I want a car with decent mileage, good safety and comfortable highway manners. I am confused between the Tata Nexon CNG and Punch CNG. Which would you recommend for long-term family use?

autocar.india

•1h

The diesel-automatic options available are the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Kia Syros, Mahindra XUV 3XO and Tata Nexon. Out of these, the Hyundai and Kia offerings share their 1.5-litre diesel engine and 6-speed automatic transmission, which is smooth, refined and very efficient. Mahindra and Tata use a 6-speed AMT, which isn't as smooth or seamless as the torque converter which the others offer. Hence, we'd advise you to narrow down your options to the Venue, Sonet and Syros.Out of these, the Syros is a brilliantly packaged car with a sophisticated interior. If you don't mind the way it looks, it deserves serious consideration. If you prefer a vehicle that looks a bit more conventional, opt for the Venue instead, which ticks all the right boxes.Alternatively, you could consider an entry-level Kia Seltos HTE O variant. You might miss out on some features, but if you're looking for a more spacious car from a segment above, it might be worth opting for. It has the same powertrain as the Venue.

Hyundai Venue

Kia Sonet

Kia Syros

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Tata Nexon

autocar.india

•2d

For a family of four doing a mix of city and highway driving, the Tata Aeris iCNG AMT is the best all-rounder of the three. Being a sedan, it gives you more rear-seat room and better highway stability than the Tata Punch. Its twin-cylinder CNG setup also leaves you a usable 227-litre boot, so weekend luggage isn't a problem.The Punch iCNG AMT uses the same twin-cylinder layout and gets a 210-litre boot. Its higher ground clearance and compact size make it easier to live with in tight city traffic and on bad roads. However, it's a smaller car overall, and four adults will feel more cramped on long drives.The Honda Amaze is the most refined car here, and its CVT is far smoother than the AMTs in both Tata cars. Keep in mind, though, that Honda doesn't sell a factory-fitted CNG Amaze. CNG comes as a dealer-fitted kit, so check with your dealer that it's offered on the CVT. That kit uses a single large cylinder, which takes up most of the Amaze's 416-litre boot.

Tata Aeris

Tata Punch

Honda Amaze

autocar.india

•2h

Whether it is worth paying the premium for a Honda Elevate over the Skoda Kylaq purely depends on your use case.The Skoda Kylaq will appeal to those buyers who want a (relatively) compact car that's enjoyable to drive. It is well-built and has a strong 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with a responsive 6-speed torque converter automatic that complements its taut chassis and excellent ride-handling balance. Being a sub-4-meter offering, it also falls in a lower tax bracket compared to the Elevate; hence it is more affordable too.The Honda Elevate, on the other hand, is a larger car with more rear seat space and a bigger boot, which makes a difference for buyers who regularly travel with family and/or luggage. The price difference is not just for the engine; it is for the overall package, including space, comfort, higher ground clearance and Honda’s reputation for long-term reliability.Also, do keep in mind that the Elevate's 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine is a proven, reliable unit, and the CVT makes the drive experience very seamless. The 1.5 NA engine's low-end pulling power is also stronger. Sure, at higher altitudes, the Kylaq's turbo-petrol engine is likely to lose less power than the Elevate's NA engine, but off-boost responses will feel noticeably duller because turbo lag in small-capacity turbo engines usually feels more pronounced. So both cars have their pros and cons while driving in hilly regions.You're also getting more features with the Elevate, like ADAS, a 360-degree camera and front and rear seat ventilation, which the Kylaq doesn't get.Lastly, as you go to higher-end segments, even though these might not offer outright value-for-money as offerings from lower segments, buyers are happy to pay the 'prestige' premium for driving a bigger car or a more luxurious car.

Skoda Kylaq

Honda Elevate