Hi, I want to know whether buying the Kia Seltos will be a good call in comparison to the newly launched Maruti Victoris? My main concern is fuel efficiency. Which would be better?

autocar.india

•5h

Pick the Hyundai Creta Electric. For 70% city use, its performance and throttle modulation are just perfect for a relaxed city drive. Its power delivery is smooth and quick, with light, accurate steering, so darting through gaps feels easy and safe rather than startling. Hyundai’s EV tuning is very polished, with useful regen levels, so you can ease into a near one‑pedal flow in traffic. That makes daily driving calmer but still satisfying. The cabin is quiet, and the seats are supportive, which matters after a long weekday commute. The ride is also good, and it rounds off speed breakers and potholes nicely so you and your passengers won’t get tossed about. On the highway, too, you will find the ride nicely tied down, whereas the Mahindra can get a bit floaty on long undulations.The only bit is that the drive experience is more dialled down and not sporty, which is what you will get with the Mahindra. So this is non-negotiable, go with the XEV 9S. For city comfort and a relaxed driving pleasure, the Creta Electric is the better bet.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Mahindra XEV 9S

autocar.india

•7h

Go for the Kia Seltos petrol automatic for your use. With 30 km a day in the city, it is much easier to drive and park, the gearbox is smooth in traffic, and real-world fuel costs will be lower than those of the big diesel SUV. Your pattern of short, stop-go runs also isn’t ideal for modern diesels with a DPF; one highway trip a month may not always clear it. The Seltos also costs less to buy and feels nicer to live with every day.The Mahindra Scorpio N diesel automatic only makes sense if you truly need its strengths - extra seats and space, rough-road ability, and that tall, commanding feel on long trips. In town, it is heavy, thirstier, and can feel bulky over speed breakers and while parking. So, unless you regularly carry six or drive on broken roads, the Seltos fits your routine better. The trade-off is you won’t get the Scorpio N’s bad-road toughness.

Kia Seltos

Mahindra Scorpio N

autocar.india

•1h

Our suggestion would be to keep it in the Skoda family and pick the Kushaq. Your 600km highway runs will feel the easiest in this one, thanks to the TSI engine's strong pull and a stable, confident high-speed feel. Coming from a Fabia, you will also like the familiar solid build, but it's still compact enough for your weekend city drives. For your usage, the 1.5 TSI with the DSG gearbox is honestly the better bet, as it has the stronger yet smoother engine, snappier gearbox and almost no fuel economy penalty thanks to clever cylinder deactivation tech.However, these variants are several lakhs outside your budget, so you might have to choose the 1.0 TSI, which is also very good. The Kylaq with the 1.0 TSI is also a good bet, but it won't feel as significant an update from your Fabia in terms of size.The Honda Elevate hybrid, sadly, does not look like it will see the light of day, as Honda is focused on bringing out its midsize EV first, and other all-new models thereafter. You could look at the Elevate petrol, however, which is plenty efficient enough on its own. However, we still think the Kushaq is the best option for you.

Skoda Kushaq

Skoda Kylaq