[adityaprasoon]

You may also check Tigor CNG. It is safe enough and good mileage. Top model has height adjustable seat so bonnet might be visible on highest setting. It is not very wide making it easy to thread the traffic.
You will also have usable boot even with the CNG cylinder.

[Archie_27]

You should also consider the i20. It's a competent car, with brilliant durability and interior quality, a plethora of features and feel good factors and a very smooth engine and gearbox combination. I've been driving my Elite i20 Asta(O), albeit last gen, but it's a boon in the city. The steering's soft enough, the handling is good and the car never feels out of my comfort zone!

[pradeep_mvpa]

To meet your bonnet visibility criteria, you should choose one of the micro/compact SUVs.

1. SPresso - I am a fan of this car due to its compact dimensions, yet comfortable seating/drive it offers. If looks are manageable, this is the best choice.
2. Punch - Good package, you won't find lot of cost cutting in this car.
3. Venue - Good package overall. Will breach 10L if you go for higher variants

[Neversaygbye]

Well, for bonnet visibility AND safety plus high seating I don't see too many options other than Punch or Bolero Neo or one of the other compact SUVs like Nexon or Brezza or the XUV300. Since you have mentioned that both your existing cars feel unsafe I am surprised that you have other unsafe cars like the Celerio and Spresso and Eeco in your shortlist. Also, neither of your cars seem to have aged well, from your description of them. Build quality of Maruti has only gone down, and not improved over time. The Brezza should be the car to consider if you want to stick to Maruti and petrol. Also, with your kind of running, a diesel mill makes sense - hence do relook at your budget. My recommendation would be the XUV300 or the Nexon diesel since the Altroz diesel does not satisfy point #3. If you are planning to avail of finance, a couple of lakhs extra should not make a huge difference in terms of EMIs.

[Aakash118]

Have you considered the WR-V base variant? It has height adjustable driver seat. It’s spacious and safe too.

[busydrive]

Originally Posted by pradeep_mvpa

To meet your bonnet visibility criteria, you should choose one of the micro/compact SUVs.

1. SPresso - I am a fan of this car due to its compact dimensions, yet comfortable seating/drive it offers. If looks are manageable, this is the best choice.
2. Punch - Good package, you won't find lot of cost cutting in this car.
3. Venue - Good package overall. Will breach 10L if you go for higher variants

Thanks. Totally agree here. Venue breaches 10 lakhs. Wanted to keep the budget under 10 lakh.

Originally Posted by Neversaygbye

Also, neither of your cars seem to have aged well, from your description of them. Build quality of Maruti has only gone down, and not improved over time.
Also, with your kind of running, a diesel mill makes sense - hence do relook at your budget.

Thanks for reading my requirement in detail. Sincerely appreciate it. My Dzire hasn't aged well. I don't like keeping any open issue with the car and have spent heavily on keeping this car in shape. Wagon R has done better that way other than a feather light body with lot of dings. I am not a great fan of maruti to be frank but the mileage of Petrol celerio made me include that in consideration list. I saw people reporting 20+ kmpl in this forum itself.
Diesel makes sense for me and i agree to it. The thing is the only two diesels you get in 10 lakhs is i10 Nios / Aura and Altroz. Next is Honda Amaze.
I am not too happy with Tata service - we have a Hexa for highway runs. Car is mechanically great just the service folks are clueless on any issue that I report.

Originally Posted by Aakash118

Have you considered the WR-V base variant? It has height adjustable driver seat. It’s spacious and safe too.

I did consider. I felt Amaze fitted the requirement better here with respect to visibility and price.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

[souvikjana83]

IMHO You should check out Kwid and Triber. Kwid is a great car for city commute though it lacks safety but gives very good mileage. The ground clearance is great along with great bootspace for such a small car. Unless your requirement is to seat 3 people in the back for long journeys, you should definitely consider Kwid. Plus it looks far better than the Spresso.

If you would want a car with a bit better interiors, check out Nios.

Triber is a great car for city commutes when need for 7 people or 5 people with good bootspace. Plus it's 4 star NCAP rating is icing on the cake.

[busydrive]

I haven't checked out the Renault showroom. Will do. I think Kwid comes with a plastic oil sump - I don't know how it will fare during underbody hits.
Tribee I had driven when it was launched and while it was a good car I think it lacks seat height adjust.

[rajk15]

Originally Posted by busydrive

On a side note just two years ago in BS4 days we had so many diesel options under 10Lakh. None exists now. While I can totally understand the environment related savings due to lesser diesel cars, it would have been good if some of the manufacturers had diesel options in smaller cars. Tata Altroz is the only one but it doesn't meet my requirement #3.

Why don't consider a 2019/20 BS4 pre-owned Diesel? I'm not sure what you can find in that budget; other members' suggestions are welcome if you are open to considering them. The only downside I see is their probable validity (10 yr restriction); can't say what the governments in the future will do.

Do consider the Bolero (yes it's fuel-efficient and bonnet visibility shouldn't be a problem) and the Bolero Neo as @DicKy suggested.

Originally Posted by Piyush Kanthak

If your criteria is a safe car, then why have you included S-Presso in the list?

Exactly!

Originally Posted by busydrive

1. Honda Amaze S AT - 10 Lakhs On road
3. Punch Accomplished MT - Approx 9.3 Lakhs
4. Ignis Alpha MT - Approx 8.7 Lakhs

I don't see a lot of recommendations for Amaze but would surely consider given its AT box convenience. Given that your parents and wife are also going to drive please try and keep AT as a criterion if FE can be slightly compromised on given the convenience these GBs offer.

As for selling the car, although you didn't ask but if I were in your place I'd get rid of the Dzire before it becomes a money pit and given the FE factor and that your mother also prefers the WagonR.
Also, don't blindly go for a straight bonnet; the Esteem has a sloping bonnet but its visibility is ; try looking for a car with a thin A-pillar (what a rear thing to ask for these days) and visible bonnet, so just try out othercars around.

[Peri_patetic99]

I think the Honda amaze would be a good option, it's got good performance, reliability and safety and is decently equipped.

On the other hand, i have test driven the new celerio and felt it to be more VFM than WagonR, it's 95% of WagonR essentially. It has good visibility, good space on the inside while being compact to drive in the city, has the reliability quotient and performance isn't too bad either. The FE is also around 20, I've spoken with a few owners and even during the TD the MID showed 18 km/l, which is good enough for city usage.

[Voodooblaster]

Originally Posted by busydrive

A car which has bonnet visible. Yes this is a ask from Wife and my father who aren't comfortable with cars where you have to drive purely on judgement like I10, Baleno, Altroz

A hood ornament is a jugaad to bring back Altroz, Jazz etc into reckoning. It'll help us to judge where the hood ends

Originally Posted by busydrive

1. Should I got for CNG? Given petrol prices are going up and up. Amaze and Magnite aren't available in CNG but Eeco and Celerio are.
2. Keep both and add aftermarket CNG to the Dzire and use it for few more years till we get an affordable EV. Safety worries will remain
3. With Ethanol blended Petrol coming up does it make sense to buy a current gen BS6 Petrol car now?

1) No. Since you want a reasonably safe car, no point in going for celerio and EECO

2) Aftermarket fuel kits are always best avoided mainly due to safety concerns. Have heard of too many horror stories

3) Unfortunately govt policies are fluctuating. So can't give a proper response yet. Moreover pocket friendly
usage warrants a Diesel/CNG/Electric

Originally Posted by busydrive

Should I consider CNG?

Short Answer: Not yet

And taxes on CNG may be hiked

CNG supply issues are plaguing owners since these vehicles hit the road (more than a decade)

Calicut

Uttar Pradesh

Nagpur

Aurangabad

Recent Russia Ukraine conflict has exacerbated the issue

Besides refuelling will be difficult when you plan interstate or intercity tours

Originally Posted by busydrive

Good mileage needed as it's a city car and will do atleast 1500 to 2000 kms in city per month

Try the Altroz diesel. It offers excellent safety and decent mileage. The hood ornament should solve the bonnet visibility problems

But the BS6 diesels have their own issues

Originally Posted by busydrive

Car 1: 12 Year old Dzire. Petrol. Mileage around 70K

Rs 3 lacs is guaranteed resale value

Originally Posted by busydrive

Car 2: 11 Year old Wagon R. Very less used

Rs 1.50 lacs is guaranteed resale value.

My take:

Sell the Dzire and add the proceeds to your budget and bump it up to 14 lacs.

Keep the Wagon R as your urban beater car and also for your mothers preferance for slightly high seating.

Consider the Amaze Diesel CVT. Its a surprisingly competent vehicle. Only drawback is that it's not GNCAP tested. Company claims 24.7 kmpl. Real world will be around 20kmpl. May go as high as 22 kmpl in highways

Ex Showroom Bangalore is 11,21,5 00.

OTR will be 14 lacs

A friend of mine has an 8 year old Amaze diesel that has crossed 1.10 lacs on the odo without any problems. It has withstood all kinds of abuse (2 of his kids learnt to drive in it)

[busydrive]

Originally Posted by Voodooblaster

Sell the Dzire and add the proceeds to your budget and bump it up to 14 lacs.

Keep the Wagon R as your urban beater car and also for your mothers preferance for slightly high seating.

Consider the Amaze Diesel CVT.

Thank you so much for all the details. A real
I think you have summed it up in every possible way. This looks like the best possible option.

[H_Dogg72]

Any CVT car should be good enough for city use. CVT being the smoothest transmission of them all.
Next bet would be a torque converter.
DSG’s aren’t good in traffic, AMT is horrible in any use case lol

[MT_Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by busydrive

What Car?

3. A car which has bonnet visible. Yes this is a ask from Wife and my father who aren't comfortable with cars where you have to drive purely on judgement like I10, Baleno, Altroz. No offence to any owners here this is just how they feel comfortable

Additional Questions:

3. With Ethanol blended Petrol coming up does it make sense to buy a current gen BS6 Petrol car now?


Requesting this community to share your thoughts here. Thanking you in advance.

I haven't test driven cars recently, but I can attempt to answer two of your concerns.

1. Bonnet visibility — Get a dashcam with live view. Adjust it to see as much bonnet as you want. Now buy any car, Bindaas!
Dashcams are a must anyways; especially nowadays.

3. Ethanol mixing concerns — We are getting ethanol mixed petrol from more than a decade now. Yes, in India. Hence, don't worry about the blended fuel, if your dzire and wagon R (I think you mentioned they are petrol driven) can survive that, the new ones will be able to do it better.

One more thing, we recently bought a seat cushion for my wife's home-office chair. You can get it from Amazon. It increases the height of the chair/seat substantially and will increase visibility of the bonnet for your family members.
Keywords to search: PharmEasy Orthopedic Memory Foam Coccyx Seat Cushion for Tailbone Pain Relief – for Office/Home Chair (please note- it is for below 80kg weight only)

Please be aware, it may increase the distance from the pedals. I haven't used it for driving ever.

Happy car hunting.

[traveller_riz]

hey @busydrive..just curious. Which car did you finally decided to buy then ?