Maruti Suzuki Brezza

The Mahindra XUV3XO will meet your requirements of a car with a peppy engine and good safety. The petrol automatic comes paired with a torque convertor gearbox, which is the smoothest autobox around. Since your driving is mostly in the city, you will really appreciate this. 

We would recommend the 1.2 litre MPFi turbo engine, which would offer you more than enough pep and a slightly better mileage than the direct injection unit. Though bear in mind that on the whole, mileage will still be lower than something like the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, as Mahindra tunes all its engines for a peppy feel. 

If mileage isn't a priority and you simply want a very peppy and lively drive feel, opt for the direct injection unit. The 3XO will also meet your requirements for safety as it comes well equipped with 6 airbags and ESP as standard, and it has secured a 5-star rating in the BNCAP crash tests

Your budget rules out the Honda Elevate V CVT in Mumbai (it sits around the Rs 15.5 lakh; check with the dealer for current pricing). But if you are able to get a good discount and stretch your budget a bit, it is definitely worth going for. 

The Elevate has a peppy 1.5 petrol engine mated to a seamless CVT gearbox, and being a Honda model, it will be reliable and stress-free to maintain. Getting in and out of the Elevate is also easy, and it has a comfy ride quality, which means your parents will be comfortable in this SUV. Being the V variant, it misses out on some feel-good features, but it does get all the necessary features. 

However, if you want to stick to your budget strictly, consider the Maruti Brezza. Although it is a smaller SUV than the Elevate, it still has a spacious cabin, a comfy ride quality, and a smooth engine-gearbox combination. Also, being a Maruti, it will be reliable and easy to maintain.

With your daily running of around 50-60 km, your monthly usage will easily cross 1,500 km, so choosing a fuel with low running costs makes sense. In this case, CNG is generally a better fit than diesel, especially since most of your driving is in the city.

One of the better options to consider is the Tata Nexon CNG. Unlike most CNG cars, the Nexon uses a turbo-petrol engine, which means it still feels reasonably strong and comfortable even on the highway. The turbo engine produces good torque, which helps maintain performance despite running on CNG. This makes the Nexon CNG a good balance between low running costs for the city and decent highway performance for weekend drives.

Another practical option is the Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG, particularly the LXi or VXi variants. The Brezza uses a 1.5-litre engine with factory-fitted CNG. It is known for being smooth and reliable while still offering good mileage and reasonable performance.

The Maruti Brezza CNG and Fronx CNG will be more fuel efficient than the Nexon iCNG, and their clutch and gearbox make them friendlier to drive, too. The Brezza is due for a facelift in the coming weeks, so you might want to wait for that to arrive. 

The Kia Sonet diesel will feel punchier to drive (than the CNG options listed above), while being very efficient too. Also, by opting for a diesel, you won't need to wait in long queues to refill CNG. Even the Sonet is due for a generation update, which is likely to be launched this year. 

Another option you could consider is the Mahindra XUV 3XO diesel MX2, which is more spacious than a Sonet. Its ride-handling balance is very impressive; the Sonet, however, has an edge in terms of fuel efficiency.

Consider getting the Maruti Suzuki Brezza. The Brezza is easy to get in and out of, and it has a comfy ride quality, so your parents should be comfortable travelling in this SUV. It also comes with a refined 103hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine that offers decent fuel economy and can be had with either a manual or a torque converter automatic gearbox. 

There's even a CNG option, should your daily running be high. Furthermore, it is a Maruti product so maintaining it will be an easy and stress-free affair.