I currently own a 2018 Honda City VX Petrol Manual and am considering upgrading to a luxury sedan only. I'm interested in models like the Toyota Camry, Audi A4, and similar options. While the Camry appeals to me, I have concerns about its road presence and cabin noise levels. Given the recent GST reductions and speculation about potential price increases next year, I'm uncertain whether to purchase now or wait. Could you provide guidance on whether to buy this year or wait, and recommend suitable luxury sedan options?

autocar.india

•2d

Ground clearance is a valid concern, but we don't think it should be a deal-breaker. The new Toyota Camry has a quoted 145mm ground clearance, which doesn't sound like much on paper. However, in our road test, we found that it cleared most speed breakers without scraping, and its suspension does an excellent job of absorbing sharp potholes and broken roads.That said, you'll still need to exercise some caution on Bengaluru's larger speed breakers and deep potholes, particularly when the car is fully loaded. Approaching such obstacles at an angle and at low speeds will help avoid scraping the underbody.

Toyota Camry

autocar.india

•1h

Pick the Kushaq 1.0, ideally the automatic, for your 80% city use. It’s smaller to place than the cars you find bulky, the motor wakes up early in the revs so it pulls cleanly from low speeds, and the automatic is smoother in crawl-stop traffic than the bigger engine’s DSG. You won’t miss performance in town; gaps are easy, and it cruises at 100-110 without stress. The 1.5 is lovely on open roads, but in heavy traffic, it can feel a touch fidgety at very low speeds, and you’ll pay more for performance you’ll rarely use.One honest trade-off with the 1.0 is that you will hear and feel a bit more thrum at idle, and with five on board on a steep flyover, it may need a downshift. If you do frequent long highway runs with a full load, the 1.5 is a worthwhile upgrade.About the AC: early Kushaqs were iffy, but the updated car’s system is now up to the job. It cools the cabin quickly, rear vents help, and in our AC torture test, it was no longer a worry.

Skoda Kushaq

autocar.india

•4h

We don't think you should replace your 2025 Creta because of concerns around ethanol blending. Your car is E20 compliant, and while there has been plenty of discussion around E25, E27 and even E30 fuels, there is currently no official roadmap confirming such a transition. Even if higher ethanol blends are introduced in the future, the impact on a modern E20-compliant car is expected to be limited. Manufacturers typically engineer a degree of tolerance into their E20-compatible engines, so occasional exposure to slightly higher ethanol blends is unlikely to cause any immediate issues. Over a very long period, the most likely effects would be a small drop in fuel efficiency and slightly accelerated wear of certain fuel-system components, not a major reliability concern.With an annual running of just 4,000-5,000km, neither an EV nor a CNG car makes much financial sense. It would take a very long time to recover the additional cost through lower running costs. Similarly, a diesel isn't the right fit for your predominantly city usage.

Hyundai Creta