Which fuel-efficient & affordable car for rough usage of 70+ km daily?

I am leaning towards the Maruti Dzire for its reliability & resale value.

BHPian mpod11 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

I am looking to buy a new car for my daily factory trips. My daily running will be around 70 km. My budget is Rs 7-8 lakh.

I do not wish to take my 2021 MG Hector CVT sharp to my factory on account of the extremely narrow and broken roads there, as well the rough driving of my driver. The Hector is for my personal and family usage only.

I want a reliable and hardy car that can be easily repaired and is fuel-efficient. The car needs to have basic creature comforts such as central locking and airbags+ABS. A good quality ride is a must since the roads are in terrible shape where I have to travel every day.

The car need not be fancy since it will be parked at my factory and its sole duty is factory runs but at the same time, it should be decent enough to be comfortable over long rides and not make me feel like a cheapster in front of other unit owners in my industrial park.

I was thinking of the following options:

1. 2022 Maruti Dzire VXI
2. Honda Amaze S (Manual)
3. 2022 Maruti Baleno Delta
4. Hyundai i10 NIOS

I am leaning towards the Dzire because of its legendary reliability and fuel efficiency. It seems to have the best resale value too since I will be keeping the car long enough that its next replacement will have to be electric.

Any and all suggestions are open. I don’t want any used cars recommendations though.

Here’s what GTO had to say on the matter:

You should strongly consider the Tiago / Tigor CNG. Cheap running costs, you have a driver so he can endure the waiting time at the CNG pump, sorted suspension, good safety and most of all, an extremely well-executed CNG kit.

Click here to read our review.

Here’s what BHPian AGupta had to say on the matter:

Since you have added i10 Nios to one of the choices, please have a look at the Tata Punch as well. It’s stylish, looks great, has decent ground clearance for the broken roads, and has a commanding view.

My choice will be in the below order.

1. Tata Punch
2. Toyota Glanza/Tata Altroz
3. Honda Amaze (low ground clearance)
4. MS Dzire (low ground clearance)

Here’s what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

Don’t bother with the fragile Marutis. Get yourself a Tata Punch, which is well built, efficient and rides comfortably over bad roads. An out of the box suggestion can be the Mahindra Bolero Neo. It is as tough as they come, very easy and cheap to maintain, and the 1500cc engine is very efficient. Low-speed ride quality is also totally acceptable.

Here’s what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:

Do TD the Tiago/Tigor before discounting. Sturdier and safer than the Dzire but not even close in refinement or FE.

For fuel efficiency, you’ll have to look at the CNG versions if you like the car otherwise.

Outside of this, from your shortlist, the Baleno gets my vote over the Dzire unless you need boot space.

Keyword: Which fuel-efficient & affordable car for rough usage of 70+ km daily?