Latest questions answered by experts

autocar.india

•1h

Since you're coming from a Creta IVT, it's understandable that you're looking for something that feels more engaging to drive while still keeping the family happy.The Skoda Kushaq remains the driver's choice in this segment. It has the sharpest steering, excellent body control and feels the most rewarding to drive. If outright driving pleasure is your top priority, it is still hard to beat.However, based on your requirements, we'd recommend the Renault Duster. In our comparison, it struck an excellent balance between ride comfort and handling. It feels composed and confidence-inspiring on a twisty road, yet its suspension is more forgiving over broken surfaces, making it a better fit for family use without sacrificing too much driver involvement.That said, we'd strongly recommend taking a test drive before making your final decision. No matter how good a car looks on paper, it's important that both you and your family experience it first-hand and make sure it feels right for your needs.

Hyundai Creta

Skoda Kushaq

Renault Duster

autocar.india

•2h

Without knowing your annual running, it's difficult to recommend the ideal fuel type. However, for a mix of 50% city driving, 50% open roads and occasional trips to the hills, we'd lean towards a strong hybrid or a refined petrol automatic.Our top recommendation would be the Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid. It fits within your ₹20-25 lakh budget, offers excellent fuel efficiency in city traffic, is smooth and refined to drive, and remains comfortable on long highway journeys. It also has a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating, making it a very well-rounded family SUV.If you'd rather have a conventional petrol SUV, we'd recommend the Kia Seltos Petrol IVT. It offers a refined naturally aspirated petrol engine, a smooth IVT automatic, a premium cabin and a comfortable ride. It is equally at ease in city traffic, on the highway and during occasional hill drives.If you enjoy driving and don't mind slightly higher running costs, the Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI Automatic is another excellent option. Its new 8-speed torque-converter automatic is smooth in traffic, while the turbo-petrol engine performs well on highways and in the hills.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kushaq

autocar.india

•4h

Unfortunately, there are no new automatic cars that are not AMTs in that price range, and the closest you will get are the Honda Amaze or Hyundai i20, both of which use CVTs and cost around Rs 10 lakh on road. If the budget can be stretched to that much, they are both excellent options, albeit capped at low to medium variants because of your budget.Look at the same two cars; a pre-owned example and a 3-4-year-old one should fall within your budget. The CVTs' smooth shifts will make Bangalore’s bumper-to-bumper traffic a breeze, and you’ll find clean, low-mileage cars within Rs 8 lakh. They are both compact to park, with light controls, and service is not pricey, which helps a first-time owner.If he prefers a small SUV shape, look at a Nissan Magnite automatic or Renault Kiger turbo-petrol automatic. Both use a smooth auto, ride well on bad roads, and have good ground clearance for speed breakers. If you're willing to look at 5-year-old-plus cars that are in good condition, you could even get a midsize SUV or sedan. Whichever you pick, insist on full service records, get an independent inspection, and budget a little for fresh tyres and fluids so the first year is headache-free.

Honda Amaze

Hyundai i20

Nissan Magnite

Renault Kiger

autocar.india

•5h

This is a tricky one because your monthly running is expected to reduce significantly, and that changes the ideal choice of fuel.If you continue to cover around 3,100km a month, we'd recommend the Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG. It will offer the lowest running costs, and with the facelift expected to launch in July, it may be worth waiting for the updated model. If you don't want the inconvenience of refuelling at CNG stations, the Hyundai Venue Diesel Manual would be our alternative. Your current running is high enough to justify a diesel, and it should prove to be efficient and economical over the long term.However, if your running settles at around 800-1,000km a month, we'd move away from diesel or CNG and recommend a petrol SUV instead. In that case, the Skoda Kylaq Petrol Automatic would be an excellent choice. It offers a refined turbo-petrol engine, a smooth torque-converter automatic, excellent driving manners and is well suited to lower annual running.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Hyundai Venue

Skoda Kylaq

autocar.india

•5h

Pick the Tata Punch EV, provided you can install a home charger for the car too, because at 1500 km a month, your running cost drops sharply and you sidestep any E30 or diesel drama. It is small enough for Jaipur’s traffic and tight parking, but feels tough over broken roads. Coming from an Ather bike, the EV basics will feel natural - smooth drive, strong energy recovery in traffic, and no heat or clutch fatigue after long days. Real-world range is enough for typical city routes; most owners charge every few days rather than nightly. If your company pays a flat per-km rate, the low electricity bill means more money left in your pocket. Just make sure you have a dedicated parking spot with a reliable socket, and think about your longest single-day route. Summer AC and expressway speeds will trim range, and fast chargers outside city limits in Rajasthan are still spaced out, so plan ahead for outstation calls. Tata’s software and service can be a bit inconsistent, though it has improved. If those boxes are ticked, the Punch EV fits your use better than any petrol or diesel right now.

Tata Punch EV