[V0rtex]

My elderly relative, who has back issues and prefers cars without bucket seats, is looking for a petrol car within a budget of ₹8.5 lakhs on-road in Kerala. The car should ideally have an automatic gearbox and offer good fuel efficiency. After test-driving several cars, they liked the Maruti WagonR but weren’t impressed by the new Swift or Dzire. I also suggested the Tata Punch as an alternative since I’m not a fan of the WagonR. Could you please recommend the best options that meet these criteria?

[Sensible_Speed]

WagonR is a solid car for the money. It even comes with the 1.2 engine for 8.5 lakhs. If they like it, I'd suggest they go ahead and buy it. Tata is not as fuss free to own as a Maruti. Given you mentioned elderly, I can't think of any better car than the WagonR. Its ergonomics are quite good, the tall boy design allows for good ingress and egress and visibility is great too.

[greenhorn]

+1 for wagon r. The only other suggestion i would give is the spresso

[RavSam]

Originally Posted by V0rtex

My elderly relative, who has back issues and prefers cars without bucket seats, is looking for a petrol car within a budget of ₹8.5 lakhs on-road in Kerala. ... Could you please recommend the best options that meet these criteria?

I would recommend the Ignis as an alternative to Wagon R. With the 1.2L and now with Hill-Hold feature it also has great stability for highway runs and the exhaust note is raspy if driven enthusiastically. Has 4 adjustable headrests, clean interior layout and is also vfm.

I've had close to zero problems in 4 years of ownership. One being a dead battery due to my extremely low usage last year and the other being the dents due to some idiots who damaged it at the parking.

[Senotrius]

No brainer. Wagon R 1.2 AMT if they're driving it themselves. It has good suspension for our broken roads. Otherwise, with a driver, the 1 litre manual will also do fine for the city. There are piggyback chips/ OBD tools to adjust pickup on the 1/1.2 litre engine btw. Avoid the Ignis as interior space is just cramped compared to the Wagon R although it drives better.
Due to the interior space/height in WagonR, the seats can be modded as desired for comfort.
Usually Maijo motors give max discount. There are 5 dealers in EKM. Shop around for the best deal. Service can be done anywhere.

[sac23]

Originally Posted by sac23

I'm writing this post sitting in my office with a terrible back pain which started on my way to work while driving over a not so big pothole at around 30 kmph.
Ignis has one of the worst if not the worst suspension for Indian roads. It bottoms out easily and there is a strong thud sound as if the vehicle hit something.
I have set the front tyre pressure to 30 PSI and rear to 32 PSI. Yet, there is no improvement at all. Even the reflectors stuck on roads can shake the car considerably!
During the last service, I paid the Nexa service to doa suspension test which is performed on some special equipment which shakes the car and measures the vibration inside the car. The test results claimed that the suspensions are working normally and there is no need for replacement.

Different sources claim that the inherent issue with ignis is it's soft spring setup.

Whatever you buy, please don't get an Ignis. It's the worst car in terms of ride comfort on Indian roads. I would pick Wagon R any day.

[condor]

Wagon-R - either 1.0 or 1.2, in the top trim can come at that price. Discounts should also be available.

Alternate is the Ignis AMT - but in Alpha. Only the Alpha has seat height adjustment, unless you want to replace the driver seat to get that feature.

We had compared these two, and picked the Ignis for my wife.

[abhatt]

Have an i10 NIOS AMT. No complaints for last 3 years. Have done a 1000km highway journey with it as well.

Fuss free car used by my FIL.

[V0rtex]

Guys, how about the base model of the xuv 3xo, it’s only slightly above the current budget. With some extra accessories wouldn’t it be a great car. Will there by any reliability issues with a 3 cylinder turbo petrol?

[brraj]

Tata Nexon petrol base model should be a good buy.

[Hatchback_dude]

Hello,

I think they can also look at Nissan Magnite AMT models. It's a compact SUV with better visibility and ground clearance. All models are now equipped with six airbags as standard along with active safety features like traction control.

Do check around for reviews of your local Nissan service centre since service can be a hit and miss with the brand.

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by V0rtex

elderly ..looking for a petrol car within a budget of ₹8.5 lakhs

Originally Posted by Sensible_Speed

WagonR .

Originally Posted by greenhorn

+1 for wagon r.

Originally Posted by Senotrius

Wagon R 1.2 AMT i

Originally Posted by condor

Wagon-R

The perfect car for elderly folks is Wagon-R

Merits of Wagon R for elderly people:
- Small footprint, yet roomy.
- Boxy shape and narrow, good all round visibility, and easy to manoeuvre and park.
- Seats are neither high (like in an SUV) nor low (like in a hatchback or sedan). This is the biggest convenience for elderly folks. Just have to open the door and literally walk into the seat without bending down or clambering up and easy for the back.
- Seating position is also upright (no crouching).
- Not to mention easy to service at multiple friendly neighbouring M.A.S.S at reasonable costs.
- Best of all, bullet proof reliablity for 15 years easily and more, economical to run with good FE - fill it shut it and forget it experience, much needed hassle free experience needed for elderly folks.

In fact the 2010 released blue-eyed boy Wagon-R (3 cylinder pot with K-Series engine) is even better in form factor than the latest/current model Wagon-R in all the above aspects.
No wonder it is the elderly specialist car.

[V0rtex]

Originally Posted by Hatchback_dude

Hello,

I think they can also look at Nissan Magnite AMT models. It's a compact SUV with better visibility and ground clearance. All models are now equipped with six airbags as standard along with active safety features like traction control.

Do check around for reviews of your local Nissan service centre since service can be a hit and miss with the brand.

The relative owned a Sunny before and I don’t think that they were satisfied with the service. The person has mentioned the car to be very good. I’ve recommended the Magnite, but he told me that the car (non-turbo) felt very underpowered and wasn’t confidence inspiring at all during overtakes.

[Oxy]

Maybe Hyundai Exter (hope the lowest AMT variant falls in that price bracket, not sure). But the fuel efficiency won't be too great.

I somehow don't like the WagonR's build. Even the Alto feels well built in comparison.

The Alto was revamped in 2022. Looks taller than before. Please ask them to try it once.

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by V0rtex

My elderly relative, who has back issues and prefers cars without bucket seats, is looking for a petrol car within a budget of ₹8.5 lakhs on-road in Kerala. The car should ideally have an automatic gearbox and offer good fuel efficiency. After test-driving several cars, they liked the Maruti WagonR but weren’t impressed by the new Swift or Dzire. I also suggested the Tata Punch as an alternative since I’m not a fan of the WagonR. Could you please recommend the best options that meet these criteria?

There are quite a few cars that can be considered:

1. Renault Kwid Climber AMT
At Rs 7.50 lakhs on-road and with up to 40k benefits, the Kwid is one of the cheaper automatic options with good ground clearance and features. The car is easy to drive with an absorbent ride and compact footprint making it a good choice.

2. Maruti Suzuki S-Presso VXI Plus (O) AMT
The top-end S-Presso costs just 7.10 lakhs on-road and also comes with an additional 35k cash discount. It is a good choice considering the features on offer.

3. MG Comet Executive
If they are not into long drives and want a Compact city car, the Executive variant of the Comet at 7.39 lakhs on-road is a good choice, they can go for the BAAS (Battery As A Service) model and get the car at Rs.4.99 lakhs ex-showroom too.

4. Maruti Suzuki Ignis Zeta AMT
The Zeta variant costs 8.85 lakhs OTR but with discounts at over 45k it slots right into your budget, the car offers good value for money considering the 1.2-litre 4-cylinder engine, is refined and offers enough space in the interior too, a good value proposition and worth consideration.

5. Maruti Suzuki Wagon-R ZXI Plus 1.2 AMT
The top-end Wagon-R costs Rs.8.67 lakhs OTR but with discounts at over 25k, it is the top contender in your budget, the tall-boy design, easy ingress and egress, 1.2-litre engine, compact footprint, light controls, easy manoeuvrability, absorbent ride and spacious and practical interiors make it the perfect companion and should be the ideal choice in the segment.