Delhi

prashant goel

•10w

Hi, I'm planning to upgrade from 2012 Brio MT (1000 kms monthly 25/75 City/Highway) and the natural choice is Honda Elevate due to familiarity in power delivery, better in/egress and driving dynamics. While a manual is my preferred choice, I am open to an automatic. Features like panoramic sunroofs or fancy screens don't matter much. Please suggest. Also, with Turbos on sale, how often do you see buyers switching from an NA to a Turbo and back to NA? Is a Turbo petrol power so addictive?

Autocar India

•9w

The Honda Elevate is a good choice for you and a significant upgrade over your Honda Brio. It is spacious and comfortable, with a good ride quality. The 1.5 litre petrol engine is refined, and the manual gearbox is slick and easy to use.

Considering your limited city running, a manual gearbox should work fine, but an automatic will add a lot of convenience and reduce effort, especially in cities like Bengaluru, where you live. This Honda car also gets a CVT automatic, which is smooth and responsive and works well both in the city and on the highway.

As for turbo petrol engines, their power delivery is indeed addictive and makes them enjoyable to drive, but they do have some downsides. In general, turbo petrol engines are not as smooth as naturally aspirated units and can feel slightly jerky at low speeds. Their fuel efficiency is also very sensitive to throttle inputs, and with a heavier right foot, mileage can drop sharply.

If you are keen on turbo petrol options, you can consider the new Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta N Line or the Tata Sierra. The Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun are also worth considering, but we would suggest waiting, as their updates are expected soon.

Explore cars mentioned

Honda

Elevate

from ₹13.49 Lakh

Volkswagen

Taigun

from ₹12.33 Lakh

Kia

Seltos

from ₹12.79 Lakh

Hyundai

Creta

from ₹12.56 Lakh

Tata

Sierra

from ₹13.37 Lakh

Was this helpful? Ask a follow-up

Got a suggestion for prashant?

Add a Comment

Latest questions in the community

Abhinaba

•1d

I own a Grand i10 2016 model. I am looking to upgrade to an SUV (not sub-4m ones) with good power and torque. I prefer a manual petrol and want to avoid a turbo if possible. Focus is also on after-sales service. 80% of my runs are in the city. What are the options that I can consider?

Autocar India

•19h

Go for the Hyundai Creta 1.5 SX MT. As a non‑turbo manual, it balances city drivability, adequate 115hp / 144 Nm performance, and Hyundai’s large, reliable service network.Since you prefer a manual petrol and want to avoid turbos, this 1.5‑litre NA with CVT gearbox suits you. With 80% city running, its linear throttle makes crawling and short bursts easy without turbo lag. The 115hp output is enough for quick overtakes up to city speeds. Hyundai’s service network and typical 10,000 km/1‑year intervals (confirm with your dealer) keep upkeep predictable. At over 4.3m, it’s a clear upgrade, not a sub‑4 m compromise.The one thing you give up is the mid‑range surge of a turbo; quick highway passes above 90-100kph will need a downshift or two to access performance.

Hyundai Creta

Dinesh Kotwani

•6w

Hello Autocar Team, I currently own a Honda City 4th-gen CVT V (2016) and am planning to upgrade to a new car. My monthly running will be around 500–800 km, and I am looking for a comfortable and solid-built automatic car. I have taken long test drives of the Škoda Kushaq 1.0, Skoda Kushaq 1.5, Kia Sonet 1.0 DCT, Honda Elevate CVT, and Skoda Slavia 1.0 AT. Out of these, I enjoyed driving the Slavia 1.0 AT the most, while I did not like driving the Elevate and Sonet at all. However, I am concerned about the long-term reliability of the Slavia 1.0 AT for city usage, as I plan to keep the car for around 15 years. Do you think I should also test drive the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos IVT? Also, could my preference for sedans be influencing my bias against SUVs? Please advise whether I should stick with the Slavia AT or seriously consider the Creta/Seltos IVT. My maximum budget is ₹20 lakh on-road in Mumbai.

Autocar India

•2h

SUVs, no matter how well honed and engineered, are unlikely to be as enjoyable to drive as their sedan counterparts, simply because of their higher centre of gravity and relatively greater mass. That said, Skoda and Volkswagen have knocked it out of the park with their India 2.0 cars, whether sedans or SUVs, and all are exceptional to drive. If you enjoyed the Skoda Slavia, go for it. You should have no issues if you drive and maintain it properly, and Skoda's service has improved significantly in recent years, both in quality and cost. You could try the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta, which are better all-rounders than the Slavia, but given that you enjoy the Skoda sedan, we think you should go for it.

Utkarsh

I currently drive a Land Rover Defender, which I absolutely love for its design and capability. That said, I’m starting to think about SUVs that offer a bit more performance and sporty driving dynamics. I’ve briefly considered the Porsche Cayenne, but I’m curious if there are other options that balance power, handling, and everyday usability. For someone coming from a Defender, what would you recommend?

Autocar India

•23h

As you've rightly said, the Porsche Cayenne is probably your best option. No other large SUV handles as well as it does, and you get the option of two powerful turbo petrol engines - a 340hp V6 and a 500hp V8. However, if you're not concerned with having the Porsche badge, you should consider the Audi Q8, which is mechanically similar to the Cayenne, but comes in three performance levels, is set up to be more comfortable and usable, and is far more affordable too.At one end, there is the base V6 version, with the same 340hp engine, and at the other extreme is the 650hp, V8-powered RS Q8 Performance. However, Audi is about to launch the SQ8 - with the 500hp V8 - in India, and this could be the sweet spot between price and performance for you.

Porsche Cayenne

Audi Q8

View all Posts