East Singhbhum

•20w

Hi Autocar, I live in Bengaluru, and my daily travel is around 35 km in moderate to very heavy traffic. I am looking for a premium EV for both city and highway use, and it will be my primary car. I am really confused between the Mahindra XEV 9e and XEV 9S (also considering the VinFast VF7). My priorities are driving feel, comfort, and a good ownership experience. Your advice would be very helpful. Thank you.

•20w

While they all make compelling cases for your usage pattern, we’d lean toward the Mahindra XEV 9e from your list. The XEV 9S is the most spacious, which is always good if you need an extra pair of seats in a pinch, and if not, they can be easily folded away. It's well equipped too and the seats are very comfortable, and with the widest price range and most variants, there's more to choose from. However, its size makes it cumbersome around town, and its overly soft suspension can feel too bouncy at higher speeds.

The Vinfast VF7 feels more compact, making it easier around town, its suspension feels more tied down, giving it a mature, European ride quality, and if you choose the dual-motor version, performance is exceptionally strong. However, its efficiency and range aren't particularly good, and though early impressions have been good, Vinfast cars is still a new brand with a relatively smaller and as-of-now-unproven network.

The XEV 9e strikes a good middle ground between the two. It doesn't suffer from the soft suspension of the 9S, yet it has all the same equipment and two out of the three battery options. You don't get the third row of course, but you get a sleek coupe SUV form factor instead with little sacrifice to boot space and rear headroom. Do bear in mind though, there have been reports of electronic glitches in Mahindra's EVs, mostly pertaining to the screens, but these are things that can be fixed with software. Overall, we feel the XEV 9e is the best fit of these three for you.

Explore cars mentioned

Mahindra

XEV 9e

from ₹23.33 Lakh

Mahindra

XEV 9S

from ₹22.00 Lakh

Vinfast

VF7

from ₹24.49 Lakh

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•3d

Is the ride comfort of rear seat passengers of VF7 70.8 kWh 2WD better than that of 9e? Which of these two are better suited for 3 rear seat passengers? Which of these two have lesser software and hardware reliability issues? I am inclined towards the VF7 subject to clarity on the above 3 queries. Early adopters of VF7 have reported quite a few issues. Should I skip VF7 altogether or worth taking a plunge?

•2d

The Mahindra XEV 9e is the safer recommendation here. It is the more mature product with a proven track record, and Mahindra's service network and support are well established. The rear seat is genuinely wide and comfortable for three passengers, and the overall ownership experience is likely to be more predictable. The Vinfast VF7 is an interesting product, but as you have already noted, early adopters have reported a number of issues, and as a new entrant, Vinfast does not yet have the same level of service reach or long-term reliability data in India. Unless you are specifically drawn to the VF7's design or feature set, the XEV 9e is the more sensible choice.

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•5d

Hi, I'm looking for a new second car, mainly for city use and occasional highway trips, maybe once a month. My top priorities are comfort, space, and a good driving experience. My average daily usage would be around 50 km, mainly for household work. I'm considering an EV for its silent and smooth drive. My shortlisted cars are:Tomahawk EV, VF7, XEV 9S, Sierra EV My budget is Rs. 25-30 lakh.

•4d

For a second car doing around 50km a day, mainly in the city, an EV makes a lot of sense, particularly if home charging is available. Among your shortlist, the Tomahawk EV is the best match for your priorities of comfort, space and ease of driving. It has a spacious cabin, light steering and excellent all-round visibility, making it surprisingly easy to manage in traffic despite its size. Its ride is also comfortable overall, although the suspension can be heard working over rough roads.The Tomahawk also has enough range for your occasional highway trips. In our first drive, it returned 4.85km/kWh on a fast highway run, which translates to around 336km of real-world range from its 69.2kWh battery. DC charging is supported at up to 90kW.The XEV 9S is the more sophisticated and performance-focused option, but it is also a more expensive proposition. The VF7 is worth considering if driving enjoyment is more important than outright cabin space.

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•1d

Hi, I am currently driving Maruti Suzuki Dzire VXI petrol for daily running of 70 km. I am planning to upgrade to a hybrid/CNG/EV with decent features. What are the options under Rs. 15 Lakh?

•53m

With a daily running of 70km, you are clocking over 25,000km a year, so fuel efficiency and running costs become very important. Since you are coming from a Dzire VXI, reliability and low maintenance are likely priorities as well.CNG is the most cost-effective option for your usage, and the Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG is the most sensible upgrade. It is a practical, reliable SUV with a factory-fitted CNG kit, good service reach and low running costs. The Brezza CNG also offers a decent feature set and a comfortable ride, making it a very easy car to live with.If you are open to EVs and have access to home charging, the Tata Nexon EV is worth considering. It will offer the lowest running costs and a more premium cabin, but only if your daily route is predictable and you can charge at home. Otherwise, CNG remains the more practical choice.Hybrids like the Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid or Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid are excellent for your use case, but they won't fall under your budget of Rs 15 lakh.Overall, the Brezza CNG is the most sensible upgrade for your usage and budget.

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•1d

Hi, I am planning to buy a CNG SUV and am considering the Tata Nexon CNG and Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG. I will be driving around 150km every day for office, so my main concerns are fuel economy and maintenance costs. Many people have suggested the Brezza because of its mileage and lower running costs, but Tata is also a large company and has a wide service network. So, why do buyers generally recommend the Brezza over the Nexon CNG? I personally prefer the Nexon, but I am confused about whether it would be the right choice for my daily usage. Which one would make more sense for my requirements?

•22h

Go with the Tata Nexon CNG if that is your preference. At 150 km daily, CNG is the right fuel choice, and both the Nexon and Maruti Suzuki Brezza are factory CNG cars, so reliability and safety are not a concern. The Nexon CNG is a strong product with good performance, a comfortable ride and a well-equipped cabin. The reason many people suggest the Brezza is Maruti's reputation for low maintenance costs, wide service reach and a long-standing reputation for hassle-free ownership. The Brezza CNG is also a very reliable and efficient package. However, the Nexon CNG is the more modern car and feels more premium inside.At 150 km daily, the key is to choose the car you will enjoy driving every day. The Nexon CNG is a solid choice, and there is no reason to change your decision.

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•3d

I want to know the launch date of the new Toyota Innova Hycross model.

•3d

The Toyota Innova Hycross facelift is expected to launch in early 2027. Toyota has already been testing the updated Hycross in India, with spy shots showing a revised front end, new lighting elements and a redesigned bumper. The facelift is expected to bring some interior and feature updates as well, while the existing 2.0-litre petrol and strong hybrid powertrains are likely to continue. Toyota has not announced a confirmed launch date yet, so early 2027 is the current expectation rather than a firm date.

Toyota Innova HyCross facelift

•6d

Hi, I want to buy my last car as I am 66 years old. I have been driving a Honda City for the last 12 years without any major hiccup. The Honda City engine and its reliability is excellent although its ground clearance is an issue. I have looked at Elevate and given its ground clearance as an SUV, I am impressed although the issues on E20 and abrupt blending issues are surely technical issues. Windsor EV was a great test drive but all controls on screen could be a bottleneck for me at my age and am planning to move to an automatic. Please recommend as experts. My monthly running will not be more than 500 km. Should I also look at Seltos. I will appreciate a feedback from experts. I want a reliable, easy to drive car with low maintenance cost and good family value with. There won't be any great pick ups or many highway drives will not be there.

•6d

Given your 12 years of trouble free City ownership, the Elevate is the most natural replacement. It retains Honda’s simple 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, adds substantially better ground clearance and gives you the easier ingress and SUV driving position you liked. The CVT is also very well suited to your low speed, low running usage and should make the transition to an automatic easy.On your E20 concern, we would not treat it as a reason to avoid the Elevate. Honda says all its cars manufactured in India since January 2009 are E20 material compatible, and the current Elevate is officially certified for E20. Honda also says E20 should not cause durability concerns or require any component changes. There can be a marginal reduction in fuel economy because ethanol contains less energy than petrol, but with your 500km monthly running, that is unlikely to be significant.The Seltos is worth a look, particularly if you want a more feature rich and premium cabin, but given your priorities of reliability, easy driving, low maintenance and long term ownership, the Elevate fits your requirements more naturally. The Windsor EV is also an interesting option, but at just 500km a month, there is little financial reason to move to an EV, especially when you have concerns about its touchscreen heavy interface.

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