Tata Aeris vs Dzire vs Amaze vs Aura 2026: Which Compact Sedan to Buy?
Four compact sedans do almost all of the work in this class: the new Tata Aeris, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, the Honda Amaze, and the Hyundai Aura. All four sit under four metres. The Aeris joined them on 25 September 2026, replacing the Tigor for private buyers, at ₹5.29 lakh to ₹9.74 lakh introductory ex-showroom.
This is a buying guide, not a road test. Aeris prices and the rival bands come from Autocar India’s launch coverage. Aeris details are in the launch guide. Trim prices are in the variant guide.
Price#
| Car | Approx. ex-showroom band |
|---|---|
| Tata Aeris | ₹5.29 lakh – ₹9.74 lakh |
| Hyundai Aura | ₹6.00 lakh – ₹8.67 lakh |
| Maruti Suzuki Dzire | ₹6.31 lakh – ₹9.54 lakh |
| Honda Amaze | ₹7.65 lakh – ₹10.00 lakh |
The Aeris is the cheapest way in. The Aura stays under a lower ceiling. The Dzire overlaps the Aeris once you leave the base cars. The Amaze starts where a mid Aeris already lives, and you pay that money for a CVT and, on specified variants, ADAS.
Compare on-road quotes in your city for the same fuel and similar equipment. A small ex-showroom gap can grow or shrink once tax and insurance are added.
Boot and space#
| Petrol boot | |
|---|---|
| Tata Aeris | 419 litres |
| Honda Amaze | 416 litres |
| Hyundai Aura | 402 litres |
| Maruti Suzuki Dzire | 382 litres |
Those are the litres Autocar India used at the Aeris launch. The petrol Aeris has the largest trunk of the four. For a stroller and two suitcases, that is its cleanest win. The Aeris wheelbase is 2,450 mm, with 170 mm of ground clearance. Rear room is close among all four. Set the front seat for a tall driver and sit behind it in each car.
CNG boots differ. Rivals in this class generally use one cylinder and give up a large part of the trunk. The Aeris uses twin cylinders. Autocar Professional says that keeps 419 litres. Autocar India and CNBC-TV18 still expect about 227 litres, as on the Tigor CNG, and they call even that the roomiest gas boot here. Look in the boot of the fuel you will buy.
Engines and gearboxes#
The Aeris petrol is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder with 86 PS and 113 Nm. CNG falls to about 75.5 PS and 96.5 Nm. The automatic is a five-speed AMT, about ₹55,000 over the manual, from the Pure trim up. Tata’s Anand Kulkarni told car&bike, via CNBC-TV18, that real-world petrol use should be around 16 kmpl. That is not an ARAI number. Do not line it up against another brand’s lab figure and call a winner.
The Dzire and Aura automatics are AMTs as well, so the Aeris is not uniquely compromised against them. It is compromised against the Amaze CVT, which does not pause between ratios the way an AMT does. Maruti still leads the conversation on litres used and on how easy the car is to keep for seven or eight years. The Aeris CNG premium is about ₹1 lakh over the same petrol trim. It suits a high-kilometre private car. The Dzire CNG remains the default for buyers who want the familiar workshop and resale path.
The Aeris engine is enough for home, school, and office. With four adults, luggage, and a ghat road, the CNG car in particular feels soft. There is no diesel and no turbo petrol.
Safety and driver aids#
Six Aeris airbags are standard from the ₹5.29 lakh Smart upward, with ESP, ABS, hill-hold, ISOFIX, and tyre-pressure monitoring. Higher trims add a 360-degree camera that also records as a dashcam, plus a blind-view monitor.
Read the rival variant tables. Airbags and stability control have not always been standard on every Dzire and Aura trim in older model years. The Aeris claim is simpler: six airbags on the base car.
The Amaze is ahead on driver assistance. Honda sells ADAS on specified variants. The Aeris launch does not list adaptive cruise, lane support, or automatic emergency braking. A camera that records is not a system that brakes. If that is the reason you are shopping, test the Amaze variant that actually includes the aids.
No Global NCAP score for the Aeris was part of the launch coverage. A star rating belongs to the car that was tested.
Daily features#
Tata is using equipment to make the Aeris look dearer than its opening price: a 10.25-inch screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging deck, 65W USB-C ports, ventilated front seats, rear AC vents, and iRA connected features. Confirm which of those sit on the trim you will pay for.
The Aura has long been the finished, feature-led cabin in this set. The Dzire answers with a simpler interior and the screen most mid and high trims now include. The Amaze feels more mature and less interested in gadget count. The Aeris stereo is six speakers, down from eight on the old Tigor. Connect your phone and listen if that matters to you.
Ventilated seats are a real summer feature. They are a reason to choose a higher Aeris trim only if the sheet shows they are missing on the cheaper one.
Which car for which buyer#
Aeris. Lowest entry price, the largest petrol boot, six airbags on the base car, and factory CNG with an AMT well up the range. It is also the private-buyer sedan. Fleet customers stay on the Xpres.
Dzire. The long-ownership choice. It costs more to enter. It is the steadier bet on fuel habit, workshops, and resale.
Amaze. The better automatic, and the ADAS option. Budget for the variant that includes the aids, not for the range’s opening price.
Aura. The feature-rich sedan when you want to stop before the Aeris flagship. It keeps the comparison honest if a salesperson walks you from ₹6 lakh to ₹9.7 lakh.
| Ex-showroom budget | Where to look |
|---|---|
| ₹5.3–6.3 lakh | Aeris Smart petrol, or Smart CNG if the kilometres are there |
| ₹6.7–7.5 lakh | Aeris Pure petrol AMT or Pure+, plus an Aura and a mid Dzire |
| ₹8–9 lakh | Aeris Creative or Accomplished petrol, upper Dzire, mid Amaze. Drive all three |
| ₹9.5–10 lakh | Aeris CNG flagship, top Dzire, or top Amaze. The Aeris wins here only if you need gas and the full kit |
The car you buy is the one you drove. A Smart Aeris and an Accomplished Aeris are not the same product.
What to do in one visit#
- Drive the Aeris AMT and the Amaze CVT on the same route, including a crawl.
- Open the CNG boot if gas is the plan, and write down the litres claimed.
- Count airbags and stability control on the rival’s exact variant, not on the homepage.
- Take on-road quotes for two Aeris trims and one rival, same day.
- Save the quotes as PDFs. A heavy scan can be reduced with the compress PDF tool.
Aeris deliveries are scheduled from 11 October 2026. A rival that is in stock this week can be the better buy if your Aeris colour and gearbox are an open-ended wait, especially while an introductory price might expire.
FAQ#
Is the Aeris cheaper than the Dzire?#
At the bottom, yes. Smart petrol is ₹5.29 lakh. Autocar India placed the Dzire from about ₹6.31 lakh. The ranges overlap once you add an AMT and a higher Aeris trim.
Which boot is bigger?#
On petrol, Aeris (419 litres), then Amaze (416), Aura (402), and Dzire (382). CNG boot space on the Aeris is reported as either 419 litres or about 227 litres. Check the car.
Which automatic is smoother?#
The Amaze CVT. The Aeris, Dzire, and Aura automatics are AMTs. Drive the two you are actually choosing between.
Does the Aeris have ADAS?#
Launch reports do not list it. They do list six standard airbags, ESP, and a 360-degree camera with a dashcam on the relevant trims. The Amaze is the ADAS car in this set.
Can a fleet buy the Aeris?#
Tata is keeping it for personal buyers. Fleet sales continue on the Xpres, based on the Tigor.
Bottom line#
The Aeris changes the shortlist because it is cheaper to enter, every version has six airbags, and the petrol boot is the largest of the four. The Dzire is the low-drama long-term car. The Amaze is the one to buy for a CVT and for ADAS. The Aura is the feature-led car under the Aeris flagship price.
Under ₹7.5 lakh ex-showroom, start with an Aeris Pure if you want an automatic or factory CNG. Around ₹9 lakh, drive the Amaze before you tick Accomplished.