Hi! I currently own a BMW M340i, which is 2 years old. I am considering buying an EV for daily and local commuting. I am looking for good design, a great music system and good battery life. Mahindra is already ruled out, as one of my cousins owns one. So I am considering either BYD or MG. If you could suggest any other ICE cars, that would be fine too. My budget is around Rs 30-40 lakh.

Autocar India

•1d

The Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq are essentially the same SUV underneath, with the same engine, gearbox and chassis. It's just that the 5-seat Tiguan R-Line is a little smaller; something that's addressed by the recently launched Volkswagen Tayron. As such, given your requirements and usage, you should stick with the Tiguan as it is too good a deal to pass up. And for what it's worth, the Tiguan is a full CBU import, while the Kodiaq is locally assembled, but moreover, there are some feature differences between the two - the Volkswagen gets ADAS, adaptive dampers and a larger 15-inch screen, while the Skoda gets powered and ventilated front seats, rear window blinds and a 360-degree camera. The biggest difference is that the Kodiaq offers third row of seats, but they're not very spacious, and since you mostly travel with four passengers, it's better to use that space for luggage anyway - the VW loses about 130 litres to the Skoda (in 5-seat mode) but they're both very spacious. With regards to your priorities of comfort in traffic, good rear seat comfort for family use, and long-term ownership satisfaction, the two are virtually the same.

Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tayron

Skoda Kodiaq

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Autocar India

•1h

For your requirements, the Kia Seltos is a good fit with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine mated to the IVT automatic. In your budget, you can opt for the HTX variant, which is well-equipped with features like a 12.3-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system, ventilated front seats and a Bose sound system.Performance from the naturally aspirated engine is more than adequate in the city, and the IVT automatic is smooth and seamless in operation. Alternatively, you could opt for the Hyundai Creta, which uses the same powertrain, but since the Seltos is on the newer platform, it would be our pick.The Seltos gets six airbags, front and rear disc brakes, stability control, a tyre-pressure monitor and ISOFIX child-seat mounts as standard. The cabin is among the most spacious in the segment, and Kia’s service is generally very well regarded. Do a test drive before you commit.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

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Autocar India

•2h

The Kia Carens Clavis turbo-petrol with the DCT gearbox is a well-rounded package. The strong engine lends the MPV ample performance even with a full load of passengers, and the DCT adds in convenience. The engine and gearbox add to the Carens Clavis' list of strengths that includes comfortable seating in all three rows, easy entry to the third row and a high-quality cabin. The Carens Clavis doesn't have a crash test rating but does well with lots of standard safety equipment, such as 6 airbags, electronic stability control, rear disc brakes, ISOFIX child seat mounts and more. Talking specifically of variants, the Clavis turbo-petrol with the DCT gearbox is not offered in HTX form but in HTX(O) form. It's very well-equipped with features such as 12.25-inch digital dials, a 12.25-inch touchscreen, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera and more. At Rs 19.26 lakh (ex-showroom), the Kia Carens Clavis Turbo-DCT HTX(O) might seem pricey. But see all that it offers - comfy seating for 7, plenty of features and a strong engine - and you'll realise it's money well spent. It makes for a great pick.

Kia Carens Clavis

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