With increasing congestion on our roads, there’s no denying the ease of operation and comfort that automatic cars and SUVs allow, especially in urban spaces. If you are in the market for a compact petrol automatic SUV for city use, there’s no dearth of options either. What’s nice is that carmakers are now offering automatic gearbox options across most of the line-up of a particular vehicle, so there’s something to fit every budget. Here, we have listed the cheapest automatic SUVs under Rs 10 lakh that are currently available in India.

Tata Nexon

Starting price: Rs 9.60 lakh

The Tata Nexon just about makes this list of cheapest automatic SUVs in India with a 6-speed AMT that’s offered with its 120hp, 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. However, for a budget of under Rs 10 lakh, you’ll only get the second-from-base Smart+ trim, which still comes decently equipped, covering the basics like a 7.0-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, all four power windows, electrically adjustable wing mirrors, full-LED headlamps and tail-lamps, and six airbags. The Nexon also gets a 7-speed DCT gearbox, but that comes much higher in the variant line-up. The Nexon petrol-AMT has an ARAI-rated mileage of 17.18kpl.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor

Starting Price: Rs 9.33 lakh

Next on this list of cheapest automatic SUVs is the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor that gets a 5-speed AMT with its 90hp, 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine. Under Rs 10 lakh, the Taisor has two trims with the AMT gearbox – S and S+ – the latter of which gets features like a 7.0-inch touchscreen, wireless phone connectivity, automatic climate control and alloy wheels. It, however, misses out on LED headlamps and DRLs, keyless go, rear AC vents and six airbags, among others. But what’s most impressive about the Taisor petrol-AMT is that it has an ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency of 22.8kpl. Higher variants also get a 6-speed torque converter with a more powerful turbo-petrol engine.

Maruti Fronx

Starting Price: Rs 8.95 lakh

The Maruti Fronx is mechanically identical to the Toyota Taisor, so it uses the same 1.2-litre petrol engine and 5-speed AMT gearbox; even their fuel efficiency is similar. Like the Taisor, the Fronx also has two trims that fit under the Rs 10 lakh budget – Delta and Delta+. However, the Fronx’s variants compared to the equivalent Taisor are nearly Rs 40,000 cheaper, and that’s a significant amount of saving. On the flip side, Toyota offers longer standard warranty with the Taisor. The Fronx also has a 6-speed torque converter gearbox with a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine on higher trims.  

Hyundai Exter

Starting Price: Rs 8.39 lakh 

The Hyundai Exter uses an 83hp, 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that’s coupled with a 5-speed AMT. The Exter is one of the smaller on this list of cheapest automatic SUVs, but on the positive side, almost the entire AMT line-up fits under Rs 10 lakh. In fact, only the top-spec SX Connect trim doesn’t come under the said price range. In its SX(O) trim, the Exter AMT is very well-equipped with features like an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, LED headlamps with DRLs, 15-inch alloys, six airbags, and even a sunroof. The Exter AMT even gets paddle shifters for manual control, making for a great value pick. Hyundai claims an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency of 19.2kpl for the Exter AMT. Buyers also get the option of the Exter Knight Edition, which brings a blacked-out exterior and interior look.

Tata Punch

Starting Price: Rs 7.77 lakh 

The Tata Punch AMT has a far lesser starting price than the similarly-sized Exter, and it uses an 86hp, 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine with a 5-speed AMT. Like with the Exter, barring the top-spec Creative+ S trim, the entire Punch AMT line-up comes under Rs 10 lakh. Some of the equipment highlights on the Punch top model include a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen and larger 16-inch alloy wheels, along with wireless phone connectivity and charging, sunroof and automatic headlamps. However, the Punch misses out on six airbags; it only gets two. The Punch AMT has an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency of 18.82kpl, and it is also available in a special Camo Edition with the Accomplished trim. 

Renault Kiger

Starting Price: Rs 6.95 lakh

The Renault Kiger gets two automatic gearbox options under Rs 10 lakh – there’s a 5-speed AMT with the 72hp, 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine and a smoother and more sophisticated CVT with the 100hp, 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. The AMT gearbox is available on the mid-spec Evolution and Techno trims, with the latter also getting the option of the CVT under Rs 10 lakh. The Kiger has an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency of 19.03kpl for the AMT and 18.24kpl for the CVT. It’s also larger and more spacious than the likes of the Exter and Punch, and comes decently equipped with features like an 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, keyless entry and go, LED headlamps, wireless charger, leatherette upholstery, 360-degree camera, ambient lighting and six airbags. 

Nissan Magnite

Starting Price: Rs 6.17 lakh

The Nissan Magnite is the cheapest automatic SUV in India, with a starting price as low as Rs 6.17 lakh. It is a sister model to the Renault Kiger, so here again, the powertrain options are identical, and fuel efficiency figures are similar, too. However, the Magnite is more affordable than the Kiger, and has more trim options under the Rs 10 lakh budget, including for the turbo-petrol CVT versions. In fact, the Magnite is also the cheapest CVT-equipped car in India. There’s also a special Kuro Edition that comes with all-black exterior and interior. The Magnite tops our list of most affordable automatic SUVs on sale in India currently.

Also See:

Most affordable SUVs with a factory-fitted CNG kit

Every Dark Edition SUV under Rs 15 lakh in India