Lakhimpur

•7w

Hi Autocar, I’m looking for a petrol SUV under Rs 18 lakh with a manual transmission. I live in a small town and travel to Bengaluru occasionally. Most of my driving is a mix of city and highway use, with some hill driving, and I expect to cover around 5,000–8,000 km a year. I’m not looking for excessive features, as I feel the more electronics and automation a car has, the higher the maintenance costs can be. My priorities are a strong SUV stance and commanding driving position, good safety, annual maintenance costs below Rs 10,000, decent mileage, good road presence, predictable handling and comfortable ride quality. I also go trekking and take part in other outdoor activities, so some light off-road capability would be useful. Nothing extreme, but enough ground clearance and confidence to tackle rough patches and uneven roads. At the moment, I’m considering the Honda Elevate and Renault Duster, but I’m slightly concerned about long-term maintenance and after-sales support. From what I understand, Honda parts are generally sourced through its authorised network, while the Duster is not particularly known for having strong after-sales support. Could you please suggest which SUV would be the better choice for my requirements? Any other recommendations would also be helpful.

•6w

We would recommend the Renault Duster with the turbo-petrol engine paired with the six-speed manual. It is the best fit for the stated usage and priorities. With relatively low annual running, a petrol engine makes more sense, and while the Honda Elevate’s naturally aspirated engine is smooth, reliable and easy to live with, it does not have the Duster’s sense of toughness.

The Elevate also feels less modern inside compared with the Duster. The Duster has a strong SUV stance, a commanding driving position and good ground clearance, which should provide greater confidence on rough patches and light off-road trails. Its handling and suspension are particular strengths, while the overall build quality also feels reassuring.

Renault’s service network is not the strongest, but support should be better in Bengaluru, given that it is a major city. As an overall package, and considering the requirements, the Duster makes for the better choice. A relatively limited service network for Renault cars is a drawback, but the Duster’s strengths make it a more suitable option for this particular usage.

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Renault

Duster

from ₹11.55 Lakh

Honda

Elevate

from ₹12.99 Lakh

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•1d

I am looking for a fun-to-drive manual car around the Rs 15 lakh budget. I live in a city with very little traffic and already have two sensible cars, so I now want something small, manual and fun to drive. Automatic transmission and mileage are not priorities. I am also an enthusiastic driver and enjoy revving the engine to extract performance. I am currently considering the Kylaq Sportline, which I can get for around Rs 13 lakh. Would the XUV 3XO or lower variants of the 1.3-litre Duster be better choices? I am also open to sedans such as the Honda City and Hyundai Verna, but I may not always be able to avoid bumps and broken roads when driving fast, so I would prefer something with more ground clearance. I also find them relatively large compared with what I am looking for.

•16h

Given your requirements, the Kylaq Sportline is a good fit. The 1.0 TSI is a genuinely punchy engine that loves to be revved; the manual gearbox is slick, and the car has a great ride and handling balance. The Skoda Kylaq is also compact enough to be genuinely fun on tighter roads, and the ride is well sorted for broken patches, which addresses your concern about sedans.The Mahindra XUV 3XO is a good car and has a more powerful engine, but it is not as driver-focused as the Kylaq. The Renault Duster 1.3 Turbo is a strong alternative if you want more outright performance, but it is a bigger car and does not feel as nimble as the Kylaq. The Kylaq is the right size, has the right engine and gearbox combination, and is genuinely fun to drive. At Rs 13 lakh, the Kylaq Sportline is also great value.

I have been driving Renault Kwid for the past 8 years for daily commute within the city. I have owned Scorpio, Sumo, Tata Indica and Santro in the past. Now, I want to upgrade to another car for daily city and highway driving. On an average, average monthly city driving is 600-800 km and with 3 long drives of 1500 to 1800 km annually on average. We are family of 3 and working professionals. My son is 20 years old. We plan to buy the car in October under a budget of 23 lakh. Please advise which vehicle, variant and fuel type should I opt for.

•1d

Based on your usage, a petrol automatic SUV is the most sensible choice. Your monthly running is around 600-800 km with three long highway trips a year, which does not justify a diesel. Given your budget of up to Rs. 23 lakh, the Kia Seltos 1.5 petrol IVT is the recommendation. It offers a good balance of comfort, space and features, making it a significant upgrade from the Kwid. The Seltos is also well-suited for both city driving and long highway journeys, and it will be comfortable for a family of three adults.If you want to stick with Renault, the new Duster is a good option. It feels more solid than the Seltos, has strong turbo petrol engines and a massive boot for your outstation trips. It gets all the bells and whistles and is priced very competitively, so your Rs. 23 lakh could go a lot further. Do note that the fuel efficiency won't be as good, however, and the rear seat isn't as spacious. Overall, the Seltos is your best bet.

I have booked Duster hybrid but right now, I am thinking about purchasing an EV for approximately 1500 km of monthly running that includes 1000 km on highway and 500 km in the city with approximately 1500 km of road trip twice annually. Please suggest.

•2d

With 1,500km a month, mostly highway, and two 1,500km road trips a year, the Renault Duster Hybrid is the right choice. The hybrid system will help in the city, but the real advantage is on the highway, where you get consistent range, quick refueling and no need to plan charging stops. Your long road trips are the key factor here - an EV would require careful planning around charging infrastructure, and even with a long-range EV, you would be stopping for 30-60 minutes at a time. The Duster Hybrid gives you the flexibility to just keep going.If you were doing mostly city driving, an EV would make more sense. But with your usage pattern, the hybrid is the more practical and stress-free option. The Duster Hybrid promises to be a genuinely enjoyable car to drive, with a good balance of ride comfort and handling, and a sophisticated hybrid system adds efficiency without complicating the ownership experience. Stick with the Duster Hybrid as it is the right car for your needs.

Renault Duster

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•22h

Hi, I am planning to buy a CNG SUV and am considering the Tata Nexon CNG and Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG. I will be driving around 150km every day for office, so my main concerns are fuel economy and maintenance costs. Many people have suggested the Brezza because of its mileage and lower running costs, but Tata is also a large company and has a wide service network. So, why do buyers generally recommend the Brezza over the Nexon CNG? I personally prefer the Nexon, but I am confused about whether it would be the right choice for my daily usage. Which one would make more sense for my requirements?

•12h

Go with the Tata Nexon CNG if that is your preference. At 150 km daily, CNG is the right fuel choice, and both the Nexon and Maruti Suzuki Brezza are factory CNG cars, so reliability and safety are not a concern. The Nexon CNG is a strong product with good performance, a comfortable ride and a well-equipped cabin. The reason many people suggest the Brezza is Maruti's reputation for low maintenance costs, wide service reach and a long-standing reputation for hassle-free ownership. The Brezza CNG is also a very reliable and efficient package. However, the Nexon CNG is the more modern car and feels more premium inside.At 150 km daily, the key is to choose the car you will enjoy driving every day. The Nexon CNG is a solid choice, and there is no reason to change your decision.

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•3d

I want to know the launch date of the new Toyota Innova Hycross model.

•3d

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•6d

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.

•5d

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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