I currently drive a Baleno and want to upgrade to a safer, more comfortable car. My budget is around ₹30 lakh. I need low maintenance and excellent ride quality. Monthly running is about 1,800 km (mostly city) with 1–2 long drives a year. I’m open to EVs - I test-drove the Harrier EV and liked it, but I’m concerned about body roll and Tata-related issues. Which cars offer comfort and suspension at par with or better than the Harrier EV?

autocar.india

•57m

Given your budget of Rs 11-14 lakh, your 80% city usage, and the fact that you are moving between Gurgaon, Bengaluru and Mumbai, the Mahindra XUV 3XO is the best fit. This Mahindra car is one of the most spacious compact SUVs, has a wide cabin that makes it a genuinely comfortable five-seater for those occasional family trips, and it is also one of the safest cars in the segment. The 3XO also rides well over bad roads and feels sturdy enough to handle the kind of urban driving conditions you are describing. It also comes well equipped with cruise control, a rear parking camera and a good feature set even in the mid variants, so you are not forced to stretch your budget for essentials.If you want something slightly more premium and are willing to compromise a bit on rear seat space, the Skoda Kylaq is a good alternative. It is a more engaging car to drive, has a solid build and also rides well over bad roads, but it is not as spacious at the rear as the 3XO. The Maruti Suzuki Brezza is another option if you want the lowest running costs and the widest service network, but it does not feel as premium or as feature-rich as the Mahindra or the Skoda.Overall, the XUV 3XO strikes the best balance between space, safety, ride comfort and features within your budget.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Skoda Kylaq

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

autocar.india

•1h

No, you should not assume that the clutch fully locks after a couple of seconds. In the Seltos 7-speed dry-clutch DCT, when you release the brake in D on a flat road without applying the accelerator, the car’s creep function can involve some clutch slip to allow the engine to idle while moving the car at a very low road speed. However, it is not accurate to describe this as the equivalent of continuously holding a manual car at half-clutch. The transmission control unit constantly varies clutch pressure and engine torque, so the amount of slip changes with speed and conditions. The important point is that 6-7kmph does not necessarily mean the clutch is fully locked, and there is no documented Kia threshold, such as 10kmph at which it definitely locks. This normal idle creep is something the DCT is designed to handle and is not something you need to worry about during ordinary driving. What you should avoid is prolonged bumper-to-bumper crawling, repeatedly inching forward on the clutch, or using the accelerator to hold the car on an incline, as these conditions increase clutch slip and heat. In slow traffic, it is better to leave a little more gap, allow the car to move when there is sufficient space, accelerate smoothly when required, and come to a proper stop when traffic stops. The bigger enemy of a dry DCT is sustained low-speed clutch slipping and heat, not the occasional creep that occurs automatically when you release the brake.

Kia Seltos

autocar.india

•2h

With a budget of Rs 13 lakh, a 5-member family and 1,200 km a month, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza is a sensible option. This Maruti Suzuki car offers good mileage on petrol and CNG, is safe and has the features you want. There is also a decent amount of space for your family of 5, and with the CNG tank mounted underneath the car, the boot is also free of intrusions. There is no spare tyre, though. If you would like more space, the Ertiga CNG is an alternative. It would stretch your budget just a bit, but you would have very comfy seating for five plus two in the third row. The CNG kit is factory-fitted and well-integrated, so you get the fuel savings without compromising reliability or warranty. It is also one of the most practical CNG cars on the market, with Maruti's service reach and low running costs. The only drawback is that the Ertiga CNG does not come with a sunroof, and the boot space is limited with the third row up.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga