Latest questions answered by experts

Dear Autocar Team, I am looking to replace our household’s trusty Maruti Suzuki Swift AMT model. This vehicle serves strictly as our secondary car, and its duties are entirely urban: daily school runs, grocery trips, and the occasional trek across the city. It will not see any highway use. Given that city traffic is notorious for tanking the fuel efficiency of petrol cars, I am wondering if shifting to an EV makes sense. I have been looking closely at the Tata Punch EV as a potential replacement. Could you please advise on the following: 1. For an exclusively urban, low-to-medium mileage use-case, is an EV truly recommended over traditional ICE automatic models, and will it be economically viable in the long run? 2. How does the Punch EV fare as a pure city commuter in terms of real-world range, ease of driving in traffic, and long-term reliability? Are there specific variants you recommend? 3. Are there any other petrol, automatic or EV alternatives in this segment that I should consider before making my decision?

•7m

Yes, switch to an EV if you have a fixed parking spot where you can install a home charger - for a pure city, second car, the Tata Punch EV fits best. Stop-go traffic is where EVs save the most, and with low maintenance and cheap electricity, the math works out over a few years. If you cannot charge at home, skip the EV idea.As a city commuter, the Punch EV is easy. Light steering, smooth creep, strong regen that lets you use the brake less, and ground clearance for bad roads. In real use, the Medium Range handles a typical week of school runs and errands on a single charge; the Long Range provides more buffer if others in the family do longer loops. Tata’s EVs have held up well so far, and support is wide. For variants, pick the Medium Range if your daily running is short and you can top up at home; choose the Long Range only if you want to charge less often. The 7.2 kW home charger is nice to have, not a must-have.Also, look at the Tata Tiago EV for a lower price, and the MG Comet if you want something compact. If you stay petrol, the Hyundai i20 IVT or Amaze CVT automatics are the easiest city alternatives.

I am planning to buy a car for mostly driving on highways, but I live in a Tier 3 city. Now, I am confused between the Creta SX summer edition and the Kushaq Sportline. I am confused because the Skoda service centre is 200km from my city, and the Hyundai service centre is available in my city. Please suggest which one I should get.

•1h

Get the Creta SX Summer Edition, because with Hyundai service in your city and Skoda 200 km away, ownership will be far easier and less stressful where you live. You’ll be on highways a lot, and the Creta is calm at speed, comfy over bad patches, and quieter, so long trips feel easy. In a tier 3 city, Hyundai’s network, parts availability, and faster roadside help matter more than people admit, and every small fix won’t become a 400 km chore.Now, if pure driving feel is your top priority, the Kushaq Sportline is the better driver’s car. Its turbo petrol engines are more eager, and it feels tighter and more confident when you push. But that service gap is real. Routine visits, warranty checks or an unexpected fault will cost you time and peace of mind, especially on highway trips.So pick the Creta for hassle-free ownership, steady highway comfort and support close to home.

Hyundai Creta

Skoda Kushaq

•10h

I have to buy a car. So, I have shortlisted a few options: Sonet vs Syros vs Kylaq vs Xuv 3xo vs Tekton vs Seltos vs Clavis. My budget is under 13 lakh.

•2h

The on-road price of the base Clavis HTE petrol might be a bit more than Rs 13 lakhs. However, as a family car, it beats all the other options. It is more spacious and gives you the flexibility of a third row of seats, which you can also fold down and make use of a huge boot space. Purely as a sensible, practical option, it is hard to beat the Clavis' proposition.Alternatively, Syros is an excellent, well-packaged car that's surprisingly spacious despite its sub-4-metre footprint. While its design isn't universally appealing, if you don't mind its styling, this is an excellent choice. You will get a well-equipped HTK+ turbo-petrol manual version.The Seltos and Tekton belong to a segment above and are larger cars. Only their entry-level variants will fall within your Rs 13 lakh budget. So you need to decide whether you need a seven-seater, a well-equipped sub-4-meter car, or an entry-level five-seater mid-size SUV from a segment above.

I am planning to buy a new 2026 Innova Crysta VX model. My average running will be around 25,000 km per year, and I want to keep the car for the next 7-8 years. Should I go for it? Will diesel cars remain a good choice in 2032?

•3h

Yes, go for the Toyota Innova Crysta VX diesel if you will do 25,000 km a year and keep it for 7-8 years. High yearly running suits the diesel well, so your fuel cost per km stays low, and this Toyota’s ladder-frame build and 2.4 diesel are proven to run trouble free well past 2 lakh km. This Toyota car is also the most comfortable way to carry family and luggage long distances, with a strong chassis and tough suspension that can take a beating, and Toyota service and resale are strong, which matters when you exit around year 8.One thing to keep in mind is policy. Diesel is unlikely to vanish by 2032, and fuel and service support will remain, but rules may tighten in big cities. If you are in Delhi-NCR, there is a 10-year cap on diesel ownership. Also, if most of your use is short, stop-start city trips, any modern diesel’s DPF can need extra attention. With your usage, however, it would seem that regular highway runs to regenerate the DPF are not out of the question.

Toyota Innova Crysta

•11h

I am planning to buy a petrol car under a Rs 10 lakh budget. Since a 20% blend is being introduced, I would like to know if this will cause any damage in the long run, and whether I should opt for a diesel, CNG, or EV? Please guide me. Thank you.

•4h

If you don't mind the long queues at the CNG filling station, opting for a CNG car will be a very economical option. Within your Rs 10 lakh budget, you could consider a Hyundai Exter CNG. Its engine is smooth, refined and very efficient. The clutch and gearbox are light, and overall the car is very user-friendly. Furthermore, with its twin-tank setup (placed beneath the floor), boot space is quite respectable.Alternatively, you could consider a Maruti Suzuki Dzire CNG, a spacious and comfortable family car.

Hyundai Exter

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

•12h

I'm interested in buying the Hyundai Creta base model. My monthly usage is around 2,500 km. What is your advice?

•4h

Since you're on a tight budget, the Hyundai Creta base E variant is quite good. It packs in all the safety features, and all the bare essentials, making it good value for money. Its petrol engine is smooth and refined, and its light clutch, steering and gearbox make it very easy-to-drive. Overall, the Creta is a car you can't go wrong with.Do keep in mind that the Creta is due for a generation change, and the new version will be launched early 2027. The new car will be a bit larger in size, will look completely different, and is likely to have more equipement too. So that could be worth waiting for.Alternatively, you could consider the Kia Seltos HTE, which is priced similar to the base Creta, it shares its powertrain with the Hyundai, but feels a lot more modern and more spacious in comparison.

Hyundai Creta

Kia Seltos