I’m Kathir from Chennai. I have been following Autocar for many years, and it has always been interesting and useful, with clear explanations. I often recommend Autocar to others for reliable information, so thanks to the entire team! I currently drive a 2008 i10 1.2 Magna, and my wife drives a 2016 Grand i10 Asta automatic, which has now covered 92,000 km. We are planning to sell this car and buy a new automatic petrol car within a ₹20 lakh on-road budget. Earlier, choosing a car was easier, but now it feels more confusing. We like Hyundai cars but now, we are open to trying other brands. We have test-driven the Ertiga AT, Victoris AT, Creta AT, and Carens AT, and are also planning to test Volkswagen and Skoda models. I like the Sierra, Duster, and XUV 7XO, but I am not fully confident about buying them. I am also unsure whether to buy a new car or consider a used one. Please suggest both a new car option and advice on buying a used car.

Autocar India

•4d

You should go for the Mahindra XEV 9S. It's a proper three-row EV, and it fits your use case perfectly. With home solar charging, your running costs are very low, and the smooth, quiet drive is just right for city runs as a 4-seater. When you do need six or seven seats, the third row is reasonably spacious, and for your 500 km trip every couple of months, you’ll need just one quick top-up at a highway charger.Do note that with all three rows up, boot space is tight, so your highway trips will require some planning.Alternatively, consider the Kia Carens Clavis EV. It isn't as feature-rich and doesn't have as much range as the XEV 9S, but its third row is more comfortable for adults.

Mahindra XEV 9S

Kia Carens Clavis EV

Autocar India

•14h

Based on your requirement, we would recommend the Honda Amaze ZX CVT over the Skoda Kylaq Signature+ AT. The reason is that your priorities are not outright performance or driving excitement. You are looking for a car that will spend 90% of its life in city traffic, will also be driven by your 69-year-old father, and is expected to stay with the family for around 10 years. In that context, Amaze's strengths line up perfectly with your requirements. The CVT is smoother than the Kylaq's torque converter automatic in stop-and-go traffic, visibility is excellent, the car is easy to place on the road, ingress and egress are straightforward, and Honda's long-term reliability record is hard to fault. Coming from an Alto K10, it will already feel like a substantial upgrade in comfort, refinement and features.The Kylaq Signature Plus AT is the more desirable car from an enthusiast's perspective. The 1.0 TSI turbo petrol has more punch, the higher seating position is nice, and the overall package feels more substantial. However, it is also a larger vehicle to manoeuvre, and while the automatic is good, it is not quite as seamless in everyday traffic as Honda's CVT.Another point in Amaze's favour is that the ZX variant gets Honda Sensing ADAS, which adds useful safety features without making the car complicated to operate. Since your father will also be driving it, that extra layer of safety is a nice bonus.

Honda Amaze

Skoda Kylaq