My car will run close to 100 km daily, with a mix of city and highway driving. I will be buying my first car, and my budget is Rs. 5-7 lakh. Should I choose a CNG car with a manual transmission? Please suggest a car, along with the most suitable fuel type and transmission, considering my usage and the need for minimal maintenance.

autocar.india

•23h

If you have CNG pumps in your area, pick the Tata Tiago CNG. At your budget, you would get a low to mid trim manual version, which should do just fine for your mix of city and highway driving. If your city drive is a lot and with heavy traffic, consider upping your budget for the automatic version. As for the car, the Tiago makes for a very good first buy, its small dimensions are easy to manage, and the clutch and steering are both light and easy to use. The engine is not refined, but its performance is decent enough when driven at a relaxed and normal pace.You can also consider the Maruti Celerio CNG; it too makes for a good first buy with easy controls and tight dimensions, but it loses boot space as it comes with a single large CNG tank and spare inside the boot, unlike the Tiago, which has the spare wheel and a dual tank setup below the boot floor. If it's a petrol only that you want, then the Celerio is the better option, as it has a more refined engine and will be more fuel efficient too.

Tata Tiago

Maruti Suzuki Celerio

autocar.india

•3d

Pick the Maruti Suzuki Celerio. For a sub-10 km city commute and the odd road trip, it offers the best mix of mileage, simple upkeep, and an easy drive while staying within your Rs. 7 lakh budget. It fits four adults comfortably, and the boot can take weekend bags. Maruti’s service network is everywhere, and parts are cheap, so long-term costs stay low.Given your short daily runs, a small petrol hatch makes more sense than a diesel or an electric car. The Celerio’s light controls and tight size make traffic and parking stress-free. At highway speeds, it can feel a bit light, so it's advisable to keep a relaxed pace on trips. If you want a sturdier feel and stronger crash rating, the Tata Tiago is worth a look.

Maruti Suzuki Celerio

Tata Tiago

autocar.india

•1h

Switching to an EV is worth it if you can charge where you park and most of your driving is in the city. As a first-time EV user you will find them very easy to live with because they are smooth, quiet, and far cheaper per km than petrol, and routine upkeep is lighter too. If you drive a fair bit each month and plan to keep the vehicle for a few years, the higher price up front usually pays back through fuel and service savings.The catches are long trips and charging. Long highway journeys need planning around public chargers, which are currently still quite few, can be busy or offline, and charging still takes longer than a fuel stop. If you live in an apartment where installing a socket is not allowed, keeping your vehicle charged regularly will become a huge inconvenience. Also check your electricity tariff, because very high rates can eat into savings, and resale values for EVs are currently relatively low.To summarise, if your usage is mostly in the city, and you can charge the vehicle at home or at your place of work, then an EV is feasible as your only car.