South West Garo Hills

•2h

I am 59 years old and have been driving a Hyundai Xcent since 2014. It has covered 1,20,000 km, and I am due to retire at 60. Should I change my car now, and what car should I consider for two people, with monthly highway and hill trips covering Ooty, Mysuru and Bengaluru? I have a monthly running of around 1,500 km. Should I consider an EV, and if so, which one would suit my needs?

•5m

After 12 years and 1.2 lakh km with the Xcent, this is a good point to replace the car, particularly with retirement approaching. For around 1,500km a month and regular Bengaluru, Mysuru and Ooty runs, an electric car makes sense if home charging is available. The Creta Electric Long Range is the best fit because it combines a comfortable cabin, good ride quality, easy automatic driving and enough range for regular highway trips. In testing, the 51.4kWh version has delivered around 406km of real world range, while Hyundai covers the battery for eight years or 1.6 lakh km.

The Hyundai Creta Electric is also well suited to hill driving because of the instant torque and smooth power delivery. Its ride is slightly firmer than the petrol Creta but remains comfortable, while the stable highway manners are a plus for longer journeys. The only consideration with an EV is charging availability on longer hill trips, so home charging is essential.

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Hyundai

Creta Electric

from ₹19.12 Lakh

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•1d

I usually travel around 3,000km a month. My Skoda Slavia 1.0 top-end variant has already covered 63,000km in one year and 10 months. I am now planning to shift to an EV. My running includes two outstation trips every month, along with daily travel of around 100km. On weekends, I typically travel 150-200 km. My budget is around Rs 20 lakh. Which EV would suit my needs best? Kindly suggest.

•1d

With your running of around 3,000km a month, two outstation trips a month, daily 100km commutes and weekend 150-200 km runs, an electric car does make sense, but only if you have reliable home charging or charging at your workplace.The Hyundai Creta Electric would be a very sensible choice and should suit your mix of city and highway usage well. It has an excellent ride, is light and easy to drive in the city, and remains stable at higher speeds on the highway. At your Rs 20 lakh budget, you would get the smaller 42kWh battery, which should suffice for your 200km drives, assuming these do not involve too many steep climbs, as these can reduce the range. If you can stretch your budget by about Rs 1 lakh, you would be able to get the larger battery pack, which would make your long drives easier.As for the variant, it would be the base and lower trims that would suit your budget, but you will still get the essential features like automatic climate control and a touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Hyundai Creta Electric

•4h

I am looking for car suggestions around the Rs 20 lakh price bracket, but I am happy to increase my budget. I want a comfortable family car that is also fun to drive while offering good mileage. I had booked the Seltos Turbo DCT, but I am now worried about its mileage and future running costs if my running increases. My current running is around 1,000 km a month in the city, but with the car, I plan to do long-distance trips of around 600-700 km every three to four months. Should I consider an EV or wait for the Seltos Hybrid? I dropped the Hyryder from my list because I did not like its interior.

•35m

For your current 1,000 km monthly running, occasional 600-700 km trips and preference for a comfortable family car that still feels enjoyable to drive, the Kia Seltos 1.5 NA IVT is the better choice than the Turbo DCT. It is smoother in city traffic, more relaxed to drive and should have lower running costs over the long term. You give up some outright performance, but for predominantly city use, the NA engine is the more sensible match.The Seltos Turbo DCT is certainly more fun, but its real-world city efficiency is around 9-10kpl. If running increases substantially in the future, the fuel bill will become a bigger consideration. An electric car would bring much lower running costs, but with your relatively modest daily usage and occasional long trips, there is no compelling need to switch to an EV unless home charging is convenient and you are comfortable planning longer journeys around charging.The Seltos hybrid is worth waiting for only if there is no urgency to buy, since the hybrid is expected in 2027 and pricing and specifications are not yet confirmed.

Kia Seltos

•6h

I’m planning to buy a sub-4-metre car and have a very low monthly running of around 300km. Most of my driving is on the mountain roads of Uttarakhand, including narrow and winding roads. I’m looking for a safe petrol-manual car that I can keep for around 15 years. I currently own a Tata Altroz 1.2-litre petrol. Which car would be best suited to my requirements?

•2h

With only around 300km of monthly running and most of it on narrow, winding mountain roads, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza Turbo MT is a strong fit. It is compact enough for Uttarakhand's tight roads, has good ground clearance and the 1.0-litre turbo petrol's 110hp and 170Nm provide useful pulling power on climbs. The six-speed manual also suits hilly terrain well. Its five-star Bharat NCAP rating and Maruti's extensive service network are further advantages for a 15-year ownership.The Mahindra XUV 3XO 1.2 Turbo MT is an alternative if stronger performance and more cabin space are priorities. Its 111hp engine produces 200Nm, but the wider body can be less convenient on very narrow mountain roads. The Skoda Kylaq 1.0 TSI MT is another option for buyers who prioritise driving dynamics, although its service reach is not as extensive as Maruti's.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Mahindra XUV 3XO

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•6d

Hi, I’m confused between the Skoda Kylaq and Tata Punch EV and would like some advice on which one to buy. The car will primarily be used for city driving, with occasional highway trips. The budget is Rs 10-14 lakh on-road. I previously owned a Volkswagen Polo GT TDI, so I’m looking for a car that can offer a similar level of driving satisfaction while also being practical for everyday use. I’m currently confused between these two options and would appreciate some guidance.

•6d

Go for the Skoda Kylaq 1.0 TSI. With your budget of Rs 10-14 lakh, mostly city usage and occasional highway runs, the Kylaq is the better fit. It offers a familiar driving experience coming from a Polo GT TDI, with a punchy turbo petrol engine, solid build quality and a sorted ride and handling balance. The Tata Punch EV is a good city car, but the Kylaq is more versatile for occasional highway trips and long-term ownership. The Kylaq also offers better rear seat space and a more premium feel overall. The Punch EV makes sense only if your usage is almost entirely city-based and you have reliable home charging. Given your budget and usage pattern, the Kylaq is the more balanced and sensible choice.

Skoda Kylaq

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•1w

I currently drive a Hyundai i10 CNG, with daily running of around 6 km in Gurgaon city traffic and a monthly highway drive of around 200 km. I am now planning to upgrade my car, with an on-road budget of Rs. 12 lakh for a petrol sub-4-metre SUV, up to Rs. 14 lakh for a petrol midsize SUV, and Rs. 15 lakh for an EV. I live in a rented apartment on the second floor, so I am apprehensive about getting an EV. I prefer an EV, but installing a charger could be complicated due to the sanctioned load. My running could increase to nearly 800 km per month in the future. My key priorities are: - Good suspension and ride comfort, as I have a back problem - Decent fuel efficiency in heavy city traffic - Low to medium maintenance costs - Auto hold and ventilated seats would be good to have I sometimes consider buying a manual, but I mostly prefer an automatic. I am currently considering the Maruti Brezza, Baleno AMT, Fronx AMT/AT, Sonet iMT, Exter AMT, and even the upcoming Inster, VF3, and Bayon. I am open to other suggestions as well. Note: I had a bad driving experience with the Punch AMT, as it caused back fatigue.

•6d

Given your priorities of ride comfort, fuel efficiency and low maintenance, the Maruti Brezza automatic is the most sensible upgrade. It offers a comfortable ride, a proven naturally aspirated petrol engine and Maruti's strong service network, which keeps long-term ownership costs in check. The torque converter automatic is smooth in city traffic, and the Brezza's higher seating position will help with your back issues. The Sonet iMT is not the right choice here. While it is a good car, the iMT is not a true automatic and will not offer the same ease of use in Gurgaon traffic. The Baleno AMT and Exter AMT are also not ideal given your back issues and the fact that AMT gearboxes are not as smooth as torque converter automatics in stop-start conditions.On the EV front, your apprehension about charging is valid. Without a straightforward home charging solution, an EV will add unnecessary complexity to your ownership experience. The upcoming Bayon is interesting and if you can wait a few weeks you would have a better picture before making a decision. For now, the Brezza automatic strikes the best balance between comfort, efficiency and hassle-free ownership.

Hi, I want to buy my last car as I am 66 years old. I have been driving a Honda City for the last 12 years without any major hiccup. The Honda City engine and its reliability is excellent although its ground clearance is an issue. I have looked at Elevate and given its ground clearance as an SUV, I am impressed although the issues on E20 and abrupt blending issues are surely technical issues. Windsor EV was a great test drive but all controls on screen could be a bottleneck for me at my age and am planning to move to an automatic. Please recommend as experts. My monthly running will not be more than 500 km. Should I also look at Seltos. I will appreciate a feedback from experts. I want a reliable, easy to drive car with low maintenance cost and good family value with. There won't be any great pick ups or many highway drives will not be there.

•4d

Given your 12 years of trouble free City ownership, the Elevate is the most natural replacement. It retains Honda’s simple 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, adds substantially better ground clearance and gives you the easier ingress and SUV driving position you liked. The CVT is also very well suited to your low speed, low running usage and should make the transition to an automatic easy.On your E20 concern, we would not treat it as a reason to avoid the Elevate. Honda says all its cars manufactured in India since January 2009 are E20 material compatible, and the current Elevate is officially certified for E20. Honda also says E20 should not cause durability concerns or require any component changes. There can be a marginal reduction in fuel economy because ethanol contains less energy than petrol, but with your 500km monthly running, that is unlikely to be significant.The Seltos is worth a look, particularly if you want a more feature rich and premium cabin, but given your priorities of reliability, easy driving, low maintenance and long term ownership, the Elevate fits your requirements more naturally. The Windsor EV is also an interesting option, but at just 500km a month, there is little financial reason to move to an EV, especially when you have concerns about its touchscreen heavy interface.

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