I’m interested in the Citroen Aircross but am worried about the 3-cylinder engine for long-distance driving. Is this engine ethanol-safe and capable of handling fully loaded long trips?

Autocar India

•2d

Given your requirements, you could shortlist Skoda Kushaq Classic+, Citroen Aircross X Max and Honda Elevate V MT. All of these are excellent options with powerful engines and manual transmission. The Kushaq has been updated recently, and its entry-level Classic+ variant covers the basics well, and is the most affordable of the bunch. The Citroen car that we have mentioned has an excellent turbo-petrol engine, and the nicest ride quality. It is also gives you the option of seven seats at this price. The Elevate is a no-nonsense SUV with a strong, high-revving naturally aspirated petrol engine and an excellent ride-handling balance. We'd recommend you drive all three and pick the one that meets all your requirements.

Citroen Aircross

Honda Elevate

Skoda Kushaq

Autocar India

•2d

The Hyundai Exter you’ve booked is E20 fuel compatible from the factory, so it is designed to run on the new petrol without any issues. Hyundai has updated its entire recent petrol lineup to support E20, so you are not buying into any risk or uncertainty.Now, what actually changes with E20 in real life? The fuel itself is just petrol with 20% ethanol, and India has already moved towards making this the standard across pumps. For cars like yours that are built for it, there is no mechanical downside. The engine, fuel lines and seals are all designed to handle it.What you might notice is minor and not something to stress about. There can be a small drop in mileage because ethanol has slightly lower energy content. Performance and drivability remain largely the same in daily city driving, especially in a car like the Exter, which is tuned for ease, not outright performance.The concerns you’re hearing mostly apply to older cars that were not designed for E20.

Hyundai Exter

Autocar India

•4d

Kia has already launched the GTX trim on the Seltos, so you don’t have to wait for it to arrive. Originally, GTX was positioned as a sporty, higher-spec trim available with the 1.5 turbo-petrol DCT and 1.5 diesel AT powertrains. However, Kia has now extended the GTX line-up to the 1.5 petrol with the iVT automatic as well, precisely to cater to buyers like you who want the fully loaded, sportier-looking trim without opting for the turbo-petrol.In other words, if your booking is for the 1.5 iVT in GTX trim, that configuration is now part of the range, and dealers should be able to give you a clear timeline based on their current allocation. It’s worth checking with your dealership whether your existing booking has been tagged correctly to the new GTX iVT variant so that you’re in the right queue.

Kia Seltos