Mumbai

•4w

Dear Autocar Team, I am looking to replace our household’s trusty Maruti Suzuki Swift AMT model. This vehicle serves strictly as our secondary car, and its duties are entirely urban: daily school runs, grocery trips, and the occasional trek across the city. It will not see any highway use. Given that city traffic is notorious for tanking the fuel efficiency of petrol cars, I am wondering if shifting to an EV makes sense. I have been looking closely at the Tata Punch EV as a potential replacement. Could you please advise on the following: 1. For an exclusively urban, low-to-medium mileage use-case, is an EV truly recommended over traditional ICE automatic models, and will it be economically viable in the long run? 2. How does the Punch EV fare as a pure city commuter in terms of real-world range, ease of driving in traffic, and long-term reliability? Are there specific variants you recommend? 3. Are there any other petrol, automatic or EV alternatives in this segment that I should consider before making my decision?

•4w

Yes, switch to an EV if you have a fixed parking spot where you can install a home charger - for a pure city, second car, the Tata Punch EV fits best. Stop-go traffic is where EVs save the most, and with low maintenance and cheap electricity, the math works out over a few years. If you cannot charge at home, skip the EV idea.

As a city commuter, this Tata car is easy. Light steering, smooth creep, strong regen that lets you use the brake less, and ground clearance for bad roads. In real use, the Medium Range handles a typical week of school runs and errands on a single charge; the Long Range provides more buffer if others in the family do longer loops. Tata’s EVs have held up well so far, and support is wide.

For variants, pick the Medium Range if your daily running is short and you can top up at home; choose the Long Range only if you want to charge less often. The 7.2 kW home charger is nice to have, not a must-have.

Also, look at the Tata Tiago EV for a lower price, and the MG Comet if you want something compact. If you stay petrol, the Hyundai i20 IVT or Amaze CVT automatics are the easiest city alternatives.

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•2w

@autocar.india Thank you for your suggestion. I test drove the Skoda Kylaq 1.0 AT and really liked the way it drives. I am fond of European cars but never owned one. Practically the Punch EV fits the bill, but certain user reviews question the reliability. It can be a hit & miss experience. I have indoor parking where an EV charger can be installed. The heart is probably set on the Kylaq. What would be your final take here?

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•2d

Hi! My wife is a dentist and currently drives a Dzire. Her hospital is nearby, and her average monthly running is less than 500km. We are planning a new car. We are considering the new 1.0 Brezza, the Punch EV, or even the Tiago EV because of uncertainty around petrol in the future. Our son wants a Creta or Seltos base model. I have a Hyryder base model. We are really confused about what to do.

•3h

Given your wife's usage of less than 500km a month and mostly short city runs, the Tata Punch EV is the more sensible choice here. It is a proven electric car with a compact footprint that's well-suited to the city, and the powertrain is smooth and refined. The Tiago EV is a good option too, but the Punch EV offers more space, comfort, features, range and ground clearance. And that too, for not a huge premium, and since it's in your budget, you should choose it. Plus, being an EV, running and maintenance costs are very low. Tata is the market leader in EVs, and its service stations are well geared to handle electric cars.The Brezza Turbo is a good option too, but feels unnecessary for your wife's intended usage. It's larger and not as easy to manoeuvre, and it's only available with a manual gearbox, which for short urban driving spells is not as easy as an automatic, which the EV is.It's for these same reasons the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta don't make sense here. Overall, since you have a larger car in the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, a compact EV like the Punch makes most sense. Just make sure you can have a wallbox charger installed at your home, as that is crucial to EV ownership in India.

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•4d

How good is a budget EV on highways? Will it reasonably match a highway travel schedule?

•1d

Budget EVs can handle highway runs, but you need to plan your trip a bit differently. Most budget EVs like the Tata Punch EV or the MG Windsor have a real-world range of 200-300 km, so on longer journeys you will need to factor in charging stops.If you plan your route around fast chargers and start each leg with a full battery, you can keep your schedule fairly predictable. Charging times are the key variable. A 30-40 minute fast charge is typical, but availability and queue times can add up.In terms of performance, most budget electric cars can cruise at highway speeds comfortably, but you will see range drop if you drive aggressively or use the air conditioning heavily. Overall, a budget EV can do highway trips, but you need to build in charging time and be a bit more organised than you would be with a petrol or diesel car. If you are doing this kind of trip regularly, a diesel or petrol car is still the more convenient option. If it is occasional and you are happy to plan, an EV can work.

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•4d

I bought a used 2015 Maruti Swift last year when it had completed 1.7 lakh km. I purchased it and spent a total of Rs 4.2 lakh on it. I have driven another 10,000km in one year. Everything is fine, but I feel the car may become a scrap candidate if I use it for another one or two years. I can get around Rs 2 lakh if I sell it now. Please suggest the best car for a 20km daily commute and a 500km trip every one or two months. I need good boot space and cabin space.

•1d

The Maruti Fronx Delta+ AMT would be the best fit for your requirements. With a daily commute of just 20km and occasional 500km highway trips, a petrol automatic makes perfect sense. The Fronx feels like a genuine upgrade from your Swift with better ground clearance, a more spacious cabin, a larger boot and Maruti's proven reliability. It is also inexpensive to maintain and should give you complete peace of mind over the next several years.If you prefer a hatchback with a more premium cabin and an even smoother automatic, the Hyundai i20 IVT is an excellent alternative. The IVT gearbox is one of the smoothest automatics in the segment, making it particularly well-suited to city driving, while the cabin feels more upmarket than the Fronx.The only drawback with the Fronx AMT is that the AMT isn't as smooth as the i20's IVT, especially in slow-moving traffic.

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•2d

Hey, We are planning to buy a sub-4-metre SUV, and our main requirement is good suspension for Bengaluru’s pothole-filled roads, especially as my wife is pregnant. We have shortlisted the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Mahindra XUV 3XO, and Tata Nexon. Which one would you recommend for our requirements? I was also considering a larger SUV like the Honda Elevate, but a well-equipped variant costs around Rs. 18 lakh on-road, which is beyond my budget. Could you suggest some good options in both categories? I can stretch my budget up to around Rs. 15 lakh on-road if required.

•15h

Given your priorities, the Mahindra XUV 3XO is the best fit. It has the most comfortable ride in the segment, with a suspension that deals with broken roads and potholes better than the Brezza or Nexon. The wide rear seat and good cabin space will also make a difference for your wife and family. The Brezza is the more reliable long-term ownership proposition, but its ride is not as plush as the 3XO. The Nexon is a good all-rounder, but the 3XO has the edge on ride comfort and rear seat space.On the Honda Elevate, it is a solid, reliable SUV with a comfortable ride, but at Rs 18 lakh on-road for the well-equipped variants, it is not worth stretching your budget for. The 3XO gives you a better ride and more features for less money.Overall, the 3XO is the best balance of ride comfort, space and value for your requirements. Go for the petrol automatic variant for the smoothest city driving experience.

I want to buy my first car, and I have a strict budget of Rs 10 lakh. I will not use the car on a daily basis; I will drive it occasionally, and I live in Kolkata.

•6d

For a car under 10 lakh budget and occasional use, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno makes sense. It is a genuinely spacious hatchback with a comfortable ride. It's easy to drive in the city and has a proven ownership record. The naturally aspirated petrol engine is smooth and reliable, and Maruti’s service network in Kolkata is excellent, which keeps long-term running costs low.For occasional use, you want a car that is easy to live with, dependable and does not demand much attention, and the Baleno fits that brief perfectly. It also offers a good balance of features and practicality within your budget.If you prefer a slightly higher seating position, the Maruti Suzuki Fronx is worth considering.

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•1d

I need to buy a new car. Please suggest one. My driving is 80% city use.

•4h

Since you're already using a Hyundai i20, and you want a car in the 15-20 lakh price range, you could consider a Hyundai Verna 1.5 petrol IVT. It is a smooth, easy-to-drive and feature-packed sedan. If you want to look for a vehicle outside the Hyundai brand, you could consider a Kia Seltos 1.5 IVT for a similar ownership experience.

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