Hi, I am planning to purchase the new Kia Seltos IVT for daily commuting and occasional trips. I am confused between the HTK (O), HTX, and HTX (A) variants. While I can stretch my budget up to the HTX (A), I am unsure about the value-for-money factor and feature balance. Since I live in Delhi, I feel features like a 360° camera and blind spot detection (ADAS) could be useful. However, I am not certain if they justify the higher price.

Autocar India

•10h

The Honda Amaze CVT would be the recommendation here. For a beginner driver with predominantly city usage, the Amaze's CVT automatic is a major advantage. It is smoother, more refined and easier to drive in stop-start traffic than the AMT offered in the Exter. The sedan also offers a more comfortable ride, a larger boot and a mature driving experience that will remain satisfying even as your driving skills improve.The Hyundai Exter counters with its higher seating position, which some new drivers find reassuring, along with better ground clearance for rough roads and speed breakers. However, its AMT gearbox is not as seamless as the Honda's CVT.

Honda Amaze

Hyundai Exter

Autocar India

•7h

Considering the features you've listed, namely ADAS, a 360-degree camera and ventilated seats, the shortlist effectively narrows down to the Hyundai Verna and Kia Seltos.In fact, the car that would normally be recommended to an enthusiast is the Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 TSI DSG. It remains one of the most rewarding cars to drive in this segment, and there are attractive discounts available at the moment as a facelift is expected in the near future. However, it misses out on some of the features that are clearly important to you.Between the Verna and Seltos, the nod goes to the Seltos. It is the newer product, feels more premium inside, offers greater practicality and has a more spacious cabin. It also benefits from the same excellent 1.5-litre turbo-petrol and dual-clutch automatic combination as the Verna, so you are not sacrificing performance. Over the long term, it is also likely to hold its value better.

Hyundai Verna

Kia Seltos

Volkswagen Virtus

Autocar India

•11h

With around 70 percent highway driving, a diesel SUV is still very well suited to your requirements. In fact, your usage should normally be sufficient to keep the DPF healthy, provided the vehicle is regularly driven at sustained speeds. The fact that the DPF warning light is appearing after relatively short city runs suggests there could be an underlying issue that needs investigation rather than this being purely a usage-related problem.Before taking the significant financial hit of selling a 3.5-year-old vehicle, it would be worth getting the car thoroughly inspected by Hyundai and escalating the matter if necessary. A healthy diesel vehicle should not be causing repeated DPF concerns with your mix of highway and city driving.As for the alternatives, the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engines in the Creta and Seltos are smooth, refined and hassle-free, but they will feel less effortless on the highway and will not match the diesel's fuel efficiency. The Venue 1.2 petrol would be an even bigger step down in performance.

Hyundai Creta

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Venue