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Latest questions answered by experts

Nia

I am writing to ask for advice for the third time. Age 61. Monthly travel is 800-1,000km, sometimes more. Mostly travel to work and back, plus occasional outstation holiday trips. Outstation long-distance trips may increase in the coming years. I am looking for a reliable and comfortable 5 or 7-seater with good luggage space and good mileage. The vehicle can be petrol, hybrid, diesel or other. It is important that service in case of a breakdown is available across India. Budget up to Rs 35 lakh. Please guide.

Autocar India

•1m

The Toyota Innova HyCross hybrid or Maruti Suzuki Invicto hybrid are your best bets. These cars have an efficient hybrid powertrain that's likely to deliver around 13kpl in the city and 16kpl on the highway. Moreover, getting in and out is quite easy, the seats are comfortable, and the boot space is plenty. Also, despite being large cars, these are surprisingly easy to drive due to their light steering and good visibility.Lastly, both Toyota and Maruti have stellar reputations for their after-sales service and reliability, so you're likely to enjoy a trouble-free ownership experience by opting for either of these two.

Toyota Innova HyCross

Maruti Suzuki Invicto

Sai Kumar Rachamalla

•1d

Planning to upgrade my car for safety from a Kwid to a sub-4m SUV. I am confused between the Skoda Kylaq and the Kia Sonet. I liked the Sonet diesel but am worried about DPF issues. For the 1.0-litre turbo, I know the Kylaq is superior, but I am also concerned about maintenance and resale value. The Sonet has everything except safety and has a stiff suspension. I need it for highway and city use and would prefer an automatic. Please suggest.

Autocar India

•26m

If you liked the Kia Sonet, go for it - it is a polished compact SUV. As you've mentioned, the Skoda's 1.0-litre turbo-petrol is an excellent engine, but the Sonet's isn't too far behind in terms of performance. Kia's DCT is smooth, and on the whole, the Sonet is quite nice to drive too.As far as safety goes, the Sonet packs in more active and passive kit, including ADAS, which the Skoda Kylaq misses. Alternatively, you could also consider the new Hyundai Venue Turbo-DCT.

Krishna

Hi! I currently own a BMW M340i, which is 2 years old. I am considering buying an EV for daily and local commuting. I am looking for good design, a great music system and good battery life. Mahindra is already ruled out, as one of my cousins owns one. So I am considering either BYD or MG. If you could suggest any other ICE cars, that would be fine too. My budget is around Rs 30-40 lakh.

Autocar India

•1h

If you are looking for a good EV, the BYD Seal is a great option. It is one of the best electric cars in the Rs. 40 lakh range, offering a lot of tech, equipment, and a spacious interior. Performance, too, is very good, which, being a BMW 340i owner, you will appreciate.The MG ZS EV is a good car, but it's not in the league of the BYD Seal. If the Seal is beyond your budget, the BYD Atto 3, priced between Rs. 27 and 37 lakh, is the next best option. It is not as spacious as the BYD, but it is well-equipped and has a good range.Sadly, there are not many good ICE vehicles in that price bracket anymore, but the best option for your money is the Skoda Kodiaq, which ranges from Rs. 47-56 lakh.

Vishal Joshi

Confused between the Safari petrol and the XUV 7XO. The reason is the future-proof claims of the Tata Hyperion engine being BS7-ready and E27 compliant. Please suggest what to do.

Autocar India

•1h

We wouldn't base our choice on the engine's compatibility with E20. It's not just Tata Motors, but most manufacturers that have upgraded their engines beyond E20 compliance to E27 to protect them against higher ethanol blends.There are other reasons to choose between the Tata Safari petrol and the XUV 7XO petrol. If you want space and comfort, especially in the third row, the Safari is the one for you. The Mahindra XUV 7XO is the more enjoyable of the two to drive, thanks to its strong mStallion 2.0-litre engine and improved dynamics. The 7XO has more on-board tech and features as well.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

k Mahesh Dutt

•2d

I am planning to buy the new Seltos. Kindly advise whether to go for the iMT or CVT version, as I prefer an automatic.

Autocar India

•1h

Since you want a proper automatic gearbox, it's the Kia Seltos CVT that you should go for out of the two you have mentioned. The Kia Seltos iMT is a clutchless manual, meaning there's no clutch pedal for you to operate but you do have to manually row through the gears like in a conventional manual.The Seltos CVT, on the other hand, is like any other automatic wherein you just have to shift the gear selector either to 'D' (Drive) or 'R' (Reverse). It's worth noting that the Seltos is also available with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox only with the 160hp, 1.5-litre turbo petrol and a 6-speed torque converter automatic only with the 116hp, 1.5-litre diesel engine.

Kia Seltos

Rahul Lodaya

•2d

Hello sir, I want to buy the Tata Punch facelift turbo 1.2-litre car for pure city driving in Pune. My monthly running is 500km. There may be occasional highway drives. Please suggest whether it is the right choice or if I should go with the NA engine or some other car in the Rs 10 lakh budget. Thank you.

Autocar India

•2h

Yes, the Tata Punch turbo is a good choice for you, given the nature of your usage. The advantage is that it can still be easy, and even quite fuel efficient if driven carefully, when driving around town, while also being strong enough for your occasional highway drives or hilly regions. This can not be said of the naturally aspirated engine.Perhaps the only downsides are that the 6-speed manual gearbox can feel notchy, clutch modulation is not easy to do smoothly, and it is not very refined. Also, you will not get the top-spec variant within your Rs 10 lakh budget.Keeping that in mind, you should also consider the Citroen C3 1.2 Turbo. It has a much smoother and punchier engine, and the gearbox is slicker too. It may miss out on some features that the Punch gets, but it is also more affordable overall. Its biggest advantage is that, if you are willing to spend a little more, you can get this engine with a smooth 6-speed automatic gearbox, which will be a huge boon around town.

Tata Punch

Citroen C3