Latest questions answered by experts

Autocar India

•1h

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is one of the most sorted single-cylinder adventure bikes on sale, and aside from its portly kerb weight and large size, there are few drawbacks with this machine. It has excellent seating and ride comfort, a grunty engine, a plethora of official accessories, and RE's service network is one of the widest in the country. If you can make your peace with its size, the Himalayan is a hard machine to fault realistically, for most use cases.Today, KTM India will sell you a 390 Adventure with both 349cc and 399cc engines, and the price difference between the most affordable and most expensive model is over Rs 1 lakh. The 350cc 390 Adventure is a capable long-distance machine, and you won't miss the drop in outright peak power too much, especially if this is your first 300cc+ machine. The 399cc models are, of course, packing in better performance, and the higher variants even come with more adjustable and longer travel suspension. Owing to its lighter weight, the KTM is more lively than the RE in the twisties and is also easier to manage at slower speeds inside the city. Do bear in mind that no matter which version of the 390 Adventure you choose, you'll have to make your peace with some amount of vibration because these aren't the most refined bikes in today's market. Coming to the Norton Atlas adventure models, with their 585cc, twin-cylinder motors. These bikes are sure to be in a different segment when compared to the single-cylinder 350-400cc machines listed above. No realistic comparison between them would be a fair or straightforward one, and it's better to cross-shop the Atlas with the Honda NX500, Kawasaki Versys 650 and BMW F 450 GS - if at all. We're yet to ride and evaluate the Norton Atlas models, and even if they launch this year, it would be a wise move to wait at least 6 months - if not more - before investing in a brand-new platform from a new brand which has yet to establish a comprehensive presence in the Indian market.

Autocar India

•1h

The 350cc Triumph Speed 400 may not have the outright performance it once used to have, and is certainly slower than the Guerrilla 450 now, but even so, it remains a comfortable machine with sprightly performance and its refinement should also see a small improvement. However, if you don't have a Triumph dealer near you, opting for one wouldn't be the wisest thing to do.Yes, the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is more expensive than the Speed 400 and doesn't have traction control, but unless you are a very inexperienced rider or ride through bad patches of road extensively, you are realistically unlikely to miss this feature. The Guerrilla is definitely the more engaging and sportier machine of the two, and for the small price increment it commands over the Speed, the added oomph is well worth it.Take test rides of both to see which one suits you better and then make your decision. If you don't have a Triumph service centre near you, ask the dealership if someone will visit your residence/office to service the bike and make sure to opt for the roadside assistance.

Autocar India

•2h

Buy the Tata Punch EV 40kWh. Your 350 km Vijayawada runs are the decider. The Punch’s bigger battery needs just one quick fast-charge on the way, while the Tiago EV would likely need two and will feel a bit more out of breath at highway speeds. For a 64 km daily commute, the Punch lets you charge less often at home and its extra ground clearance and space make life easier in traffic, rain and weekend trips.Whichever you choose, check DC fast chargers along your path. With the Punch, one 40-60 minute top-up en route is usually enough; with the Tiago EV, plan two shorter stops. If you have home parking for overnight charging, the Punch EV is the smoother all-rounder for you.

Tata Punch EV

Tata Tiago EV

Autocar India

•3h

In that price bracket, your other 6-7-seater options are Renault Triber and Nissan Gravite. These offerings are surprisingly spacious and practical, and since your usage is limited to the city, they will feel very user-friendly, with their light controls and relatively compact dimensions.Alternatively, you could consider a Citroen Aircross. Being a rare sight on our roads and having proper SUV credentials, it delivers in terms of road presence. However, its third row is not as spacious as other seven-seaters listed, and you will have to stretch your budget by a few lakhs to get this, since the seven-seater is available with the more powerful turbo-petrol engine.Taking all things into consideration, we'd urge you to reconsider and opt for the 1.5 petrol Kia Carens or Maruti Ertiga if you want a comfortable seven-seater.

Renault Triber

Nissan Gravite

Citroen Aircross

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Kia Carens

Autocar India

•4h

Sedans absolutely make sense. Road quality in most cities has improved enough that a modern sedan’s clearance handles regular bumps and broken patches fine. You'd buy an SUV mainly for the road presence and higher seating position, and these days, very few offer AWD or specialised off-road hardware. If your daily commute has absolutely broken roads, steep speed breakers or is prone to flooding, that extra 10-20mm of ground clearance will help. Or if you have elderly passengers for whom getting into and out of a sedan is difficult. If not, you are paying Rs 3-4 lakh more for the feel-good factor rather than any tangible benefit.Pick the Hyundai Verna IVT. For your mostly urban Indian driving and on a Rs 20 lakh budget, it is smoother to drive, easier to live with, and cheaper to run. The automatic is smooth in traffic, the ride is comfortable, and there is no long-term worry around heat-and-traffic wear that the Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 with its quick but complex gearbox can throw up. The Virtus is the driver’s car here - stronger on highways and more fun in corners - but it can stretch past your budget on-road, and repairs aren’t cheap if things go wrong.

Hyundai Verna

Volkswagen Virtus