I am planning to buy a car for my family, with comfort for my ageing parents as the main priority. I don't like the rubber-band effect of CVTs, although I found it less noticeable in the Honda Elevate. Because of this, I have ruled out the Seltos and Creta. I would like to know how the performance and comfort of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara compare with the Elevate, especially since the Grand Vitara gets a torque-converter gearbox. I also do a lot of spirited highway driving and need strong performance for overtaking. My maximum budget is Rs 19 lakh on-road. Which one would you suggest?

autocar.india

•18h

If you are planning to buy the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid around Diwali, there is no need to wait for a facelift at this point. An update does not appear imminent, and even if Maruti is planning one, expect it to arrive only around mid 2027 at the earliest.The current Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid remains a good choice if fuel efficiency, particularly in city driving, is your priority. Waiting several more months for an unconfirmed facelift may not be worthwhile, especially if the current car meets your requirements.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

autocar.india

•3h

Given your limited driving, a diesel car does not make financial sense. Since you primarily use your car at weekends for family outings, city drives and occasional highway trips, the additional upfront cost of a diesel is unlikely to be offset by fuel savings.If you prefer the Kia Seltos, we would recommend the naturally aspirated petrol version instead. It is smooth and easy to drive in the city and has enough performance for occasional highway runs, while saving you a healthy amount upfront compared to the diesel.The Honda Elevate VX MT is an excellent alternative too, with its spacious cabin, comfortable ride and straightforward petrol powertrain. Our recommendation would be to choose between the Elevate and the Seltos petrol based on your preferences for driving experience, features and comfort, rather than buying a diesel purely to save on fuel costs.

Kia Seltos

Honda Elevate

autocar.india

•1h

With your annual running of just 7,000km, the Duster Hybrid's extra Rs 3 lakh is unlikely to be recovered through fuel savings alone. However, the hybrid does have a significant advantage in city driving: based on our tests, the real-world fuel efficiency difference between the 1.3 turbo petrol DCT and the hybrid can be around 10kpl in the city. That is a substantial gap, especially if a third to two-fifths of your driving is in town.The hybrid also has advantages beyond economy. Its 160hp powertrain is more powerful and refined, delivering strong acceleration while keeping the ride and handling excellent. It's also a good highway cruiser, so you're not sacrificing performance for better mileage.However, because you cover 60 per cent of your distance on highways, the fuel saving will be smaller than it would be for someone who drives mainly in the city. The petrol DCT is also significantly more efficient on the highway than in town, returning 13.47kpl in our test, but its overall tested average was 10.47kpl.If you value the hybrid's refinement, performance and city efficiency, it is worth considering. But at just 7,000km a year, the Rs 3 lakh premium is difficult to justify on fuel savings alone.

Renault Duster