I am retired and plan to buy an EV primarily for limited daily use in the city. My budget is around ₹35 lakh (ex-showroom). I am considering the Mahindra XEV 9S and would like to know whether it would be a suitable choice for my requirements. If yes, could you please suggest which variant would make the most sense in terms of comfort, features, ease of ownership, and value for money?

Autocar India

•5h

For a daily 100 km run in Delhi traffic and heat, the Tata Nexon EV 45kWh suits your usage best among these three options. It has enough real range to finish the day with plenty left, so jams won’t stress you. It can also be conveniently charged overnight on a home wall box, and Tata’s service and public charger presence is good in NCR.It also feels easy to drive in tight streets, rides bumps well, and is more affordable than the BYD. Two things to note: highway trips still need a bit of planning for fast chargers. If you'd like a bit more range, then consider the Tata Curvv EV, which now only comes in the 55kWh variant.If you want more cabin space, stronger highway performance, and fewer charging stops through the week, then the BYD Atto 3 is the upgrade option, though it comes at a significantly higher price.Overall, for your 100 km daily city use, the Nexon EV 45kWh lines up best.

Tata Nexon EV

Tata Curvv EV

BYD Atto 3

Autocar India

•20h

The new Duster DCT Evolution is actually a strong city plus highway package, and the fact that it uses a wet clutch DCT is a key advantage. Unlike dry clutch DCTs, wet clutch systems run the clutches in oil for cooling, which makes them smoother at crawling speeds, better at handling heat and generally more tolerant of heavy stop go traffic. So if your concern is city usability, this is far less worrying than older dry clutch DCTs.That said, it still will not be as seamless at very low speeds as a good torque converter or CVT. On the highway, though, the Duster should feel right at home because the turbo petrol and DCT combination suits open road driving very well, and the Duster has the ingredients to be an engaging driver’s SUV.Long term, the bigger question mark is not the wet clutch gearbox itself, but the fact that this is a brand new product with no long term Indian ownership data yet. Wet clutch DCTs are generally more robust than dry clutch units, but they are still mechanically complex systems, so if something does go wrong out of warranty, repairs will not be cheap. Renault’s service reach and ownership ecosystem also are not as confidence inspiring as some established rivals.If you want a more proven alternative in the same budget, the Kia Seltos HTK IVT is worth serious consideration. It falls in a similar price bracket, uses a naturally aspirated petrol with an IVT automatic that is far smoother in city traffic, and offers a much more proven long term ownership proposition. You will give up some outright performance and driver engagement compared to the Duster turbo DCT, but if reliability and fuss free city use matter more, the Seltos is the safer pick.

Renault Duster

Autocar India

•45m

Please keep in mind that any large, heavy, body-on-frame SUV will consume more fuel than a small car. You could consider the Mahindra Scorpio N diesel 4x2 version, with a manual gearbox. This is likely to be the most fuel-efficient version in the range. It uses less fuel than the petrol, automatic, and 4x4 variants, while still delivering strong performance in both city and highway driving.To maximise fuel efficiency, drive with a light throttle, use the correct gear, maintain the recommended tyre pressures, and keep a steady speed on open roads.

Mahindra Scorpio N

Autocar India

•1d

It's really hard to suggest a car without knowing a bit more about your requirements, like rear space requirements and the distance driven per month. Thus, as a good all-rounder for a small family, the Maruti Suzuki Fronx Delta Plus AMT fits your brief best. Pick this variant because it gives you the most rear-seat space and a bigger, more useful boot than the other two, so adults sit more comfortably, and you pack more for trips. It also feels light and easy to drive in traffic, and the ride is calm over rough roads, which helps passengers, especially elders or kids.Two things to note: this automatic can feel a bit slow to pick up when you press the accelerator hard, and you will miss a few fancy features that sit on higher trims. If you drive with a full load on steep hills often, you may want to try it once to see if the response suits you.If you value tough build and the best ride on broken roads above all else, the Tata Punch Accomplished AMT is the second choice. It also has a smaller footprint for tight parking and a feature-rich cabin at a price like the Hyundai Exter HX6 AMT, too. Overall, for family comfort and everyday ease, go with the Fronx Delta Plus AMT.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Tata Punch

Hyundai Exter

Autocar India

•5d

If you are waiting for the Tata Sierra EV, the good news is that it does not seem too far away. Current indications suggest a launch could happen either later this month or in June.Expect it to slot below the Tata Harrier EV in Tata’s electric line-up, likely with multiple battery pack options and a more premium positioning than the Tata Curvv EV. Tata has also indicated that both Rear Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive versions are planned, which should make it one of the more interesting mainstream electric SUVs in India.

Tata Sierra EV

Tata Harrier EV

Tata Curvv EV

Autocar India

•6d

With the kind of mileage you are already seeing from your 4th generation Honda City, I would not rush to fit a CNG kit. Around 16 kpl over 85,000 km is actually a healthy real world figure for a petrol sedan, and since the City is known for its smoothness and refinement, adding an aftermarket CNG kit will inevitably change the character of the car. Honda does not offer a factory CNG option for the City, so any retrofit will be third party, which means compromises in boot space, some loss in outright performance and the added variable of installation quality and long term reliability. Honda also recommends using fuel that meets the vehicle specifications, and aftermarket modifications can complicate warranty or support considerations on newer cars.A CNG conversion only starts making strong financial sense if your running is very high and you plan to keep the car for several more years to recover the kit cost. If your annual usage is moderate, the payback period can be longer than expected. The only real case for going CNG here is if fuel cost reduction is your absolute top priority. Otherwise, given how well your City is already performing, I would leave it as is and enjoy the refinement rather than fixing something that is not really broken.

Honda City