Mumbai

•13w

Need suggestions on buying a new car. Currently driving a Maruti Swift (2018). Need a bigger car as I am 6.4 feet tall. Driving will be 80% city traffic and 20% highway. Once every 4-5 months will take a trip around 300-500 km. Looking for front and back seat comfort seating ( 5 persons including 3 in rear seat), effortless driving and fuel efficient. Need automatic transmission only. Budget is around 12-15 lakhs. Open to electric vehicles also. Please give 3 options to choose from.

•12w

You should check the Kia Syros, which excels in space despite being a compact SUV. The high roofline means you'll be very comfortable in the cabin, and the fantastic packaging opens up space for 5 passengers to sit in comfort. The Syros is easy to drive, and the diesel-auto version is refined, smooth and fuel efficient.

You could also look at the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (or its twin from Toyota - Rumion). Its high roof will put you at ease, the middle row seat can be slid back to maximise space for passengers, while the third row adds in seating flexibility. The Ertiga is easy to drive and reasonably efficient, but the petrol engine and auto gearbox are unexciting.

Explore cars mentioned

Kia

Syros

from ₹9.73 Lakh

Maruti Suzuki

Ertiga

from ₹10.29 Lakh

Help Dr Shah with similar question

Dr Shah

1.1k Views

Best Car Under 11 Lakh: Mahindra XUV300 vs Brezza vs Grand Vitara

Answer Now

More posts on similar cars

•1d

I currently drive a Honda City CVT. My budget is Rs. 20 lakh, and I am looking to buy a 7-seater automatic car. I am 61 years old. Please suggest the best options for me.

•20h

Go for the Kia Carens Clavis petrol automatic. At Rs 20 lakh, it is the most sensible 7-seater upgrade from your Honda City CVT. The Carens is easy to drive, has a comfortable ride and a refined 1.5 turbo petrol engine. The third row is properly usable for adults, and the overall ownership experience is reliable and hassle-free. The Maruti Ertiga automatic is the other sensible option, but the Clavis feels more premium and is a better upgrade from a City. The Carens Clavis strikes the right balance between comfort, ease of driving and value for money.

Kia Carens Clavis

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

•1d

Hi, I have a budget of Rs. 60 lakh (on-road). Which car should I buy between the CLA EV and Audi A4? Should I go for an SUV like BMW X1 LWB or upcoming Audi Q3? My daily driving is a maximum of 50-60 km, and I also take road trips every 3-4 months.

•55m

We would wait for the upcoming Audi Q3, whose launch is just around the corner, before making this decision as it promises to be the most contemporary of its peers in the segment. Audi wants to make up for lost time with the new Q3 and we understand the brand is leaving no stone unturned with this new model, equipping it with the 2.0 TFSI engine and Quattro AWD. It also promises to have the brand's latest tech, as well as a long features list, to make it attractive in this competitive segment. While the A4 sedan is a good deal right now at the end of its life, it may feel a bit too dated, and the new A5 will arrive by the end of the year. As for the X1, unless you're chauffeur driven, it isn't the best choice here. As you're coming from a CLA, the new CLA EV might be a good option, as your usage could fit within the constraints of an EV, and the CLA EV has exceptional range. It will, however, push slightly past your Rs. 60 lakh (on road) budget. Either way, we would recommend waiting for the India-spec Q3 before making a call, as it could be the best fit for you.

Audi A4

Audi A5

Audi Q3

Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric

BMW X1 LWB

•19h

I'm getting a Seltos DCT delivered soon. If the turbo petrol were available with MT I would have bought that. I've heard all the stories and the do's and don'ts for dry clutch DCT. While living in India, one cannot fully avoid city traffic. My question is a bit technical. From a standstill, with the gear in D mode and autohold off, if I take my foot off the brake completely without giving any throttle input, the car rolls at 6-7kmph. In this scenario, will the clutch be slipping continuously like half clutching a manual or will it engage fully after a couple of seconds?

•1h

The Seltos DCT is a dry clutch DCT, so it does behave differently from a torque converter automatic. When you take your foot off the brake in D with auto hold off, Seltos will creep forward at low speed, but this is not the same as a torque converter automatic. At very low speeds, the clutch is partially engaged and there is some slip, similar to a manual car being feathered at low speed. Once you build a little speed and the ECU senses steady movement, the clutch will fully engage and slip will stop. So the clutch is not slipping continuously at 6-7 km/h, but it is slipping at the initial creep phase until the car is moving steadily. This is why DCTs do not like prolonged crawling in bumper-to-bumper traffic, because repeated clutch slip and heat build-up can eventually cause wear. The key is to avoid feathering the throttle at very low speeds and to let the car move in short bursts rather than holding it on the clutch. In normal city driving with sensible use, the clutch will engage fully and you will not be slipping continuously. The Seltos DCT is a good gearbox but a touch snappy from a start, but it does require a slightly different driving style compared to a torque converter automatic.

Kia Seltos

View all Posts

Cars you may like

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

₹7.40 - ₹13.55 Lakhs

Mahindra Scorpio N

₹13.69 - ₹25.49 Lakhs

Tata Tiago

₹4.70 - ₹8.55 Lakhs

Tata Tiago EV

₹6.99 - ₹9.99 Lakhs

Hyundai Exter

₹5.81 - ₹9.46 Lakhs

View all

Popular discussions right now

•1w

I want to purchase a 7-seater SUV. My options are the Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV 7XO, and Scorpio N, and I am considering installing an aftermarket CNG kit for better fuel economy. Could you please suggest which one would be better suited for CNG?

•6d

We would strongly advise against installing aftermarket CNG on any of these SUVs. All three – the Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV 7XO and Scorpio N - are large, heavy vehicles with powerful turbocharged petrol engines. Fitting CNG to such engines is not recommended, as it can lead to drivability issues, increased wear and potential reliability concerns over time. More importantly, these SUVs are not designed with CNG in mind, and the installation can compromise safety and performance.If fuel economy is a top priority, opt for their diesel versions instead. The Mahindra and Tata offer strong torque, excellent highway efficiency and are well-suited to long-distance touring. If you are set on CNG, it is better to look at smaller, naturally aspirated petrol cars that are either factory-fitted or specifically designed for CNG use.Between the three, the XUV 7XO diesel would be our recommendation. It offers a more modern package, better ride comfort and a more premium cabin than the Scorpio N, while the Safari diesel is also a strong contender if you prefer Tata's design and feature set. But CNG should not be the deciding factor here.

I currently use a Skoda Slavia Ambition 1.0 automatic since last 4 years. Now, I am thinking of switching the car but I am confused between Honda Elevate V CVT petrol and Kia Seltos HTK iVT petrol.

•3d

Given that you are coming from a Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI automatic, the Kia Seltos HTK IVT petrol is the more natural upgrade. The Seltos offers a noticeably larger and more premium cabin, better rear seat space and a more substantial feel overall. The IVT gearbox is smooth and well-suited to city driving, and the car feels like a genuine step up from the Slavia in terms of comfort and overall ownership experience.The Honda Elevate V CVT petrol is a solid and reliable choice, but it does not feel like as much of an upgrade from the Slavia. The cabin is not as spacious or as premium as the Seltos, and the overall ownership experience is more about simplicity and reliability than about feeling like a significant step up.The only caveat with the Seltos HTK is that it is not the most feature-rich variant in the lineup. If you can stretch to a higher variant, the Seltos becomes an even stronger recommendation. If not, it is still the better choice over the Elevate because it offers a more substantial upgrade from your current car.

I have a 2013 Honda City automatic, which is now 13 years old. I wish to change my car and buy the Tata Punch EV 40kWh for my use. My monthly running is low, at around 500 km. Would you suggest this car for my usage?

•3d

With a monthly running of around 500km, the financial case for an EV is not particularly strong, but the Tata Punch EV 40kWh can still make sense if you are looking for a modern, low-maintenance city car. This Tata electric car is compact, easy to drive and well-suited to urban use, and the 40kWh battery offers a healthy real-world range that should comfortably cover your monthly usage with minimal charging stops. However, at this level of running, the fuel savings over a petrol car will take a long time to offset the higher upfront cost of the EV. If you have reliable home charging and are keen on the EV ownership experience, the Punch EV is a sensible upgrade from your ageing City. If your priority is purely financial efficiency, a small petrol automatic like the Honda Amaze or Maruti Suzuki Baleno would be the more cost-effective choice.

Tata Punch EV

Honda Amaze

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

View all Posts