I am 55 years old and planning to buy a new car under ₹15 lakh. I can extend my budget up to ₹17 lakh. I will be driving around 30 km daily in Bangalore city traffic, along with one long drive of up to 1,000 km every month. I prefer a car with good safety and the best possible mileage in city traffic. Please suggest a car that meets my requirements.

autocar.india

•1d

With 1,000-1,200 km a month and a 7-8 km/l Creta 1.6 petrol automatic, the priority should be better fuel efficiency without sacrificing comfort. The Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid is the most sensible upgrade. It delivers significantly better real-world fuel economy, especially in city driving, while still offering a comfortable ride and a well-equipped cabin. The hybrid system is proven and reliable, and the ownership experience is straightforward.If you want a more premium feel and are willing to accept slightly lower fuel efficiency, the Kia Seltos petrol IVT is a strong alternative. It offers a more upmarket cabin and a comfortable ride, but it will not match the Victoris Hybrid on fuel savings.The Hyundai Creta petrol IVT is also worth considering if you want to stay within the Hyundai family. It offers a familiar ownership experience and a comfortable ride, but again, it will not be as efficient as the Victoris Hybrid.Overall, the Victoris Hybrid strikes the best balance between fuel efficiency, comfort and long-term ownership costs for your usage pattern.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Hyundai Creta

Kia Seltos

autocar.india

•1d

Yes, the Honda Elevate V CVT at Rs 15 lakh on-road is a good deal. The Elevate is a well-rounded SUV with Honda’s reputation for reliability, a smooth CVT and a comfortable ownership experience. The V variant is well-equipped, and the price you have secured is competitive.On the facelift, Honda will launch the updated Elevate on October 6th, but do not expect a major overhaul. It will likely be a mild update with some feature additions and minor cosmetic tweaks. The core mechanical package will remain unchanged. If you need the car now, there is no strong reason to wait.On NVH, the Elevate does let in more road and tyre noise than some rivals. You can reduce it to some extent with better tyres (look for softer compound, lower noise-rated tyres) and aftermarket damping on the doors and wheel wells. However, do not expect a dramatic transformation. It will help, but the Elevate is not the quietest car in the segment to begin with.Overall, if you like this Honda car and the deal, go ahead.

Honda Elevate

Honda Elevate facelift

autocar.india

•1d

For a first family car, I’d go for the Honda Elevate. It’s the most straightforward, easy-to-live-with choice here, with a proven 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a smooth CVT option. Honda’s established service network and reputation for durability should also appeal if hassle-free ownership is your priority.The Kushaq is the driver’s car, but its turbo-petrol engines are more complex than the Elevate’s naturally aspirated unit. The Nissan Tekton is a strong value proposition, though Nissan’s service network is not as extensive as Honda’s. And while its 1.3-litre turbo-petrol makes good power, the naturally aspirated Elevate may feel more predictable in stop-start traffic.One important update: the Elevate facelift is due to launch on October 6, just days away. It’s expected to bring styling and feature changes while retaining the same engine and gearbox options, so it may be worth waiting to see the final pricing and equipment before deciding.The Elevate may not be the most exciting SUV here, but for a family’s first car and a 65 per cent city commute, it looks like the sensible pick.

Honda Elevate

Skoda Kushaq

Nissan Tekton