Latest questions answered by experts

Autocar India

•54m

Between the two Tata cars that you've shortlisted, go for the Sierra. Considering you will be using the SUV in the city, it's relatively more compact and easier to drive, with lighter controls, yet doesn't give up too much in terms of space. It also has more features than the Harrier, including a three-screen setup on the dashboard in top trims. Both cars have 5-star crash test ratings from Bharat NCAP, since safety is a concern for you. The Sierra also has an edge on comfort, with the softer, more compliant suspension setup, while the Harrier feels firm, comparatively.However, being large and heavy SUVs, neither is particularly good on fuel economy, especially if you drive mostly in the city. Tata's new 1.5-litre petrol engine feels smooth and powerful in both SUVs, but in our real-world tests, returned poor figures in the Sierra. The diesel might be the better choice if fuel economy is a criterion, though beware of the additional maintenance required, such as DPF regeneration.With mostly metro-city use at 25-30 km a day and rare highway runs, a strong-hybrid like the Maruti Suzuki Victoris might make more sense. It uses far less fuel in stop-go traffic, it is very quiet and smooth at low speeds, and it is easier to park than bigger SUVs. Coming from a Honda City, you will like how calm and smooth it feels, and the ride is comfortable over broken roads. Moreover, it too has received a 5-star crash test rating from Bharat NCAP. The trade-off is space, which isn't as much as you'll find in the Harrier or Sierra, and performance, which compared to the turbo-petrol engine, isn't as strong. For your usage though, we would recommend the Victoris strong hybrid.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Tata Harrier

Tata Sierra

Autocar India

•1h

At your budget, there aren't many hybrid options. You could consider the Maruti Suzuki Victoris, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara or its sister model the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. The top variants of all these cars would come at ₹20 lakh (on road) mark. There's really not much difference between the Grand Vitara and Hyryder, so pick the one that you prefer in terms of style or on which one you are getting a better deal. If you want a few more features, opt for the Victoris as you would get features like a larger touchscreen and instrument panel, a branded audio system and level-2 ADAS. However, do bear in mind that rear headroom is a bit tighter in the Victoris. Technically, it shares its platform and powertrain with the other two hybrids, so it is also powered by the 1.5 litre 3 cylinder petrol hybrid unit.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Autocar India

•1h

Go for the Skoda Kylaq Signature. For your usage, it is simply the most sensible long term choice as your running is quite limited, so a petrol makes far more sense than a diesel today, especially with mostly city driving in Delhi. The Kylaq gives you a more premium and involving driving experience than the Tata Punch CNG AMT, with a smoother petrol engine, better highway manners and a cabin that feels more solid and mature overall. It will also feel more comfortable and refined on longer trips, while still being compact enough for daily city use.The Punch CNG AMT is definitely the cheaper to run option and it is rugged enough for bad roads, but compared to the Kylaq, it does not feel as polished, as engaging to drive or as premium inside. The Mahindra XUV 3XO diesel, meanwhile, is not the right fit for your usage because modern BS6 diesels and your kind of low city running can lead to DPF related issues over time, especially without regular long highway runs.

Skoda Kylaq

Tata Punch

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Autocar India

•2h

You do not need to worry too much about E20 or future ethanol blends while buying a new petrol car today, especially if you are planning to keep it for 10 to 12 years. All modern petrol cars from major manufacturers, including the Kia Seltos, Citroen Basalt and Honda Elevate, are already designed to run on E20 fuel. More importantly, cars that are only E20 compatible cannot run on E85 or higher ethanol blends, because those require dedicated flex fuel engines with significant changes to the fuel system and engine calibration. This means fuel companies and the government will still have to continue supplying E20 compatible fuel alongside any future higher ethanol blends for flex fuel vehicles.For your usage, the Kia Seltos IVT is the best all round choice. Since most of your driving is in the city, the naturally aspirated petrol with the IVT automatic will feel extremely smooth and effortless in traffic, while the cabin feels genuinely premium and well insulated for long term ownership. It also strikes a very good balance between comfort, features and ease of driving, which is exactly what matters in a car you plan to keep for over a decade.The Citroen Basalt is the alternative if you are more budget conscious and want maximum practicality. It offers massive boot space, excellent rear seat room and a very comfortable ride, making it a superb family car for the money. However, it does not feel as polished, premium or as refined overall as the Seltos, especially inside the cabin and in terms of overall ownership experience. The Honda Elevate CVT sits somewhere in the middle with Honda’s strong reliability reputation and easygoing nature, but it feels less feature rich and not as plush inside as the Kia.

Honda Elevate

Kia Seltos

Citroen Basalt

Autocar India

•2h

Bajaj has no intentions of selling the single-cylinder Triumph bikes with 398cc engines in India, and all of the six models come with downsized 349cc motors. However, in two of them (Tracker and Thruxton), the engine makes more peak output, and if you want the maximum performance from an affordable Bajaj-made Triumph. So, we'd recommend choosing between these two. Since you've mentioned you like the Scrambler 400 XC, the Tracker will be a similar machine in terms of ergonomics and comfort. Although, you will lose some off-road capability as a trade-off for better street manners. Your only option if you want to buy a 398cc Triumph Scrambler 400 XC today is to ask your nearby dealers if they have some leftover stock or scour the used market for one.