E-Paper
5 automatic SUVs I would choose for daily stop-and-go traffic
Here are 5 SUVs I would choose with an automatic transmission, including Skoda Kushaq, Mahindra XUV 3XO, and Tata Safari, among others:
Growing traffic in metro cities has become the pain point for several customers, since driving a car with a manual transmission in start-stop traffic for an extended period of time is extremely hard. The increase in traffic on the roads has led to customers choosing cars with automatic transmission for their overall ease of driving, be it in the city or on the open highways. Since SUVs are such a popular category in the Indian market, here are 5 automatic SUVs I would choose for daily stop-and-go traffic:
Check similar cars
Find more cars
Mahindra XUV 3XO
₹ 7.37 - 14.55 Lakhs
Offers Expiring soon
Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor
₹ 7.76 - 13.06 Lakhs
Offers Expiring soon
Maruti Suzuki Brezza
₹ 8.26 - 13.01 Lakhs
Offers Expiring soon
Skoda Kushaq
₹ 10.66 - 18.49 Lakhs
Offers Expiring soon
Maruti Suzuki Brezza
The Maruti Suzuki Brezza is one of my top picks for automatic SUVs, especially because it is frugal with fuel. Compared to its other competitors, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza is frugal when it comes to gulping petrol, much like any other Maruti Suzuki car. It is powered by a 1.5L naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine producing 101.64 bhp and 136.8 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.
The automatic variant of the Maruti Suzuki Brezza boasts a starting ex-showroom price of ₹10.59 lakh.
Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder
Toyota’s equivalent of Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder is powered by the same two engine options: a 1.5L petrol engine with mild hybrid technology and a 1.5L petrol-strong hybrid engine producing 101.64 bhp and 139 Nm of torque for the former and 113.9 bhp of combined peak power output and 141 Nm of torque for the latter. The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder is paired with a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission for the 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol engine, while the hybrid variants get an e-CVT automatic transmission.
The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder’s automatic variant has a starting ex-showroom price of ₹15.69 lakh for the petrol variant and ₹16.72 lakh for the hybrid variant.
Skoda Kushaq
The compact SUV from the house of Skoda, the Kushaq, recently received a facelift, making it look more stylish. The Skoda Kushaq is offered with two automatic transmissions, owing to its two different engine offerings. The Skoda Kushaq is offered with a 1.0L three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 113 bhp and 178 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission and a 1.5L four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 148 bhp and 250 Nm of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The starting ex-showroom price of the automatic variant of the Skoda Kushaq is set at ₹13.19 lakh.
Personally, I would choose the 1.0L with the torque converter since dual-clutch automatic transmissions struggle in start-and-stop traffic, resulting in overheating, jerky movements and premature clutch wear, which can cause long-term issues in the car.
Mahindra XUV 3XO
The sub-compact SUV from Mahindra, the XUV 3XO, makes for a great car, especially with its automatic transmission. The Mahindra XUV 3XO is powered by three different engine options: a 1.5L turbocharged diesel engine, a 1.2L turbocharged multipoint fuel injection engine, and a 1.2L turbocharged direct fuel injection engine producing 115 bhp and 300 Nm of torque, 109.9 bhp and 200 Nm of torque, and 128.7 bhp and 230 Nm of torque, respectively. The starting ex-showroom price of the automatic variant of the Mahindra XUV 3XO is set at ₹9.71 lakh.
The automatic transmissions on offer with the Mahindra XUV 3XO are an AMT transmission called ‘AutoShift+’ for the diesel variant, whereas the two turbocharged petrol engine options employ a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.
(Also Read: 5 cars I would buy under ₹20 lakh that offer ADAS)
Tata Safari
The three-row, seven-seater SUV from Tata Motors, the Safari, is also one such SUV that I would choose for start-and-stop traffic. Powered by two different engine options: a 1.5L Hyperion TGDi engine producing 167.67 bhp and 280 Nm of torque, and a 2.0L Kryotec turbocharged diesel engine producing 167.67 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. The diesel engine is the same engine which powers the Jeep Compass and Jeep Meridian, owing to Tata’s partnership with Stellantis. The starting ex-showroom price of the automatic variant of the Tata Safari is set at ₹17.91 lakh.
The transmission duties are fulfilled by a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission utilised for both engine options.
