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•4w

My wife is 5'0", and we are looking to buy an automatic car primarily for city commutes, with occasional highway trips. We are considering the Kia Seltos. Is it a good choice, particularly in terms of seating ergonomics and visibility for a 5-foot-tall driver? Another option I am considering is the Skoda Kushaq. Which one would be better for our requirements?

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•4w

The Kia Seltos is a very good all-rounder, but for a 5-foot-tall driver, the Skoda Kushaq is actually the better choice. The Kushaq has a more upright seating position, a lower dashboard and a more compact bonnet, which makes it much easier to judge the car's extremities and improves overall visibility. The Seltos has a higher dashboard and a longer bonnet, which can make it harder for shorter drivers to judge the front of the car, even with the seat height adjusted.

The Kushaq is also slightly narrower and easier to manoeuvre in city traffic, which is important for your primary usage. The Seltos does feel more premium inside and offers a slightly more spacious rear seat, but from a driver's perspective, the Kushaq is the more confidence-inspiring car.

Go for the Kushaq 1.0 TSI automatic. It uses an 8-speed torque converter automatic, which is smooth and well-suited to city driving. The Seltos IVT is also a good gearbox, but the overall ergonomics of the Kushaq give it the edge for your specific requirement.

Kia Seltos

Kia Seltos

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•4w•
Nexon owner

@mohitaggarwal Go with Kia Seltos 👍

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•1d

I currently own a Tata Manza Diesel, and our car has been amazing so far, (clocked in 2L+ km) but we are planning to buy a new one under a budget of Rs. 25 lakh that is a step up from Manza in all areas. We are a family of four, but occasionally 5 passengers travel in the car. So, we want a car with a comfortable 2nd row that fits three occupants. We want a car with 600L+ big boot space (preferably) measured by depth instead of height. Our daily running is mostly within the city, but we like to drive, so occasional highway trips are always going to be on the cards. Between the powertrains, we prefer diesel, but are open to electric as well since we have a parking spot where we can easily install a charging point. Our shortlisted cars so far include XEV 9e and Kia Seltos.

Verified
•1d

Between the XEV 9e and Seltos, the XEV 9e is the better fit for your requirements, particularly because you have a dedicated parking spot where a home charger can be installed. It is a much bigger and more substantial upgrade from the Manza, with a spacious cabin, a genuinely comfortable second row that can accommodate three adults, and a 663 liter boot. The rear seat also gets a reclining backrest, and the wide cabin avoids the knees up seating position found in some EVs.The Seltos diesel AT is the more conventional choice and would be preferable if you want to stay with diesel. It has a comfortable rear seat that can accommodate three average sized adults, and the diesel AT is refined and well suited to long distance driving. However, its 447 liter boot is significantly smaller than your preferred 600 liters or more and the boot itself is not very deep.

VehicleMahindra XEV 9e
VehicleKia Seltos

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