Citroen cars in India (5)

All three options on your shortlist are nice to drive in their own ways. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno is very comfortable at city speeds with excellent bump absorption and a peppy engine. Tata's Altroz feels the toughest of the three cars and drives with a big car feel out on the highway. The Citroen C3 has a nice engine, and it also balances ride and comfort very well. 

However, for reliability and ease of service, the Baleno is your best bet. The Baleno is known to be a trouble-free car, and Maruti's vast network means you are never far from a service centre. Service costs are also competitive. 

The Toyota Glanza is essentially a rebadged version of the Baleno, but does cost more for similarly-specced variants. We'd recommend sticking to the Baleno. Within Rs 7 lakh, you'll get the Sigma variant, though we'd recommend upping your budget a bit (and bargaining hard with your dealer!) to get the higher-spec Delta trim. 

It packs in extras such as a powered mirror adjust as well as a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that would add greatly to your experience.   

Given how tall the driver is, the obvious answer would be to skip past the compact segment and into the midsize sedan and SUV segment. However, at a budget of Rs 16 lakh, you would only get an entry-level version of most midsize cars. 

There are, however, two exceptions - the Citroen Aircross X and Basalt X. Both these crossovers will be available in fully loaded turbo-petrol automatic guises at just over Rs 16 lakh on road. 

With the latest X update, it now offers a good selection of features and upmarket interiors. The space and comfort on offer are superb, as is the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine and 6-speed AT combination. 

However, Citroen's service network is limited, so if you want an alternative, check out the Kia Syros. Though compact, it offers a lot of space, even for tall drivers.

We would recommend a three-row vehicle, as there are very few cars in which the second row of seats folds flat or can be removed. Two cars in which you can remove the third row of seats to liberate a large flat area are the Renault Triber and the Citroen Aircross X. 

Both are great options that offer comfortable rides and great space efficiency. The Aircross X is larger, more powerful and from a segment above, but the Triber is more affordable. Also it has a lower boot lip height, which will make entry and exits easier for your dogs. 

All things considered, though, the best all-round option for you is the Kia Carens Clavis, though it is more expensive than the aforementioned two. Not only is it a much better-rounded vehicle with more powertrain options (including an EV), it's also the most practical. 

It has a flat folding third row, which on its own frees up lots of space. Moreover, if you need more still, the second row will fold near-flat in the 7-seat version. You should be able to fit a mattress for your dogs with a bit of folding.

Yes, the Citroen Basalt X will be better in both aspects that you desire. The turbo-charged engine is very peppy and is nice to drive, and the ride of the car is excellent, a typical Citroen hallmark. 

We would rule out the Tata Nexon turbo as the power delivery isn't very strong like other typical turbo engines. If you want to consider something other than the Citroen, test drive the turbo version of the Nissan Magnite. 

The 1.0-litre unit has a good mid-range punch and is something that you would enjoy.  

The Citroen Aircross X is quite unconventional in its design and has a certain appeal. As a product, the Aircross X is fantastic value for money. 

It doesn’t exude the same richness as other mid-size SUVs that are better equipped. Still, it makes up for it with solid fundamentals, such as a brilliant 1.2 turbo petrol engine, comfortable seats, exceptional ride quality, and easy handling. 

It’s pretty fuel-efficient, too. The only worry is the dealer network, which is quite poor and unresponsive, but we hear that after the X models of Citroen have been launched, the dealers are motivated to raise their game as well. This is certainly a car we would recommend, but with the rider that you thoroughly check out the Citroen dealer in your area before you sign the cheque.