5 cars I would buy if I were upgrading from the Maruti Fronx
- Moving up from the Maruti Fronx opens the door to larger SUVs, powerful sedans and efficient hybrid alternatives.
The Maruti Suzuki Fronx has carved out a strong position as a compact crossover by combining a relatively affordable price with efficient engines, a long equipment list and easy city manners. However, buyers looking to upgrade from the Fronx have considerably more choice once they are willing to move into the ₹10 lakh-plus bracket.
The Fronx currently starts at ₹6.85 lakh (ex-showroom), with the range extending to ₹11.98 lakh. Its 1.2-litre petrol engine makes 89.7 PS and 113 Nm, while the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol produces 100 PS and 147.6 Nm.
If I were making that upgrade today, these are the five cars I would consider:
The Skoda Kushaq is priced from ₹10.69 lakh (ex-showroom). The SUV is offered with two turbocharged petrol engines.
The 1.0-litre TSI is a three-cylinder unit producing 115 PS and 178 Nm. It is available with a six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 1.5-litre TSI four-cylinder engine produces 150 PS and 250 Nm and is paired with a seven-speed DSG automatic.
The Kushaq measures 4,229 mm in length, has a 2,651 mm wheelbase and offers a claimed boot capacity of up to 491 litres, depending on the measurement configuration.
Its current range includes Classic+, Signature, Sportline, Monte Carlo and Prestige variants.
The Volkswagen Virtus starts at ₹10.71 lakh (ex-showroom). It is a midsize sedan available with two turbo-petrol engine options. The 1.0-litre TSI produces 115 PS and 178 Nm, while the 1.5-litre TSI develops 150 PS and 250 Nm.
The 1.0-litre engine is offered with a six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmission. The 1.5-litre engine is available with a six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG automatic.
The Virtus has a 4,561 mm overall length, a 2,651 mm wheelbase and a 521-litre boot. The sedan is available in multiple variants, including Comfortline, Highline, Highline Plus, Topline, Chrome and GT versions.
The Honda City currently starts at ₹11.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The petrol version uses a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine producing 121 PS and 145 Nm. It is available with a six-speed manual and CVT automatic transmission.
Honda also offers the City e with a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine and an electric motor-based strong-hybrid system. The petrol engine produces 100 PS and 131 Nm, while the combined system output is 126 PS. The electric motor produces 109 PS and 253 Nm. The e uses an e-CVT transmission and has an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 27.26 kmpl.
The current City measures 4,594 mm in length, has a 2,600 mm wheelbase and is available in SV, V, ZX and ZX+ grades for the petrol version, while the hybrid is offered in the ZX+ grade only.
The Tata Sierra's ICE range starts at an introductory price of ₹11.49 lakh (ex-showroom). The SUV is available with petrol and diesel powertrains.
The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine produces 106 PS and 145 Nm. Tata also offers a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 160 PS and 255 Nm. The turbo-petrol engine is the Hyperion unit, a four-cylinder direct-injection engine. Tata has stated its output at 160 PS at 5,000 rpm and 255 Nm between 1,750 and 4,000 rpm.
The diesel option is a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine. The Sierra is offered with different transmission combinations across its petrol and diesel variants.
The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is currently priced from ₹10.76 lakh (ex-showroom), with the range extending to ₹19.77 lakh for the top strong-hybrid variant.
The SUV is available with a 1.5-litre petrol engine producing around 103 PS and 139 Nm. It can be paired with a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, depending on the variant. Select petrol variants are also available with Maruti Suzuki's ALLGRIP SELECT four-wheel-drive system.
The Grand Vitara's 1.5-litre strong-hybrid powertrain combines a petrol engine with an electric motor and uses an e-CVT automatic transmission. It makes 92 PS and 122 Nm of torque while boasting an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 27.97 kmpl.
The model is also available with an S-CNG powertrain, with a five-speed manual transmission.
Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2026, Best SUVs in India.
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