•20h

Wanted to buy an automatic car within a budget of Rs. 15 lakh on-road, with an additional Rs. 1.5 lakh available from my old car exchange. I have shortlisted the Honda Elevate VX CVT and the Renault Duster Revolution 1.3 CVT. My monthly usage includes 1,000-1,200 km of city driving and around 500 km of outstation travel. Please suggest which one I should choose, or recommend any other car in the same category and budget. My priorities are good headroom and a comfortable rear seat.

•15m

Pick the Honda Elevate VX CVT. With your heavy city running, its smooth CVT automatic, lighter controls and great visibility make everyday driving easier and calmer, and the cabin is spacious with a comfortable rear bench for two adults. It also rides well enough for your monthly 500 km outstation trips and should be more fuel efficient and easier to maintain than the Duster.

The Renault Duster 1.3 DCT only makes sense if you really value the strong punch from its turbo engine and the robust suspension on rough roads. It is quicker and feels tougher on bad patches, but expect lower city mileage and a rear seat that is not as spacious as the Honda's.

If you want one more to check in the same bracket, look at the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 automatic. It has a comfy back seat, it's easy to drive, has decent mileage and will be stress-free to live with.

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•11m

@autocar.india shall I wait for proposed facelift of elevate?

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•4d

Dear team, I currently own a 2017 Maruti Wagon R and now wish to upgrade. We are a family of five, and our monthly driving is not more than 800km. We are planning to buy the Mahindra XUV 7XO, but we're confused about whether we should opt for the petrol or diesel version. My wife also likes the Honda Elevate and the Kia Seltos. Our budget is Rs 18 lakh on-road.

•46m

Go for a petrol SUV, and among your shortlisted options, the Kia Seltos 1.5 petrol IVT is the best fit for your Rs 18 lakh on-road budget. With only 800 km a month, diesel’s higher price and possible DPF trouble with short city runs are just not worth it. The Seltos is an easy step up from your Wagon R, with upright seating, light controls, comfy ride, and the rear bench that works well for five.If you do frequent long highway trips with five and a loaded boot, the XUV 7XO petrol gives stronger pull and extra space, but you’ll likely stretch the budget and fuel efficiency in the city will be poor. The catch with the Seltos is that its petrol is relaxed, so quick overtakes need a downshift. If you need a bit more performance, the Elevate has a slight edge on the Seltos.Overall, the Seltos is a great fit for your needs.

I want to upgrade my car from the Tata Tiago to an SUV. I will 90% of the time run in the city and most of the time in moderate traffic. My budget is 15 lakhs, and I want to go for an automatic car. I was considering the new Skoda Kushaq Classic Plus AT, Honda Elevate VT and Kia Seltos HTE Opt iVT. My preference is safety, comfortable, and decent mileage petrol car. Could you please suggest which one suits my requirements best?

•12h

Go for the Kia Seltos IVT. With 90% city use, its smooth, automatic and light controls make it easy to drive, and the NA 1.5 petrol delivers better city mileage than the Kushaq turbo and the Elevate. It also rides well over bad patches, and the high seating gives great visibility for traffic and speed breakers. It also has a 5-star safety rating and a lot of standard safety features.The Skoda Kushaq automatic is the fun one, and crash safety is top tier, but its turbo automatic tends to drink more in stop-and-go, and the cabin is a bit tighter.One thing to watch: these automatics can creep over Rs. 15 lakh on-road, depending on your city, so check local pricing.

My annual running is about 5,000 km, and I plan to keep my next car for 10 years. I am confused between Elevate, Creta, Seltos Victoris and 3XO. My priorities are reliability, a good balance of power and fuel efficiency, family comfort, low maintenance and long-term ownership. I am also concerned about India's future ethanol-blending policy (E20 and higher blends). Which of these would be the best long-term choice and why?

•21h

With an annual running of just 5,000km, fuel efficiency shouldn't be the deciding factor. Instead, you should prioritise comfort, reliability, ease of ownership and how well the car will age over the next 10 years. That's why we wouldn't prioritise the Victoris Hybrid. While it is an excellent strong hybrid, the price premium will be difficult to justify with such low annual running.Between the remaining options, the Seltos strikes the best balance. It offers a refined and proven naturally aspirated petrol engine, a smooth IVT automatic, a spacious and premium cabin, excellent comfort and a strong ownership experience. It also feels newer and more upmarket than the Elevate and 3XO, while the current Creta is due for a generational update sooner.The Honda Elevate deserves a mention for its simplicity and reliability. If absolute mechanical simplicity is your priority, it is arguably the safest long-term bet. However, it doesn't feel as premium as the Seltos, and the engine and CVT combination isn't quite as refined.As for ethanol blending, we wouldn't let it influence your purchase decision. While there is plenty of discussion around E25, E27 and E30 fuels, there is currently no confirmed roadmap for such a transition. More importantly, all of these cars are E20 compliant, and manufacturers have engineered a degree of tolerance beyond that. The most likely effect of higher ethanol blends would be a small reduction in fuel efficiency and slightly accelerated wear of certain fuel-system components over a very long period, not a major reliability issue.

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Popular discussions right now

•1w

Hi, I have a budget of Rs. 40 lakh and am confused between the Skoda Kodiaq Lounge, the Toyota Innova Hycross ZX(O), and the Toyota Fortuner Petrol. I am 28 years old and want a car that is fun to drive but also comfortable for my family. My driving will be split 80:20 between on-road and off-road use.

•2d

Pick the Innova HyCross ZX(O). For a hard Rs. 40 lakh cap it fits cleanly, it is the most comfortable and spacious for family, and it is far easier to live with daily. The smooth hybrid makes city drives effortless and quiet, and on broken roads, it just takes the abuse without rattling everyone. Your 20 percent off-road sounds like rough trails rather than rock crawling, and the HyCross will handle that sort of bad-road stuff better than you expect. But, the Innova isn't particularly fun to drive.If you really crave driver fun, the Kodiaq is the one that puts a smile on your face. The 2-litre turbo petrol and AWD make it genuinely enjoyable on highways and hills and the cabin feels richer. Two catches, though. It likely stretches past Rs. 40 lakh on-road in most cities, and its third row is tighter, and you have to be a bit careful off the beaten path.The Fortuner petrol is the most capable off-road, but for 80 per cent on-road use, it feels heavy and bouncy, the steering is not friendly in town, and it guzzles fuel.

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•1w

I was planning to buy a Maruti Ignis, but it’s been discontinued. I prefer small cars for city driving and office commutes, but I also need something highway-capable for an occasional 900 km trip to my hometown. It will mostly carry three of us (my spouse, child, and me), but needs to fit five people when my parents join. With a 12-lakh budget, what are the best compact cars that balance city manoeuvrability, highway stability, and occasional 5-seater comfort?

•6d

Pick the Maruti Fronx turbo within your Rs. 12 lakh budget, because it stays easy to park in the city yet feels secure on a 900 km run with enough room for five. The 1.0 turbo has decent mid-range for quick overtakes, and the suspension is absorbent and yet keeps the car steady at highway speeds. If you are opting for the automatic, then the Fronx torque converter auto is a very smooth unit and will make life much easier in the city.If you want an even smaller, lighter car with lower running costs, go for the Maruti Swift. It is smooth in the city, easy on fuel, has a usable boot for three, and will cruise comfortably at 100. It can take five in a pinch, but it will feel tight on shoulder room and lack the highway punch of the turbo Fronx.

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•4d

Hi, I'd like to buy a new 7/8-seater diesel car. I've looked at the Toyota Innova Crysta, Innova HyCross and the Mahindra XUV 7XO. I will mostly be using the car on highways, covering around 50,000km per year. I also want good resale value. Kindly suggest which car would be the best choice.

•2d

Buy the Toyota Innova Crysta diesel. For 50,000 km a year on highways, nothing in your list matches its long-distance durability, relaxed cruising and true 7/8-seat comfort. It also holds value better than almost anything else on our roads, and Toyota’s highway service reach makes life easy when you’re far from home.The honest catch is it isn’t the most modern inside and costs more than the Mahindra, but it pays you back in lower hassle and stronger resale. Innova HyCross doesn’t fit your brief because it’s petrol-hybrid, not diesel. It’s smooth and efficient in the city, but for heavy highway use, a diesel Crysta is cheaper to run.If you want a second option from your shortlist, look at the Mahindra XUV 7XO diesel. It’s quick, packed with features and priced keenly. For resale, though, it still trails the Crysta, and the third row isn’t as adult-friendly on long trips.So, for a 7/8-seat diesel highway workhorse with the best resale, pick the Innova Crysta.

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Posted on: 3 Jul 2026