I am planning to buy a two-wheeler EV on Deepawali for 60-70km for 5 days a week daily commute in Hyderabad for the period of next 2-3 years. Please suggest an option in both the scooter and bike categories.

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Go for the Maruti Suzuki Brezza petrol manual. It is the most sensible first car for your needs. The naturally aspirated petrol engine is smooth, easy to drive and forgiving for a new driver, while the clutch and gearbox are light and user-friendly in city traffic. The Brezza is also one of the most reliable cars in the segment, with Maruti’s strong service network and low maintenance costs, which is important for a first-time owner. It is also a safe car with a solid build and good crash test ratings. The rear seat is comfortable enough for three adults on short city runs, and the boot is adequate for your occasional long highway trips. In your budget, you can get the base LXi variant with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine. While it misses out on fancy features, it covers all the essentials well.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

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At 6ft 1in, the Sierra EV is worth considering first because the cabin is genuinely spacious and the driving position should comfortably accommodate a taller driver. It also gives you the SUV stance and substantial cabin that you are looking for, while the large boot makes it better suited to your regular long trips.Your running also makes an EV a sensible choice. Around 180km a week is easily covered through home charging, while the longer 1,000km trips will require some planning around fast charging. The Sierra EV's ride is another advantage for your usage, particularly if those long journeys include uneven roads.The Kia Carens Clavis EV is the other car worth considering. It offers a very spacious cabin and greater seating flexibility, so it makes more sense if carrying family members regularly is important. For a primarily five-seat requirement, however, the Sierra's SUV packaging is likely to appeal more.

Tata Sierra EV

Kia Carens Clavis EV

autocar.india

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With 2-4 trips to your hometown every month, your usage is actually high enough to make an EV worth considering, especially since you can install a home charger. A Tata Punch EV 40kWh would fit the budget and is the powertrain that makes the most sense for this usage. It has a claimed range of 468km, although real-world range will naturally be lower, and it supports DC fast charging, which is useful for your 280km round trips.If you prefer to stay with an ICE car, the Maruti Fronx 1.0 turbo petrol AT would be the pick. It gives you better highway performance than the naturally aspirated alternatives, while remaining compact and easy to drive in the city.CNG is worth considering only if keeping running costs as low as possible is the priority. A factory CNG Brezza or Punch will deliver excellent fuel economy, but CNG brings more frequent refuelling and less outright performance, which matters when you are doing regular 280km highway trips. A hybrid is not really a consideration in this sub 4 metre segment at your budget.The key question with the EV is charging on your hometown trips. If you can comfortably charge at home at both ends, the Punch EV becomes particularly attractive. If charging at the destination is uncertain, the Fronx turbo petrol is the safer choice.

Tata Punch EV

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Tata Punch