Latest questions answered by experts

autocar.india

•11h

The BYD Atto 3 is a well-built and reliable EV with a proven track record, but it is a 5-seater and does not offer the same level of practicality, feature set or even the performance as the XEV 9S. The VinFast VF7 is an interesting option, but you can only get the entry-level variant in your budget, and while it has strong performance, as a package, it still trails behind the XEV 9S. Since you want a 7-seater, the Tata Sierra EV is ruled out considering its 5-seater layout. The Mahindra XEV 9S is the best choice in your budget and given your requirements. It offers a large battery, good range and a practical 7-seat layout, making it a sensible family EV. However, it is worth noting that the third row is best suited for children or occasional use, and the boot space is limited with all seats up. Within Rs 25 lakh, you can get the Pack One Above variant with the bigger 79kWh battery pack and a decent feature set. Given your priorities of value for money, reliability and hassle-free ownership, the Mahindra XEV 9S is the best fit if you need a 7-seater.

BYD Atto 3

Mahindra XEV 9S

Vinfast VF7

autocar.india

•12h

Both the TVS Ronin and Royal Enfield Hunter 350 are excellent choices that are similarly capable in this price range, but both have different riding experiences. The Ronin feels lighter on its feet because it weighs quite a bit less than the Hunter, and while its styling is that of a relaxed retro, it actually has very nice handling. Its engine is also quick to spool up and makes a deep, bassy sound with a strong surge of mid-range torque to boot. On the other hand, the Hunter's long-stroke motor is more mellow and, in our opinion, more characterful too. The riding experience is dominated by the strong low- and mid-range torque here, and it's a pleasure to short-shift on the Hunter and listen to its thumpy beat of an exhaust note. While the Hunter is much heavier than the Ronin, you don't really feel it when you're on the move and darting through city trafic is a breeze on this RE. Take test rides of both, see which one tickles your fancy and then make your decision.

autocar.india

•13h

Since this is your first motorcycle, sticking to a commuter machine will help you ease into the transition of riding a geared bike coming from a CVT scooter. We'd recommend options like the Honda Unicorn / SP160, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V and Bajaj Pulsar N160 to you, which will offer a big step up in comfort and performance from your Access, with little to no trade-off in efficiency. These are all lightweight, simple, easy to get along with sort of bikes and should suit your needs well. Take test rides of all before you make your decision.

autocar.india

•14h

The options you have shortlisted in the EV space are a great place to start, and if you want a simple, no-nonsense EV, the TVS iQube is one of our top picks in the class. Depending on your daily use case, choose a variant with sufficient battery capacity, keeping some margin for spontaneity and emergencies. If you are still unsure about moving to an electric two-wheeler, in the ICE scooter space, options like the Honda Activa 110 / 125, TVS Jupiter 110 / 125 and Suzuki Access 125 are our top recommendations. These are easy to get on with, lightweight and frugal machines which are practical and reliable to own as well.

autocar.india

•15h

Of the three, the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Zeta makes sense. The two Tata EVs are strong value propositions, with the Nexon being a good city car. For you, however, the e Vitara offers a good range, and Maruti's extensive and reliable service network can come in handy on your long family trips. Over your 8-10 year ownership period, it is also likely to be more reliable and give you a more predictable ownership experience. However, a point to note is that the rear is not very spacious and the boot is very small, so your family may not be very comfy at the rear over long distances, and the boot may not suffice for your family's luggage. If you can stretch your budget, you can opt for the Creta electric, which has a more comfortable rear seat experience and a larger boot too. It will also be very reliable and is nice to drive, with a well-tuned powertrain and easy and handy controls like a paddle shifter for regen control. However, with the base variant you will have a smaller battery, so depending on your long route, it might mean an additional charging stop. All in it is a much better all-rounder than the three you have mentioned, but the only point of concern is that you would have to pay more.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara

Hyundai Creta Electric

Tata Nexon EV

autocar.india

•16h

Since you want comfort as a top priority in your next purchase, the two bikes that will deliver that much better than the others in your shortlist are the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 X. The Himalayan is more adept on the highway front, but the Scrambler is the better city bike, so depending on where you spend more time, pick between these two. The TVS Apache RTX 300 is a phenomenally capable bike (especially for the price), but its engine feels a little dull once you spend some time with it. If you are okay with that, then as an overall package, the TVS is quite hard to fault. If you decide you want something more road-biased, then the 350cc Triumph Speed 400 and Honda CB350RS are good options to consider. We'd skip the RE Meteor models because the Super Meteor has stiff rear suspension, and instead of the Meteor, look at the Classic / Bullet if you want more comfort with an old-school relaxed retro vibe. These are all very different machines within a broad price range, so depending on the segment you are looking at specifically, we'd advise you to take test rides of the options above and then make your decision.

autocar.india

•16h

Go for the Maruti Suzuki Brezza VXI AT. With a monthly running of 1,100 km, mostly on state highways and national highways, the Brezza is the better fit. It offers a higher seating position, better ground clearance, and a more comfortable ride over broken roads, making long highway drives less tiring. The naturally aspirated petrol engine in this Maruti Suzuki car is smooth and reliable, and the torque-converter automatic is well-suited to both highway cruising and occasional city traffic.The Dzire AGS is a good city car, but the Brezza's SUV stance and more robust suspension make it the more comfortable and confidence-inspiring choice for your usage pattern. The Brezza VXI auto is at the upper end of your budget but well worth stretching for.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

autocar.india

•17h

For heavy highway use with a budget of Rs 30-35 lakh, the Mahindra XUV 7XO diesel is the best fit. It offers strong performance, excellent ride comfort and a very stable high-speed touring experience, which is exactly what you need for long highway runs. The diesel engine is powerful and efficient, and the car feels planted and confidence-inspiring at speed. It also offers a good balance of features and safety for the price.The Toyota Fortuner is a great car, but at Rs 30-35 lakh you are looking at a used car that is already a few years old. The Fortuner’s biggest strength is its reliability and ruggedness, but it is not as refined or as comfortable as the XUV 7XO on long highway drives. The ride is firm, the cabin is not as modern, and you are paying a premium for the Toyota badge and reliability rather than getting the best ownership experience for your money.If you want something more premium, the Skoda Kodiaq is worth considering. It is a very comfortable and refined highway car with a strong petrol engine and a premium cabin, but it exceeds budget and does not offer the same diesel efficiency as the XUV 7XO.Overall, the XUV 7XO diesel is the best balance of power, comfort and value for your budget. It is a new car with a full warranty, excellent highway manners and a very strong ownership proposition.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Toyota Fortuner

Skoda Kodiaq

autocar.india

•17h

With less than 5,000 km a year, your priority should be a petrol automatic that is dependable, easy to drive in the city and still feels confident on highways and hill drives. The Maruti Suzuki Brezza automatic fits this brief very well. It uses a simple and proven 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with a 6-speed torque converter automatic, which is smooth in traffic and reliable over the long term. The Brezza is also one of the more comfortable sub-4-metre SUVs, with a well-sorted ride and a robust build that inspires confidence on highways and hill roads. It is not the most powerful car in the segment, but it is dependable, easy to maintain and backed by Maruti’s extensive service network, which is exactly what you want coming from a 16-year-old i10. If you want something a bit more premium feeling, the Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic is also worth considering. It offers a more powerful turbo petrol engine and a richer feature list, but the Brezza remains the safer long-term ownership bet.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

autocar.india

•18h

The 350cc KTM 390 Duke finds a good middle ground between the 399cc 390 Duke R and the smaller 250 Duke in terms of outright power. Even though it has over 40hp, this engine is rather peaky which means you won't be accessing all of the peak output very often - helpful for a newer rider. In terms of features and electronics too, the 390 Duke is much better equipped compared to the 250 Duke. Overall, the 350cc Duke is a machine that you will be able to enjoy for a longer time as you progress as a rider.

autocar.india

•20h

It is quite unfair to compare a bonafide sporty naked like the Ducati Monster V2 with the relaxed neo-retro that is the Triumph Speed Twin 900 - both also have about a Rs. 4 lakh price difference, so there's also that. If you are looking for a sporty riding experience then the Monster V2 should fit that bill much better than the Triumph, although we are yet to ride the latest Monster so we can't pass a definitive verdict on just how good it is yet. The Triumph Speed Twin 900, on the other hand, is a modern classic with a more relaxed riding position and a heavier, more substantial feel. It is a lovely bike in its own right, but it is not as focused or as sporty as the Monster. Again, these are two very different machines and choosing between them will come down to what sort of a rider you are as well as if you are able to stretch your budget to accomodate the Ducati.

autocar.india

•20h

If this is to be your very first motorcycle, it makes more sense to go for the smaller Honda Rebel 300 over the bigger 500, although the 500 can also work as your first bike if you plan to keep it for many years but the learning curve will be quite steep in the initial days of your motorcycling journey. Both the Rebel models are much lighter than the comparable Royal Enfield bike so weight really isn't the issue. Coming to whether you will fit on the Rebel, we can't yet comment on that as we haven't been able to spend some quality seat time on either of them. We suggest you wait until both are available in a showroom near you and take a test ride before you make a decision.

autocar.india

•21h

The XUV 7XO is a very good choice for your requirements. It is one of the few cars in this price range that can genuinely seat five adults comfortably, thanks to its wide cabin and supportive seats. It also has strong engines, both petrol and diesel, and is genuinely fun to drive for a large SUV. Mahindra's after-sales experience is generally good, but it depends on the dealership and location, so it is worth checking the reputation of your local dealer before committing.The HyCross is still worth considering despite the dull interior. It is the most comfortable and reliable long-term ownership proposition in this segment, and the hybrid powertrain is smooth, efficient and effortless to drive. The interior may not feel as premium, but the overall ownership experience is hard to beat.The Kodiaq is a great car to drive and feels very premium, but it is not as wide as the XUV 7XO and is not the best choice if seating five adults comfortably is a priority.Overall, the XUV 7XO is the best fit for your requirements, but the HyCross is worth considering depending on your priorities.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Toyota Innova HyCross

Skoda Kodiaq

autocar.india

•21h

If you want a CNG SUV with an automatic gearbox, the options are limited. In your budget of Rs 12-13 lakh, the Tata Punch CNG AMT is the best option. It is a well-rounded sub-compact SUV with a dual-tank CNG system, good ride comfort and the AMT you want. The drawback is that the powertrain isn't the most refined, and the AMT has a noticeable pause between shifts.If you are open to a manual, then the Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG is a better bet. Its engine is more refined; it is a larger car, so it feels roomier inside, and it has an underfloor CNG tank, so boot space is not affected.

Tata Punch

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

autocar.india

•22h

The Force Gurkha is a hardcore off-roader and excels in extreme conditions, but it is a very focused tool. On the road, it feels agricultural, refinement is limited, and long-distance comfort is not its strength. So opt for this only if you are doing a lot of serious off-roading.The Mahindra Scorpio N, on the other hand, strikes a far better balance. It is comfortable, refined, spacious and easy to live with on a daily basis, while the 4x4 system and low-range gearbox make it quite capable off-road.So if your usage is predominantly off-road and you are specifically looking for a purpose-built off-roader, go with the Gurkha; if not, the Mahindra car mentioned above is the better all-rounder.

Mahindra Scorpio N

Force Gurkha 3 Door

autocar.india

•22h

If the Rs 13 lakh price is ok with you, opt for the Maruti Suzuki Brezza VXi AT. In terms of features, it gets all the basic features along with a few more, like automatic climate control, so you're well catered for. This Maruti car also offers a more plush and pliant ride at low city speeds and will be the more fuel-efficient of the two. Given Maruti’s service reach, dealer quality and long-term reliability reputation it a safe choice.However, opt for the Mahindra XUV 3XO in case you need to seat three at the rear, as it has a wider rear seat. It's also the one to go for if driving pleasure is what you want, as the engine is livelier and, on the whole, it is a more entertaining car to drive, and of course if you are on a tight budget.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Mahindra XUV 3XO

autocar.india

•23h

With a budget of Rs 15-18 lakh, city-focused running in Bangalore, and a family of six, the Kia Carens Clavis or the Maruti XL6 would be good options. Both offer comfy seating for 6, and between the two, the Kia car mentioned above feels a bit more upmarket. They are both not your traditional SUV's but come with some strong styling cues to minimize the MPV stance. If you must have an SUV body style, then opt for the Hyundai Alcazar, which also offers seating for 6, though the third row is best for kids.

Kia Carens Clavis

Hyundai Alcazar

Maruti Suzuki XL6

autocar.india

•23h

Go for the Tata Sierra EV. With your running of 1,200 km monthly and 75% city usage, an EV makes perfect sense, and the Sierra EV is the safer ownership choice. Tata has a well-established EV service network, proven battery and motor technology, and a strong track record with the Nexon EV and Punch EV. The Sierra EV also offers a spacious cabin, comfortable ride and good range for your daily needs.VinFast is still new in India, and while the VF7 is an interesting product, the long-term service and support ecosystem is still unproven. Since you are not chasing features and prioritise reliability and safety, the Tata electric car is the more sensible and fuss-free choice.

Tata Sierra EV

Tata Punch EV

Tata Nexon EV

Vinfast VF7