Hi team, I’m planning on getting the BMW 450 GS when it is launched, but am worried about the maintenance cost. Can you share an estimate of how much I can expect to spend on maintenance over the years if I have a running of about 8,000 km a year? I’m an aggressive rider and mostly use it for weekday work commutes and occasional breakfast rides on weekends. Regards, Mohnish

Both these SUVs are closely matched, but the Hyundai Creta H has the edge thanks to a more responsive engine and a cabin that feels more upmarket than the Grand Vitara’s. The Maruti-Suzuki Grand Vitara has a marginally better ride and feels more composed over potholes than the Creta. Overall, we would choose the Creta as the better all-rounder between the two.

Don’t be alarmed by the video you saw. All electric cars discharge very fast when driven at speed. And a fast discharge also heats up the battery and motor, so to protect the hardware, the battery management system (BMS) cuts the power, which explains the 14% drop you noticed.Because of aerodynamic drag, speed is the biggest enemy of range, and there is an exponential drop the faster you go. For example, if you drive at 160-170kph, the batteries will discharge 2.5 to 3 times faster than if you were driving at 90-100kph.Even EVs with large batteries can lose charge at the rate of 1-2% per minute with hard and sustained high-speed driving.So if all you want is performance and don’t care about range, the Mahindra XEV 9e in Race mode is very quick for short bursts of acceleration to overtake and fast highway runs. But no EV will give you full peak power indefinitely at extreme speeds.It all depends on how the BMS is calibrated, but after sustained high-speed driving, expect a drop in power, which is normal for an EV and not a flaw of the 9e specifically.

The MG Windsor Essence Pro is spacious enough for four people, but it has limitations as a family car. Firstly, being an electric car with a moderate range, it's best as a city car and not convenient for out-of-town trips. Also, the boot isn’t spacious enough for a family of four's luggage on a long weekend trip.The Honda Elevate is the more sensible choice as a family car. It is reliable, efficient, very spacious, and has a big boot. With this Honda car, you can’t really go wrong.

In the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara hybrid, the air-con and most electrical systems are powered by the main hybrid battery. There is also a small 12-volt battery, but it only runs basic electricals and electronics like the dashboard and locking.When you are stopped with the air-con on, the car uses the hybrid battery first. If that battery level drops, the petrol engine automatically starts. The engine then generates power to recharge the main battery and shuts off again when the battery is fully charged.