I want to buy a new car. My monthly running is around 4,000 km. Which option will be more budget-friendly for me, EV or hybrid? I am currently driving a Swift Dzire diesel. Please suggest which car I should buy.

Autocar India

•3h

The Hyundai Creta is the better all-rounder and offers more space, a stronger and smoother powertrain (1.5 P IVT) and marginally better comfort. However, given your priorities of mileage and maintenance costs, it's hard to beat Maruti Suzuki on these fronts.Whether you choose the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara or Victoris is a matter of preference (and which dealership is more accessible to you - Arena or Nexa), as they are essentially the same car underneath, using the same 1.5-litre petrol engine and 6-speed AT gearbox. Despite using a torque converter automatic gearbox, which is not typically associated with good mileage, both Maruti SUVs offer exceptional fuel economy, and maintenance costs over the course of their lives will be among the lowest in the segment.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Hyundai Creta

Autocar India

•4h

Of these three, your best bet is the Toyota Innova HyCross. Apart from being the most affordable of the three, its MPV shape allows for maximum interior space and flexibility, and it has the best second row. It's flexible, too, with seats that slide, fold and flip. This Toyota car also has the most comfortable suspension and will transport your family comfortably and relatively silently.The Skoda Kodiaq Lounge, sadly, is outside of your budget. Although it's more luxurious and equally refined, it's simply not as spacious as the Toyota.The Jeep Meridian has strong badge value and a luxurious interior, but it's not as spacious, comfortable or refined as the Innova Hycross. Both SUVs are high on road presence, but just can't match the packaging superiority of the Toyota MPV.

Toyota Innova HyCross

Skoda Kodiaq

Jeep Meridian

Autocar India

•22h

If you are keen on a hybrid and can wait for 6 to 8 months, then we would recommend you do so. MG, JSW Motor and Renault will all be launching either strong and/or plug-in hybrids this year. As for the driving pattern, it doesn't make much of a difference if your daily runs vary, as you have indicated, from 10 to 100 km. An important factor when considering a hybrid is simply how many kilometres you would drive in its time with you. If you are going to keep the car for a long time, like 4 years and would on average have a running of about 1800km per month. In the case of something like a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, a strong hybrid over the regular engine makes sense. As for plug-in hybrids, you'll have to wait to see the pricing difference and figure out if it works for you.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara