 1.2L Turbo Petrol AT offers great performance with 110ps power and 205Nm of torque, the 6-speed AT complements it well too. it cost 12.47 lakhs OTR Hyderabad but there are offers up to 70k. Everything is not pretty though, it isn't as feature-rich as its rivals and the network is poor, sales are also much lower than almost all manufacturers and that is a concern.

I specifically decided on a sub 4m car as this is to be my first car.
No used cars as there is a risk of getting a lemon unless I personally know the owner. Moreover one would need to keep a lookout for these cars.
Thanks for your suggestions anyway.

Eliminated all the turbos as they are not VFM and take more to maintain.
As for as the Fronx / Taisor is concerned, I remember there area few features available only in the turbo variants.

The Amaze is a truly good option. I am not sure if I should avail all the discounts right now or spend more for the facelift.
Does anyone have experience with costs for Honda servicing / parts?

The other cars that you have mentioned (Magnite / Kiger / C3) are ones that I have considered and decided to eliminate.
There are multiple things going against these cars.
Underpowered (1.0L engines that need a turbocharger to overcome its deficiencies)
Unknown future of the companies due to low sales.
Bad AMTs with the CVT available only in the turbocharged version.

I haven't checked them from a maintenance aspect though.

So it's down to the Baleno AMT, i20 CVT in the hatchback segment, and Amaze CVT (preferably facelift) in the sedan segment. I prefer anything other than AMT, but that's due to my experience with AMTs. It may not be the same for everyone else, so these are perhaps the best options out there in terms of reliable cars with a good after-sales and service network that can be had for the long haul.

Firstly, For simplicity, easier maintenance and better longevity, going with Naturally aspirated engines would be the better choice, preferably 4-cylinder Naturally aspirated engines, so the three models mentioned (Baleno, i20 and Amaze) fit perfectly into the said description.

Secondly, Going with cars that sell volumes ensures better peace of mind, availability of more sales and service networks, and easier availability of spares, thereby ensuring a hassle-free ownership experience, so Maruti and Hyundai are the top options based on this, if you look at volumes, then the next in line are Tata, Mahindra, Toyota, Kia and Honda (with Honda being in a bit of a tight spot with sales below 10k units), However, Tata and Mahindra cars can be more or so ruled out because of either price, not so great after sales and reported niggles here and there, moreover Mahindra hardly has any model with automatic transmission below 12 lakhs OTR, Tata does have a few but I wouldn't consider them for long term ownership, be it Punch, Tiago or Tigor, the only viable options are the Nexon (but only the base model AMT is available under 12 lakhs and it too is a turbo 3-cylinder) or the Altroz which could be considered although it too has a 1.2L 3-cylinder albeit not turbo, however it comes with a DCA, which has been reliable so far unlike other Dual clutch transmissions, so it could be considered.

Toyota has Maruti rebadged models in this price range, so you are better off with Maruti here, Kia doesn't have any models in this price range with Automatic, but you could consider their Sonet IMT range if you don't mind shifting the gears without the clutch, but it too has a 3-cylinder turbo underneath, so not the best option but could be considered.

As regards Honda, we have already mentioned the Amaze as your best bet,

So it comes down to this, You have:

1. Maruti Suzuki Baleno AGS/ Toyota Glanza AMT
Spacious, good ride quality, refined 4-cylinder motor, feature-loaded, wide dealership network and a best seller.

2. Hyundai i20 CVT
Spacious, refined engine, wide dealership network as well, CVT gearbox and sells well too.

3. Honda Amaze CVT
Spacious, big boot, refined motor with CVT, 4-star NCAP, comfortable ride and reliable. However, it's due for a facelift which should build upon these traits with better features and a slight price hike but should remain within budget, Ideally considering Honda isn't selling well nowadays and with the current gen going for big discounts as well as sedans not being the flavour of the market, the facelift may not receive a price hike at all and maybe offered at current prices (sans the discounts).

Other viable options which could be considered but may not meet all your requirements:

1. Tata Altroz DCA
The Altroz XZA Plus (S) is priced at 11.92 lakhs OTR Hyderabad and comes with an additional 25k cash discount, so it should easily fit in your budget, its a feature-loaded car with 5-star NCAP rating, perhaps the only one in your budget without an AMT with a 5-star NCAP, has spacious interiors, wide opening doors, and is a good option but has a 1.2 Litre 3-cylinder motor mated to a DCA, which has been reliable thus far. An option worth considering.

2. Kia Sonet IMT
Call it a bit of bias, but the Kia Sonet is an excellent SUV for the money, I know you can't get an automatic, but an IMT is as close as it can get and the Sonet provides you with an SUV which is fun, fast, reliable (even with the 1.0L 3-cylinder Turbo Petrol). The HTK 1.0 Turbo IMT is available at 11.42 lakhs OTR Hyderabad whereas the HTK Plus 1.0 Turbo IMT is available at 13.16 lakhs OTR Hyderabad but with offers to the tune of 1.4 lakhs, including a 30k cash discount. free insurance, free 5-year extended warranty and 5-year service package, you wouldn't have to spend much later on and is a great deal. The HTK Plus is feature-loaded and has all the bases covered too, the HTK is no slouch either. Do take a test drive and try it. Please do note that offers may vary from dealer to dealer but at least one Dealership group in Hyderabad offers these discounts.

Any specific reason for limiting the car to sub 4m? Asking since there’s not any real benefit (except fuel economy somewhat) and multiple areas where they fall short compared to larger vehicles, be it crash safety due to inherent weight differences, power (lack of), crosswind stability, space, etc.

I’ve had the first gen Amaze (petrol, 5 speed torque converter) for over 11 years now, service and spares are super cheap although after sales is mostly a miss, although incompetent service is by no means unique to Honda, most brands suffer from it. Except Toyota, good service experience there.

It’s a very reliable car but that’s about it. It’s very underpowered, to the point of being dangerous on highways during overtaking (CVT is even slower than a torque converter, just look up its 0-100 times), very lightly built and absolutely cannot be driven in even moderate crosswinds without drifting and getting unsettled, skinny tyres prone to premature ABS activation even when not braking very hard, weak headlights, speed lock at 148 km/hr (155 indicated), among others.

I know you’re not considering used cars, but having been in your shoes a few months ago (forced to change my car due to the wonderful 15 year NGT ban), under 10L there are only low quality, underpowered cars available in the new market, I picked up a used Camry a few months ago and couldn’t be happier. Yes the chances of getting a lemon are lower when buying brand new, but if you do your due diligence and have the car checked thoroughly you can lower the risks significantly.

What I did was, I kept 3L aside for any potential failures, (this means limiting your budget to 7L and keeping the balance for any potential maintenance needed.) Although most of it is still unused as Camry’s are very reliable.

Thanks for your opinions.

There are a few reasons to limit the size to 4m
The taxes for the sub 4m cars are too high already. They are just too ridiculous for longer cars / bigger engines. I understand this is not much of an issue in the used car market but I am staying away from that as of now.
I am a bit new to driving and I would be more comfortable with smaller cars. In fact I was straightaway told to get the i10 but I have shortlisted longer cars.
Parking lot size. This just came to mind and is a genuine issue. I hadn't given it much thought as I had made up my mind to go for a sub 4m car. There is only one > 4m car, an Isuzu that has the largest slot and it struggles to make the turn without reversing.

Thanks for your insights into the Honda Amaze.
I was not aware of the shortcomings you mentioned I estimate my travel to be 80-90% in the city so some of these drawbacks may not apply. In any case, I think I will wait for the facelift and see what happens.

Why couldn't you pay the green tax and extend your car's life by 5 years? That's what my family did for my i10.
Which year / variant Camry did you end up getting for 7L?

Taxes are crazy even for sub 4m cars. Instead of getting ripped off at 59% (roughly) from the ex factory price you get ripped off at 49% that’s all :Frustrati

The length of a car is of little consequence once you start driving, width difference is mere centimetres between a full size like an S and a super mini like an i10. Once you get a few km’s under your belt, the switch will take you just minutes to acclimatise. For eg. between Amaze and Camry the width difference is a mere 14 cm.

In fact even when I was learning, in heavy traffic I always preferred a larger car as it generally had much more power to close gaps quickly without having to redline its engine.

Lack of side/curtain airbags is another major safety flaw with sub 4m cars as many still don’t get them. There is zero protection in these cars in case of a side impact, which are more common in city’s due to a higher number of crossings/intersections.

I live in Gurgaon and here you cannot extend your registration, in fact you cannot even operate the car on Delhi-NCR roads even with valid registration (of any state) the minute it crosses 10 years (diesel) and 15 years (petrol) you’re off the road.

Otherwise I’d never let go of my 2010 Accord, has only 73k kms and goes like day 1.

I got a 2013 2.5 Camry (Non Hybird), single owner, 67k kms with full service history at Toyota, I overpaid slightly for it but I’m ok with paying a little more for a clean car. I did spend 1L on fluids, filters, brakes and new tyres and now it’s mechanically perfect, but still excellent value as 8L is a little over Alto money these days.

I did spend 2 days having it checked out thoroughly by the dealer and my own mechanic. Due diligence is very important with any used car.

Your Camry looks well maintained, was the exterior in that condition when you bought it?
I checked the price of the current Camry and I was utterly shocked (though it is a Hybrid). Will you have to discard it in 2028?

Current Camry is going for big discounts as we’re still getting the pre facelift model that’s about to be updated soon.

Regarding pricing, out of the 52L you pay Toyota, keep in mind the gov eats 63% in taxes (GST + Cess + Registration + TCS). Toyota gets a mere 32L gross. So the product we get is the same mass market sedan that sells at 35k USD outside, although we pay premium car prices for it.

It was well maintained but the exterior didn’t look like that when I got it, I corrected the paint and put a ceramic coating on it (SystemX Max).

Yes I’ll have to sell in 2028 if this law continues, hopefully it gets struck down although I doubt it as it’s a major revenue generator for the gov and mfg’s. Nothing like forcing people to scrap their perfectly functioning cars to buy new ones.

Hi all,

I think I have finalized with Glanza G at a good price.

The executive wants the entire amount by Monday.
Can someone help me avoid the last minute pitfalls with them? I am checking for any last minute surprises that can be thrown my way.
Also please let me know what I should do from my end before transferring the money.

Team, I am looking for a beater car to replace my Alto K10 AMT which is almost 7 years.

I already have a Hycross (May'24) which is amazing both in city as well as for touring. However, I feel the need for a compact when it comes to tight parking spots in city. This may be only 20% of my use case so the car will be used primarily inside city. Lets assume a yearly running of 5000 kms

I plan to avail company car lease for this. Based on my calculations, a new car(10-12L OTR Bangalore) will prove to be equal or more economical as compared to retaining AltoK10(7 year old). I plan to keep this for 4 years(lease period)

Coming back to Alto, it does the job, trouble free and takes me from point A to B. But it has the typical 3 cyl engine refinement, lacks low end and is barebones (safety too!)

Based on this thread, I am tilting towards Glanza but I feel it is getting bit old now (same goes to i10, i20 as well)

1. Glanza/Baleno - Ticks everything except for the AMT(better than my alto).
2. i10 nios asta AMT - Same as above + compact footprint. However, Engine not as great as suzuki K12(not punchy)
3. Amaze VX CVT - 4-cylinder refinement, CVT, New launch, No discounts.
4. i20 sportz CVT - CVT, refinement but ground clearance seems low
5. Exter SX AMT - Same as nios, quirky rear end, why not save by picking up Nios ?

Other options that i briefly considered but not very positive about:
1. Fronx delta plus/Taisor NA models: Baleno/Glanza seems better equipped.
2. Ignis - An underdog, tallboy seating but old model and mostly getting discontinued.
3. Dzire - I feel Baleno/Glanza is relatively better (engine refinement)


I can wait until first half of this year.

My present car is a WagonR VXI AMT 2016 with under 30K on the Odo.

I plan to buy a new car hatchback or small SUV with automatic transmission. We are a Senior citizen couple recently relocated to Goa. My wife also has a driving license but hasn't driven for a while. For her sake, it has to be an automatic. I have a bit of a back problem which makes it difficult at times when there is a low seat like I had with an Esteem that I owned several years ago. I need a high seating stance. FE is not a consideration as there is no daily commute and we rarely go on long drives. rarely top 100 kmph even on the Mumbai-Pune expressway.

I definitely want Android auto and reverse camera at the minimum. I also want service support in Goa. Ideally I would stay under 10L but I don't mind stretching to 12L if there is value in doing so. Suggestions are welcome.

Considering WagonR again, Brezza, Kylaq, Amaze (though I am not sure if the seat would suit me and also not sure of Honda support in Goa), Exter. Incidentally, I have had no issue at all with the AMT in my car.

From the options listed, I find the Amaze VX CVT the best as it has everything you need. the Baleno would be a close second (only because of the AMT), You could wait out a bit and check for new launches as there seem to be few on the way too.

Considering your budget and feature requirements, the Brezza and the Kylaq are much more expensive with the required features and don't fall within budget, the Wagon R of course is a choice, but it doesn't make much sense and there isn't much difference, the Amaze is a good choice but an SUV would be ideal considering stance and ingress, egress. The Exter is an option worth considering and offers pretty much everything you need with the base spec AMT at 9.60 lakh OTR and the top end at 11.50 lakh OTR.