Autocar India
JA

Jesu Alfred K J

22h

Hey Autocar, We're looking into sedans. Shortlisted Verna and City. Spoke with a guy, and he gave advice not to choose the City due to its rusting issue. I did a test drive, and the city was my primary choice. But, thinking about this statement he made. Also, enquired with the dealer. But, they denied it, stating their new cars are galvanised properly. I don't know what to do. Please advise.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
13m

Modern cars from both Honda and Hyundai have significantly improved corrosion protection, and under normal ownership conditions, rust should not be a major concern.

If the Honda City was your preferred choice after the test drive, there is little reason to change that decision based on a single comment. The City remains one of the most well-rounded sedans in the segment, offering excellent ride comfort, rear-seat space, visibility and a proven naturally aspirated petrol engine that is smooth, refined and reliable.

The Hyundai Verna offers a more modern interior, a stronger feature list and a wider powertrain choice. While the turbo-petrol version grabs most of the attention, the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol paired with the CVT is also a very smooth and relaxed combination. It is easy to drive in traffic and suits buyers looking for comfort and refinement rather than outright performance.

Honda City

Honda City

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More questions on similar cars

CJ

Capt Jun

5h

I am planning to downsize from my four-year-old Mahindra XUV 700 AX7 L Petrol. I love all the features and technology it offers, but I am now considering a midsize SUV or even the Honda City Hybrid. My wife and I are retirees, and we regularly drive to the hills. While I do enjoy the extra performance and effortless cruising on highways, I would also appreciate better fuel efficiency. What would you suggest? Additionally, after four years of driving on Indian highways, I am wondering whether ADAS is truly necessary. That said, I do value features such as emergency braking, auto hold, and hill descent control. Over to you, Autocar experts.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
2h

Go for the Maruti Suzuki Victoris strong hybrid. It keeps the SUV ground clearance that's beneficial on hill trips, yet gives real 20-plus-kpl economy and an smooth, refined automatic driving experience. As retirees you will like the relaxed drive, light controls and the long features list - ventilated seats, 360 camera, EPB with auto hold, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay - so you still get your bells and whistles without the size and thirst of your XUV700. And though the Victoris gets ADAS features, they aren't offered on the strong hybrid, but you do get cruise control, which should be helpful on long drives.While the Honda City Hybrid is an excellent option, and possibly more fuel efficient than even the Maruti Suzuki car, but its sedan shape works against it. Ground clearance is nowhere near as good, and ingress and egress could be an issue. Plus, as its hybrid system isn't localised like Maruti and Toyota's, the City Hybrid is very expensive. While the electric assist helps, as you've noted, hybrids in general are not as quick as a powerful turbocharged car like your XUV700, and the engine can sound strained when wrung out, such as on steep climbs. Also, the hybrid variant does not get AWD or hill descent. If you truly need extra grip in slush, the AWD mild-hybrid manual exists, but you will lose the auto hold feature.

VehicleMaruti Suzuki Victoris
VehicleHonda City
KS

krishna singhal

2d

​Hey everyone, I would like your advice on restructuring my three-car garage in anticipation of a significant increase in my monthly running. I am based in Bangalore, and my current line-up is as follows: ​Audi A6 (2020) | 35,000 km driven that is used primarily for highways and family outings. It’s a brilliant machine but honestly feels highly underutilized. ​Innova Crysta GX (2019) | 1.5L km driven: The ultimate workhorse. Runs 1,500 km monthly. Split between office commutes, airport runs, and big family trips. ​Hyundai Verna (2023) | 25k km driven: Primarily used as the daily home or city runabout. ​My confusion is that from next month, my personal running will jump significantly to 2,500 km per month. Doing this in Bangalore traffic (plus routine family weekend trips) means fuel costs and driving fatigue are going to skyrocket. I want to bring an EV or a solid Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) , but I’m considering following: ​Option 1: Replace the Audi A6 with a Premium Luxury EV. Since the A6 is not being used much, I am planning to sell it and get a high-end luxury EV (like a BMW iX1, iX3, or BYD Seal/Sealion 7) to absorb the entire 2,500 km monthly grind and family outings. ​Option 2: Retire the workhorse Innova. It has done 1.5 lakh km and I could replace it and the Audi to go for a two-EV garage, or grab a premium electric 7-seater to take over its duties. ​Option 3: Hold onto the current garage and just add one. Keep all three and buy a new mid-to-premium electric SUV like Tata Harrier EV, Mahindra XEV 9e / XEV 9S, or wait for the upcoming BYD DM-i Plug-in Hybrids. ​With 2,500 km of monthly driving entirely in Bangalore and surrounding highways, what is the smartest financial and experiential move here? Sell the underutilized luxury sedan, upgrade the high-mileage workhorse, or just expand the garage? ​Would love to hear your thoughts, especially on real-world reliability, battery degradation at high mileage, and how the current crop of premium EVs handle Bangalore's notorious infrastructure

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
23h

Since the Audi A6 is the most under utilised, it makes sense to sell it and get an EV instead. Among your choices, the BYD Sealion 7 2WD gets you the biggest battery, which should deliver a real-world range of around 450km. Your fuel spend and fatigue will drop sharply thanks to smooth one-pedal driving and strong regeneration in stop-go traffic. The Sealion 7’s SUV stance and ride, cope better with Bengaluru’s roads than a low-slung sedan, and fast chargers in the city are now easy to find, while a home wallbox will be your primary charger.Keep the Innova Crysta. At 1.5 lakh km, it is still the most stress-free way to haul six people and luggage. With the EV becoming your new primary, it wont rack up the kms as quickly, but its worth keeping around as an alternative for trips where you don't want to plan ahead for charging. The Verna can stay as the spare city tool.On reliability and batteries, BYD’s Blade LFP battery pack has a good record. BYD also offers a pretty long warranty and the option to extend to 8 years/250k kms. The only real trade-off with the BYD is its smaller dealer network and slightly higher road and wind noise at highway speeds. A BMW iX1 is nicer inside and carries the badge, but it's cabin is tighter, has a smaller boot, and you will pay more for less usable range. Alternatively, you can also consider the Hyundai Ioniq 5 - its 84kWh is the largest in the segment, its cabin is premium and it is very nice to drive. Hyundai's network is also larger than BYD's which helps.

VehicleAudi A6
VehicleToyota Innova Crysta
VehicleHyundai Verna
VehicleBMW iX1 LWB

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Saransh Parnami

5d

I am confused between the Nexon, XUV 3XO, and Venue as my first car. My running is expected to be 1,000-1,200 km per month. My priorities are: 1) Performance, 2) Mileage and ownership cost, 3) Features, and 4) Rear-seat and boot space. Please advise and suggest the best-value variant as well. I am inclined towards a manual.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
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Our first recommendation would be the new Venue Turbo Petrol Manual. It strikes the best balance for your priorities. The turbo petrol engine is punchy and enjoyable to drive, fuel efficiency is respectable, and Hyundai's ownership experience is generally hassle-free. The latest Hyundai Venue is also more spacious than before, particularly in the rear seat, and feels like a very well-rounded first car. For value, we would look at the SX Turbo Manual, which gets a good mix of features without stretching the budget too much.Our second choice would be the Mahindra XUV 3XO. If outright performance and rear seat space are your priorities, it is arguably the strongest car here. The turbo petrol engine is lively, the rear bench is among the widest in the segment, and it feels more substantial than the Venue. The downside is that fuel efficiency is not as strong, and the boot is one of the smallest in the class. The MX2 Pro or AX5 Manual would be the variants to consider, depending on your budget.The Tata Nexon would be our third choice. It remains a good all-round package with decent space, a strong feature list and good road presence. However, compared to the newer Venue and 3XO, it does not feel quite as polished, and neither the driving experience nor the ownership proposition is as compelling.

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Abhishek Das

6d

I am planning to purchase a new automatic car and am confused between the Honda Amaze ZX CVT and the Skoda Kylaq Signature Plus AT. My usage will be around 90% city driving, primarily for office commuting between Dwarka, Delhi and my office near IFFCO Chowk, Gurugram (approximately 25 km one way). However, I will not be driving daily, as I often use the Metro as well. The car will also be driven by my 69-year-old father, so ease of driving, comfort, visibility, ingress/egress, and reliability are important considerations. Our previous car was an Alto K10 Manual, so this will be our first automatic car and a significant upgrade. Considering my usage pattern, family profile and the fact that we intend to keep the car for a long period for around 10 years, which of these two would you recommend?

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
4d

Based on your requirement, we would recommend the Honda Amaze ZX CVT over the Skoda Kylaq Signature+ AT. The reason is that your priorities are not outright performance or driving excitement. You are looking for a car that will spend 90% of its life in city traffic, will also be driven by your 69-year-old father, and is expected to stay with the family for around 10 years. In that context, Amaze's strengths line up perfectly with your requirements. The CVT is smoother than the Kylaq's torque converter automatic in stop-and-go traffic, visibility is excellent, the car is easy to place on the road, ingress and egress are straightforward, and Honda's long-term reliability record is hard to fault. Coming from an Alto K10, it will already feel like a substantial upgrade in comfort, refinement and features.The Kylaq Signature Plus AT is the more desirable car from an enthusiast's perspective. The 1.0 TSI turbo petrol has more punch, the higher seating position is nice, and the overall package feels more substantial. However, it is also a larger vehicle to manoeuvre, and while the automatic is good, it is not quite as seamless in everyday traffic as Honda's CVT.Another point in Amaze's favour is that the ZX variant gets Honda Sensing ADAS, which adds useful safety features without making the car complicated to operate. Since your father will also be driving it, that extra layer of safety is a nice bonus.

VehicleHonda Amaze
VehicleSkoda Kylaq

Posted on: 10 Jun 2026