I am planning to buy an EV primarily for city use as a self-driver. My app runs about 600 km per month, and my budget is around ₹20 lakh (can stretch if needed). I have ruled out the BE 6 due to its rear seat, and I find the Tiago and Tigor have cheap-filling plastics inside. I am considering the Nexon or the Curve. My priorities are comfort, easy ingress and exit, reliability and good resale value. What do you recommend?

Autocar India

•2d

Since most of your driving is outside the city and even in rural areas, an electric car might pose some challenges like recharging. Rural areas don't have as many chargers as small towns or cities, and even if you do find one, voltage fluctuations are a common occurrence. Also, for long highway trips, an EV requires a lot more planning and factors like waiting queues at charging stations.Your best bet for a hassle-free ownership experience would be a diesel SUV. The Kia Seltos is new, updated and gets a tried and tested diesel engine that suits your needs the best. We would recommend the Seltos diesel over the Hyundai Creta Electric.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•1h

Go for the Honda City ZX CVT. For chauffeur‑driven parents, it offers the comfiest rear bench, ample legroom, and a smooth CVT for Bengaluru traffic within your ₹20-21 lakh budget.Rear comfort is its strength: the 2,600 mm wheelbase helps knee-room, the rear seat is well-cushioned with good thigh support, and the ride is tuned soft for long trips. The 506‑litre boot easily swallows luggage for highway runs. ZX adds 6 airbags and ADAS with adaptive cruise control, useful on long highways. The CVT’s smooth creep and no shift‑shock make occasional city use easy. Versus your shortlist, Elevate’s rear bench feels upright, while Slavia/Virtus ride firmer and are more driver‑centric for back‑seat comfort.The one thing you give up is ground clearance in comparison to the Elevate. Also, if getting in and out is a concern, the Elevate's high-set seats would make it easier. A test drive should sort that out. For now, we recommend the City for its hassle-free ownership experience, reliability and most of all, a refined and comfortable cabin.

Honda City

Honda Elevate

Skoda Slavia

Volkswagen Virtus

Autocar India

•3h

We would recommend sticking to the Maruti family and upgrading to the new Swift. The Swift, in its ZXI AMT guise, will fit in your budget and deliver your requirements. It is compact, which makes it easy to handle, and has enough power at 82hp for the city and the highway from the 1.2-litre engine.In terms of efficiency, the AMT version returns 12.7kpl in the city and 19.7kpl on the highway. The AMT is one of the nicer versions in the segment and makes light work of city driving. The ride comfort is good too, and the Swift is tuned for bumpy Indian roads. The ZXI will also get you a good kit like 15-inch alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging and rear AC vents.

Maruti Suzuki Swift