I want to choose between Sierra and Seltos. My preferences are: reliability, low maintenance, good road presence, good sound system, good mileage, and automatic. My average running is 16,000km annually, with 80% highway and 20% city use.

autocar.india

•11h

With 1,000-1,200 km a month and a 7-8 km/l Creta 1.6 petrol automatic, the priority should be better fuel efficiency without sacrificing comfort. The Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid is the most sensible upgrade. It delivers significantly better real-world fuel economy, especially in city driving, while still offering a comfortable ride and a well-equipped cabin. The hybrid system is proven and reliable, and the ownership experience is straightforward.If you want a more premium feel and are willing to accept slightly lower fuel efficiency, the Kia Seltos petrol IVT is a strong alternative. It offers a more upmarket cabin and a comfortable ride, but it will not match the Victoris Hybrid on fuel savings.The Hyundai Creta petrol IVT is also worth considering if you want to stay within the Hyundai family. It offers a familiar ownership experience and a comfortable ride, but again, it will not be as efficient as the Victoris Hybrid.Overall, the Victoris Hybrid strikes the best balance between fuel efficiency, comfort and long-term ownership costs for your usage pattern.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Hyundai Creta

Kia Seltos

autocar.india

•1d

Coming from a Grand i10 and with a 70 percent city, 30 percent highway usage pattern, the Seltos 1.5 petrol IVT would be the best all round upgrade around your Rs 20 lakh budget. It offers a comfortable and spacious cabin, smooth automatic, good refinement and enough performance for everyday driving, while being more fuel efficient than the turbo petrol alternatives. It also feels considerably more modern than your current car without becoming difficult to drive in the city. In our testing the Seltos IVT returned 9.27kpl in the city and 14.76kpl on the highway for the petrol automatic.The Skoda Kushaq 1.5 TSI DSG would be the choice if fun to drive is more important. It is the most engaging SUV here, with strong performance and excellent highway manners, and it was also the most fuel efficient of the turbo petrol SUVs. You can get the Sportline variant with DCT in your budget.

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kushaq

autocar.india

•1d

Yes, the flush door handles on the Kia Seltos can be opened from the outside in the event of an accident, and they are designed with safety in mind. The flush handles are a cosmetic feature that sit flush with the door for aerodynamic and aesthetic reasons, but they are still mechanically linked to the door latch mechanism. In the event of an accident, emergency responders can still access the door handles and open the doors as they would with conventional handles. This Kia car also features standard safety systems such as side impact protection, multiple airbags and reinforced door structures, which are far more critical to occupant safety in a crash than the design of the door handles themselves. Overall, flush door handles do not compromise safety in an accident and are designed to function reliably in emergency situations.

Kia Seltos