Amaravati

•5h

Hello, given the DPF concerns and upcoming CAFE III regulations, with my driving pattern being 60% highway and 40% city and covering around 15,000 km annually, would a 1.5L diesel (automatic or manual) still be a worthwhile choice?

•3m

Yes, a 1.5-litre diesel is still a worthwhile choice for your usage. At 15,000 km a year with 60% highway driving, you are well within the sweet spot for diesel ownership. The DPF concerns are often overstated - modern diesels are designed to regenerate the filter during sustained highway runs, and your usage pattern is ideal for that. CAFE III regulations are pushing manufacturers towards cleaner engines, but they are not making diesels obsolete; they are simply making them more efficient and cleaner. The bigger question is whether diesel still makes financial sense. With the narrowing price gap between petrol and diesel, the payback period is longer than it used to be, but at your mileage and highway bias, it still adds up. If you are keeping the car for 5-7 years, you will see the benefit. As for automatic versus manual, go automatic if you want ease of use in city traffic; modern torque converter automatics on diesels are smooth and reliable in cars like the Kia Seltos and the Hyundai Creta. Overall, diesel is still the right choice for your usage.

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•4d

Hey there! I am a first-time car buyer and need a car for my family. My requirements are: bumper-to-bumper driving in Mumbai city at least three days a week, a quiet cabin, occasional Mumbai-Pune trips, a decent cabin experience closer to Hyundai, and a rugged feel like Honda. I also want a car that is easy to maintain, with safety being important as I have kids. Please suggest a suitable car.

•9h

Based on your requirements, the Honda Elevate is the most sensible recommendation. Your usage is predominantly bumper-to-bumper Mumbai traffic with occasional Mumbai-Pune runs, so you need a car that is easy to drive, reliable and comfortable over the long term.The Elevate's naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with the CVT is smooth, predictable and well-suited to city driving, while Honda's reputation for reliability and low maintenance makes ownership straightforward. The cabin is quiet enough for daily commutes, and the car feels solid and well-built, which aligns with your preference for a rugged, dependable feel. Safety is also well addressed, with a strong crash test rating and a good suite of safety features. For your occasional highway runs, the Elevate is stable and comfortable, though it is not the most powerful car in the segment.If you want a more premium cabin experience, the Kia Seltos 1.5 IVT is worth considering, but the Honda car mentioned above strikes the best balance between reliability, ease of maintenance and overall ownership experience for a first-time buyer.

Honda Elevate

Kia Seltos

•1d

I’m getting a Seltos DCT delivered soon. If the turbo-petrol engine were available with a manual transmission, I would have bought that. I’ve heard all the stories and do’s and don’ts regarding dry-clutch DCTs. Living in India, however, one cannot completely avoid city traffic. My question is a bit technical. From a standstill, with the gear in D mode and Auto Hold off, on a flat surface, if I take my foot off the brake completely without giving any throttle input, the car rolls at 6-7 kmph. In this scenario, will the clutch keep slipping continuously, similar to half-clutching in a manual, or will it fully engage after a couple of seconds?

•23h

No, you should not assume that the clutch fully locks after a couple of seconds. In the Seltos 7-speed dry-clutch DCT, when you release the brake in D on a flat road without applying the accelerator, the car’s creep function can involve some clutch slip to allow the engine to idle while moving the car at a very low road speed. However, it is not accurate to describe this as the equivalent of continuously holding a manual car at half-clutch. The transmission control unit constantly varies clutch pressure and engine torque, so the amount of slip changes with speed and conditions. The important point is that 6-7kmph does not necessarily mean the clutch is fully locked, and there is no documented Kia threshold, such as 10kmph at which it definitely locks. This normal idle creep is something the DCT is designed to handle and is not something you need to worry about during ordinary driving. What you should avoid is prolonged bumper-to-bumper crawling, repeatedly inching forward on the clutch, or using the accelerator to hold the car on an incline, as these conditions increase clutch slip and heat. In slow traffic, it is better to leave a little more gap, allow the car to move when there is sufficient space, accelerate smoothly when required, and come to a proper stop when traffic stops. The bigger enemy of a dry DCT is sustained low-speed clutch slipping and heat, not the occasional creep that occurs automatically when you release the brake.

Kia Seltos

•1d

Which petrol car is best under Rs. 17 lakh, considering that my priorities are comfort and technology?

•1d

Go for the Kia Seltos petrol automatic. It is the best fit for your priorities. The Seltos offers one of the more comfortable cabins in the segment, with well-cushioned seats, good ride quality and a premium interior feel. It is also one of the more feature-rich cars in this price bracket, with a modern infotainment system, connected car tech and a generally upmarket feel. The petrol engine is smooth and refined, and the automatic gearbox is well suited to both city and highway driving. It is also a car that is easy to live with over the long term, with good service reach and reasonable running costs.

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•6d

I currently use a Skoda Slavia Ambition 1.0 automatic since last 4 years. Now, I am thinking of switching the car but I am confused between Honda Elevate V CVT petrol and Kia Seltos HTK iVT petrol.

•4d

Given that you are coming from a Skoda Slavia 1.0 TSI automatic, the Kia Seltos HTK IVT petrol is the more natural upgrade. The Seltos offers a noticeably larger and more premium cabin, better rear seat space and a more substantial feel overall. The IVT gearbox is smooth and well-suited to city driving, and the car feels like a genuine step up from the Slavia in terms of comfort and overall ownership experience.The Honda Elevate V CVT petrol is a solid and reliable choice, but it does not feel like as much of an upgrade from the Slavia. The cabin is not as spacious or as premium as the Seltos, and the overall ownership experience is more about simplicity and reliability than about feeling like a significant step up.The only caveat with the Seltos HTK is that it is not the most feature-rich variant in the lineup. If you can stretch to a higher variant, the Seltos becomes an even stronger recommendation. If not, it is still the better choice over the Elevate because it offers a more substantial upgrade from your current car.

I have a 2013 Honda City automatic, which is now 13 years old. I wish to change my car and buy the Tata Punch EV 40kWh for my use. My monthly running is low, at around 500 km. Would you suggest this car for my usage?

•5d

With a monthly running of around 500km, the financial case for an EV is not particularly strong, but the Tata Punch EV 40kWh can still make sense if you are looking for a modern, low-maintenance city car. This Tata electric car is compact, easy to drive and well-suited to urban use, and the 40kWh battery offers a healthy real-world range that should comfortably cover your monthly usage with minimal charging stops. However, at this level of running, the fuel savings over a petrol car will take a long time to offset the higher upfront cost of the EV. If you have reliable home charging and are keen on the EV ownership experience, the Punch EV is a sensible upgrade from your ageing City. If your priority is purely financial efficiency, a small petrol automatic like the Honda Amaze or Maruti Suzuki Baleno would be the more cost-effective choice.

I am getting the Venue HX8 Turbo automatic for Rs. 15.40 lakh on-road, the Creta SX(O) automatic for Rs. 18.14 lakh on-road, with a discount of more than Rs. 1 lakh, and the Seltos HTK(O) IVT for Rs. 18.50 lakh on-road. My budget is Rs. 19 lakh. Which one should I buy for driving in Bangalore and occasional trips?

•1d

Go for the Kia Seltos HTK (O) IVT at Rs 18.14 lakh on-road. Your budget of Rs 19 lakh gives you enough room to get a large, spacious and well-equipped midsize SUV, and the Seltos is the sweet spot. The IVT gearbox is smooth and well-suited to Bangalore traffic, while the 1.5 petrol is refined and reliable. The HTK (O) trim is feature-rich, so you are not compromising on equipment. The Seltos also offers better rear seat space and comfort than the others, making it a better choice for occasional family trips. The Creta SX (O) might sound like better value with a few more features, but the Seltos's larger size, better quality and new-age tech push it ahead overall. The Venue HX8 turbo automatic at Rs 15.4 lakh is a good deal, but it is a segment below, and you would be compromising on space and comfort.

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