I want to buy a new car and am considering the Tata Punch, but I am concerned about its engine reliability. I want a car that I can keep for the long term.

Autocar India

•21h

For your needs, either the Tata Punch or the Maruti Suzuki Ignis would be a good option. The Tata Punch sits at a comfortable height, and its doors open up to almost 90 degrees, which makes ingress and egress easier. The seating position is also not too tall, so it should feel comfortable even for someone with knee issues.If you want something that feels more spacious, especially in the rear seat, then the Ignis ticks all the boxes as well. Its 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine is smoother, more responsive and nicer to drive too.To buy these cars brand new, even the base variants will be slightly above ₹6 lakh on-road. If you are okay with stretching the budget a little, you can go ahead with a new car. Also, you can consider used versions of higher variants within your budget.

Tata Punch

Maruti Suzuki Ignis

Autocar India

•1d

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid and the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Strong Hybrid are still relatively new in the Indian market, so there isn’t enough real-world data yet to say definitively which one will have better resale value. What we can go by for now is brand perception and past trends: Toyotas typically enjoy very strong resale because of their reputation for reliability and low running costs, so it is reasonable to expect the Hyryder to hold its value slightly better over time, all else being equal. That said, the Grand Vitara shares the same Toyota-sourced hybrid powertrain and battery tech, and Maruti’s wide service network and lower maintenance costs also work in its favour, so the gap in resale may not be huge in the real world.On the hybrid battery side, both the Grand Vitara and the Hyryder Strong Hybrid come with an 8-year or 1,60,000 km warranty on the lithium-ion hybrid battery pack, which is now fairly standard for Toyota’s self-charging hybrids and has been extended to the Maruti-Toyota joint products as well. This long warranty is significant because it effectively covers the period when most owners would worry about a big-ticket failure. The battery in these cars is relatively small (around 0.7–0.8 kWh) and is designed to cycle gently between partial states of charge, which greatly improves its life compared to a full EV battery that is regularly fast-charged and deep-cycled.As for eventual replacement cost, there is no official India-specific figure published for the Grand Vitara/Hyryder hybrid pack yet, but looking at typical Toyota hybrid battery pricing abroad and early dealer-level indications, a rough ballpark of around Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for a full pack replacement is a reasonable estimate in today’s terms, excluding any future inflation. Actual cost will depend on the exact part price at the time, taxes, and whether you go through the authorised network or a specialist workshop once the car is much older. It is also worth noting that Toyota hybrids globally have a very strong track record for battery longevity, with many running well past 10 years and high mileages without needing a pack replacement, and India gets the same basic technology. So while you should be aware of the potential cost, for most owners the battery is unlikely to be a recurring expense within the normal ownership window.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Autocar India

•1d

The Mahindra XEV 9e is actually one of the more impressive electric SUVs in its class, offering a strong mix of performance, space, comfort and technology. In typical Mahindra fashion, it also feels quite robustly engineered, which is important for Indian road conditions.Coming to your friend’s point about the car wobbling after 60kph, that hasn’t really been a characteristic we’ve experienced. The XEV 9e is generally quite stable at highway speeds. EVs, by design, have a low centre of gravity because the battery pack sits in the floor, and that usually gives them very good straight-line stability and planted road manners. So if your friend is experiencing a wobble, it could be due to something specific to that particular car, such as tyre pressure, wheel balancing, alignment or even poor road surfaces can cause that sort of sensation. It’s not something that appears to be an inherent trait of the vehicle.In terms of grip and handling, this Mahindra car feels secure and predictable. It’s not meant to be a sporty driver’s SUV, but the wide track, long wheelbase and low battery placement help it feel planted through corners. The steering is light and easy for city driving, though, like most electric SUVs, it’s tuned more for comfort and ease rather than outright driver engagement.As for the Cinelux variant, it’s essentially a cosmetic and feature-focused update rather than a mechanical one. The changes are mainly around new exterior colour options, fresh interior trims and some additional equipment aimed at making the cabin feel a bit more premium and lounge-like.

Mahindra XEV 9e