Which electric car should I buy under Rs. 17 lakh for a daily commute of 50-80 km: the Tata Nexon EV Fearless 45, Maruti Suzuki e Vitara base model, MG Windsor EV, Tata Punch EV, or any other better 5-seater EV option?

autocar.india

•8h

A crash in which the Ciaz suffered damage while the Slavia apparently came away without a visible mark can understandably make you question the car’s safety, but the extent of visible damage alone does not tell you which car is safer. More importantly, your 2023 Ciaz has already covered 60,000km, so the decision should be based on its structural condition, repair quality and your future usage rather than the accident itself.There is one reason to take the safety concern seriously. The Ciaz is an old design and a recent Global NCAP test gave it one star for adult occupant protection, with the bodyshell rated unstable. So if improved crash protection is your primary reason for changing cars, moving to a newer, independently crash tested model would be justified.

Skoda Slavia

autocar.india

•8h

Your thinking is absolutely on the right track. Given your usage of less than 10,000 km a year, predominantly city driving with all six on board, and the fact that your family is on the shorter side, the Renault Triber Turbo is actually a very sensible choice. It is compact, easy to park and manoeuvre in the city, and the turbo petrol engine gives it enough punch for occasional highway runs. The sliding second row and flexible seating make it genuinely usable as a six-seater for shorter adults, and it will be far easier to live with in tight parking situations than something like a Clavis or HyCross.The Clavis and HyCross are excellent cars, but they are significantly larger and more expensive, and given your usage pattern, you are unlikely to see the value in that extra spend. Keeping the i20 diesel for highway runs with four people is also a smart move, as it is more comfortable and efficient for longer journeys.

Renault Triber

Kia Carens Clavis

Toyota Innova HyCross

Hyundai i20

autocar.india

•9h

With just around 7,000km a year, mostly in the city, a simple petrol car makes much more sense than a diesel. Since you have already driven the Brezza and found it smooth and easy to drive, it would be my first choice. The new 1.0 litre Booster jet is refined, has good low speed tractability and is more than adequate for your occasional highway trips. We also found it impressively efficient, with the onboard computer showing 11 to 14kpl even during hard driving.One important point, though: the new Brezza 1.0 Turbo is manual only. If you are looking for an automatic, the 1.5 litre petrol is still the only Brezza powertrain with an automatic, and that pushes the price beyond your Rs. 10 lakh budget.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza