I am from Delhi, and my daily commute is around 80 km. I am looking for an EV with a budget of around Rs. 17 lakh. I have shortlisted the e Vitara Zeta 61 kWh and the Syros ER HTX 51 kWh. I want a niggle-free ownership experience, at least a 400 km range, a smooth and comfortable ride, and good interior space. I also plan to keep the car for at least 8-10 years. Please suggest which one is the better choice.

autocar.india

•2d

The choice really comes down to your usage and what you value in the car. If you need more space for both passengers and luggage and have a few long drives that you would undertake, then opt for the Tata Sierra. It is a much larger car and has a very spacious interior. The ride quality is also very good over both bad city roads as well as high highway speeds. If, however, your usage is mainly going to be within the city, then the Kia Syros is the better buy. Its compact footprint will be much easier to manage while driving congested streets, and finding parking would be easier. You would also enjoy the top variant and its features.

Tata Sierra

Kia Syros

autocar.india

•2d

The Kia Syros EV 42kWh would be the better choice for your requirements. With a 70km daily commute and a solar system at home, an electric car makes perfect sense, and you'll recover the higher purchase price through lower running costs. Since you're already concerned about Tata's service experience, the Syros is likely to give you greater peace of mind over the long term. Both the Kia and Tata come with comprehensive battery warranties, so battery life shouldn't be a deciding factor. The Syros also offers a more spacious cabin and should feel like a more grown up car to live with every day. The only drawback is that the base variant misses features like a rear parking camera, which is genuinely useful. If possible, consider stretching to the next variant that includes it. If not, check whether Kia offers an OEM-approved camera accessory or dealer fitment rather than opting for an aftermarket unit, as this is less likely to create warranty issues.

Kia Syros

autocar.india

•2d

Your concern about E20 is understandable, but it should not be a deal-breaker. All petrol cars sold new today are engineered to handle E20 and even tend to have material tolerances for higher blends like E25 or E27 engineered in, and the impact is largely limited to a drop in fuel efficiency. Worth noting, however, is that at Rs. 14 lakh, you only have access to the absolute start of the midsize SUV segment. This usually means just the base or second variant of each car, which typically miss out on a lot of features, are limited on colour options and look a bit barebones. If you're okay with this, we would recommend the Kia Seltos 1.5 petrol MT HTE(O). It's among the newest of the bunch, and this Kia car will provide you with a spacious, comfortable, efficient, and smooth engine and gearbox that's well suited to the city. We would recommend the smooth CVT automatic, but you would have to stretch your budget by around Rs 2 lakh for that.If you would prefer having more features, consider the Kia Syros. Though it is technically a compact SUV, its tall and boxy shape means it is far more spacious than others in the segment. And owing to its sub-four-metre size, its price is much lower than the Seltos, and you can have it in a high specification on your budget of Rs 14 lakh. Do note, however, its 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine is not quite as smooth and effortless as the Seltos's 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol.

Kia Seltos

Kia Syros