I live in New Delhi and currently own a Honda Elevate (2023). My daily city commute is around 100 km. I want to buy an EV and have shortlisted the Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella and the Hyundai Creta Electric. Please suggest which one would be better, especially in terms of air conditioning, as Delhi gets extremely hot in the summer. Most of my driving is in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Autocar India

•8h

Since your priority is a good ride for your EV, pick the Hyundai Creta Electric. The suspension is stiffer than the ICE version’s to support the extra weight, but remarkably, it doesn’t translate into a crashy or uncomfortable ride experience. You can feel some firmness at low speeds, but road shocks are still well in check, and what’s nice is that the stiffness has eliminated unnecessary (secondary) body movements, and even at highway speeds, the Creta Electric doesn’t lose its composure. If a pure cushy feel is your only goal, then the Citroen eC3 rides even softer, but it’s smaller, slower and not as settled at higher speeds as the Creta. As for your ICE vehicle, we would recommend you look at the Mahindra XUV 3XO, which offers very good damping, so it stays composed on craters and doesn’t float when you’re quick over bad patches. Steering and stability inspire more confidence than most small SUVs in this price. The trade-off is size - cabin and boot are smaller than your Creta.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Citroen eC3

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Autocar India

•1d

Its hard to recommend a car without knowing a few of your specific requirements like rear seat space, who will drive, city of highway use etc. However as an all-rounder go for the Hyundai Creta EV. Under Rs. 26 lakh, it gives you the most balanced mix of real-world range, everyday comfort and space, lots of features and a wide service footprint. It fits city life well with its easy size and smooth drive, and still does weekend highway runs without stress. The larger 51kWh battery will give you a real world range just over 400kms and if your driving is not a lot each day, you could even opt for the lower battery size model which would give you a real world range of about 250 to 300kms.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Autocar India

•5h

Between the two, we would recommend the Skoda Kylaq Signature MT. The reason is simple. As a first car, the Kylaq feels like the more complete package. It offers a higher seating position, better ground clearance, more cabin space and a more comfortable ride, all of which will be appreciated when travelling with family and on long drives. The 1.0 TSI turbo petrol also has plenty of performance and feels effortless on highways.The Hyundai i20 N Line N6 MT is the more fun car to drive. The steering is sharper, the handling is more engaging, and it feels sportier overall. If you are an enthusiast who enjoys driving for the sake of driving, the N Line has a lot of appeal. However, the stiffer suspension that makes it enjoyable on a twisty road also means it is not quite as comfortable as the Kylaq on rough Indian roads.From a long-term ownership perspective, the running costs between the two should be broadly similar. Hyundai may have a slight edge in terms of service network reach and resale value, but the Kylaq counters with better practicality and versatility.

Skoda Kylaq

Hyundai i20