Hi, I want to purchase a new car for my wife as a replacement for the Santro, with similar dimensions. Her daily office commute is around 30 km. Will an EV make sense?

Autocar India

•6h

Since you are a driving enthusiast and are looking for a mid-size SUV with good driving dynamics, we would recommend the new Skoda Kushaq. Skoda recently unveiled the facelift and will also be announcing prices this month. The Kushaq is one of the more driver-focused mid-size SUVs with very good handling manners. It will feature two engines as before, a 1.0-litre TSI and a 1.5-litre TSI. If the bigger engine is out of budget, the 1.0-litre is also quite peppy and fun to drive, with good grip and cornering. Another SUV worth waiting for would be the Renault Duster, which is launching on the 17th of this month. It gets a powerful turbo-petrol engine, and Renault has developed a good chunk of it at MMRT (Madras Motor Race Track) in Chennai and assures us that the handling would be exciting. If you aren't in a hurry, we advise you to wait till we get our hands on the Duster and even the updated Kushaq for a definitive verdict.

Skoda Kushaq facelift

Renault Duster

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Autocar India

•7h

Considering your requirements, the Mahindra XUV 3XO with the AX7 L spec would be a good choice. It gets a powerful 131hp turbo-petrol engine, a fantastic ride quality and the most up-to-date Level 2 ADAS along with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The 3XO is a compact SUV but gets a spacious rear seat and a feature-rich cabin with a panoramic sunroof and wireless connectivity. The top-spec version will easily fit in your budget.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

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Autocar India

•8h

Congratulations on being among the first 40,000 bookings. The introductory price and early delivery certainly work in your favour. The Mahindra XUV 7XO petrol uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing around 200hp, so its character is clearly biased towards strong performance rather than fuel efficiency. In Delhi NCR’s bumper-to-bumper traffic, you should realistically expect around 6-7kpl if driven gently, while on the highway, cruising steadily, you could see 11-13kpl. It’s a large, powerful SUV, so efficiency won’t be its strongest suit.Coming from a Tata Punch petrol manual, you will immediately notice that the XUV 7XO feels more substantial. The clutch is heavier, and the gear lever requires a bit more effort, largely because it’s handling far more torque. However, it’s not excessively notchy or difficult to operate, just more mechanical and solid in feel. After a short adjustment period, it should feel perfectly manageable. Given your height of 6’2”, prioritising telescopic steering is absolutely the right call, and the 7XO’s cabin space should comfortably accommodate four adults and your baby. Overall, while it won’t be light on fuel, it remains an easy and confident SUV to drive with strong road presence and ample space for your family.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

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