Autocar India Facebook Page Autocar India Twitter Handle Autocar India Instagram Page Autocar India Youtube Channel
Autocar India Facebook Page Autocar India Twitter Handle Autocar India Instagram Page Autocar India Youtube Channel
Profile

    Should I choose a diesel or petrol engine if I select an SUV like the XUV700 or Safari automatic?

    Asked by: Kiran
    Currently, the Tata Safari does not offer a petrol engine; however, that will change next month. Regarding your query, it really depends on what you want out of your car.
    A petrol automatic Mahindra XUV700 will be refined and very peppy to drive; however, the fuel efficiency will be very low, expect a single-digit figure in the city. This is where the diesel option is better. In our opinion, the diesel engine in the Mahindra SUVs is refined enough and in our opinion the better all rounder offering a good mix of performance, refinement and efficiency.
    Answered by img img Autocar India Team img Nov 21, 2025
    Can’t decide which car to buy? Ask our experts and get answers to all your car related queries. Ask experts
    Help and Support

    Latest questions

    Asked by: Vivek Raghuvansh Hi Experts, I have a daily running of about 80-85 km, with a mix of city and highway. I am a first-time buyer and need a reliable car with essential features and a good engine within a ₹10-12 lakh budget. I’m open to any fuel option that suits my needs. Please suggest some good options to consider. I had the Tata Altroz diesel and Kia Sonet diesel in mind. Given your requirements, we would recommend you opt for the Kia Sonet diesel. The car will likely be more reliable, and the Kia diesel engine delivers a good mix of refinement and performance. It's also very well equipped and, with the SUV body style, will give you a better view of the road outside. Do bear in mind, though, that the rear seat space is quite limited, so we would suggest you personally check to see if this is ok with you. 
    img Autocar India Team
    Dec 16, 2025
    Asked by: Monika I need to change my car and am looking for an automatic petrol model. My monthly running is about 200-300 km in Bangalore city, and my budget is ₹10-12 lakh. Please suggest suitable options. There are a plethora of automatic petrol cars available within your budget. Given your monthly travel is just 200-300km, we will give less weightage to fuel economy and more weightage to driving comfort. As we don't know other preferences, here's a shortlist of the best options by body style -  Hatchback - Hyundai i20 IVT Asta (O), Citroen C3 X Shine ATCompact sedan - Honda Amaze CVT ZXCompact SUV - Nissan Magnite Turbo CVT, Renault Kiger Turbo CVT Emotion
    img Autocar India Team
    Dec 16, 2025
    Asked by: Monika I need to change my car and am looking for an automatic petrol car. My monthly usage is around 200-300 km in Bangalore city, and I want to keep my budget between ₹10-12 lakh. Please suggest suitable options. You can consider the Skoda Kylaq. Most automatic cars in this price segment offer an automated manual transmission (AMT), which is not a very smooth shifter. The Kylaq, on the other hand, comes with a torque converter (TC), which is by far the smoothest gearbox around. The Kylaq's compact dimensions also make it perfect for the city, and it has enough space inside. Fuel efficiency will not be as high as that of a Maruti Suzuki Swift. However, since your running is low, this should not be too much of an issue. You will certainly enjoy the smoother shifting gearbox.
    img Autocar India Team
    Dec 16, 2025
    Asked by: Aditya I am planning to buy a new Kia Seltos but am confused between the IVT and DCT transmissions. Considering heavy Bangalore traffic and occasional long drives, which transmission would you recommend? The New Kia Seltos with the IVT gearbox is a better option for you. The IVT is a very smooth transmission and provides jerk-free gearshifts, which you will really appreciate in city driving. Kia's IVT also works well on highway drives and doesn't have that 'rubberband effect' (sharp rise in revs without a corresponding rise in road speed) that other CVT gearboxes are notorious for.  The DCT gearbox is quicker shifting and also comes paired to a more powerful engine. On the flip side, gearshifts on the DCT are not as smooth as the IVT in slow-speed driving scenarios.  
    img Autocar India Team
    Dec 16, 2025
    View all questions
    Can’t decide which car to buy? Ask our experts and get answers to all your car related queries. Ask experts
    Help and Support