I am a first-time car buyer. My wife and I will be driving it. It will be used mostly for city driving and sometimes for outstation outings, with a weekly run of about 100 km. My budget is around ₹10-12 lakh, and safety is a priority. Which cars should we be looking at? Is the BAAS a good option?

Autocar India

•2w

Given your query regarding BaaS (battery as a Service), we assume it's an EV that you are looking at. The best option within your budget is the Tata Punch EV, which is incidentally fresh from an update. Tata Motors has enhanced the powertrain for more range and faster charging. The Punch EV Adventure with the larger 40kWh is the pick for you.

It's very smooth to drive in the city and has also got enough punch (pun intended) for highway drives. Also, the Punch EV is a tough car and boasts good safety (though a Bharat NCAP score for the latest one is awaited).

Battery as a Service (BaaS) is a unique approach to ownership in which you pay for the car and 'rent' the battery. The option reduces the car's upfront cost greatly. But if you look at the fine print, you will find fees and fixed minimum payments for the battery that need to be made irrespective of your usage. For your limited running, BaaS might not be the best option.

Explore cars mentioned

Tata

Punch EV

from ₹10.28 Lakh

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Rushabh

•2w

@Autocar Can you suggest any alternative option than BAAS

Mayank

•2w

You can lease a car or could buy a second hand car from platforms like spinny. As a first time car buyer you can opt for an old car (2-3 year) that will save you around 2-3 lakhs.

Sai Charan

•2w

Hi Autocar team! Confused between i20 Sportz IVT and Amaze ZX CVT . Yearly 3 times to Tirupati (Native Place).Please suggest which one I should pick between these two.

Mayank

•2w

Honda over Hyundai anytime.

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kEsHaV bAnSaL

•3d

I am confused between the Tata Punch EV, Toyota Ebella, and Hyundai Creta EV. I am not very sure about Ebella, as there is no clear timeline yet for its launch or delivery. Is the Creta EV a good option, or should I consider the Punch EV instead? Or would it be better to wait for the Ebella?

Autocar India

•22h

The Hyundai Creta Electric is the best model from your shortlist. It's got a very refined powertrain and delivers a good range (LR variant). It also feels the best-rounded thanks to its cabin being roomier than the Tata Punch EV's and Toyota Ebella's. The Tata Punch EV is impressive, but it is essentially two sizes smaller than the Hyundai Creta Electric. Correspondingly, it won't be as well-suited to family use as the Creta. Toyota's Ebella doesn't quite hit the spot. It's not particularly practical for its size, and the stiff ride quality also marks it down. The Toyota should be keenly priced when it goes on sale in the days to come.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Tata Punch EV

Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella

srikanth p

•2d

We are expecting the HX10 turbo manual Verna. Is it possible?

Autocar India

•4h

Hyundai has only introduced the HX8 variant of the Verna with the turbo-petrol-manual combination, and if the company sees substantial demand for the top-end, it could possibly be introduced down the line, but not in the near future.The good news is that even the HX8 variant is well-equipped, with a vast list of features including Level 2 ADAS. The only additional features the HX10 variant gets are 7-airbags, 360-degree camera, blind-view monitor, 4-way powered front passenger seat, powered boss mode for the front passenger seat and a 10.25-inch digital driver's display. If you can live without these features, the HX8 is a great option to consider.

Hyundai Verna

Ankit

•1d

Hi, first of all, thanks to Autocar for always replying to each query. I am looking for an automatic car. It should have a peppy engine and be fun to drive with proper safety. I will be driving my car mostly in the city and occasionally on the highway on weekends. I prefer petrol. I already own a Kia Sonet iMT. Kindly suggest any other car apart from the Kia.

Autocar India

•4h

The Mahindra XUV 3XO will meet your requirements of a car with a peppy engine and good safety. The petrol automatic comes paired with a torque convertor gearbox, which is the smoothest autobox around, and since your driving is mostly in the city, you will really appreciate this.We would recommend the 1.2-litre MPFi turbo engine, which would offer you more than enough pep and a slightly better mileage than the direct injection unit, though bear in mind that on the whole, mileage will still be lower than something like the Brezza, as Mahindra tunes all its engines for a peppy feel.If mileage isn't a priority and you simply want a very peppy and lively drive feel, opt for the direct injection unit. The 3XO will also meet your requirements for safety as it comes well-equipped with 6 airbags and ESP as standard, and has secured a 5-star rating in the BNCAP crash tests.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

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