I’m planning to buy a hybrid SUV and prefer Toyota. What is the status of the Toyota RAV4 or Toyota Corolla Cross launch in India? Should I wait for them, as I plan to buy the vehicle in 2026?

Autocar India

•15h

Mostly stop-go Andheri traffic, a switch from your City to a taller automatic - in that use, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder V hybrid is the one to pick. It feels the smoothest in city moves because it often runs on electric power at low speed, so pull-offs are quiet, and there’s no shudder. Toyota’s hybrid system is proven and usually low on upkeep, which helps long-term costs. Ground clearance is ample for Mumbai’s broken patches, and the top trim packs city-friendly aids like a 360-degree camera and parking sensors; ventilated seats are offered depending on variant.Two trade-offs to note: when you press hard, the engine can sound busy, and the boot is smaller than the others. Also, auto wipers are not available.If rain-sensing wipers and a fuller feature list matter more than hybrid smoothness, the Kia Seltos 1.5 petrol IVT suits Mumbai well. It rides well over potholes, has ventilated seats and parking aids and is the most modern of your picks. Overall, for heavy city use, the Hyryder hybrid lines up best.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Kia Seltos

Autocar India

•1d

For light weekday use, occasional highway trips, and a slightly fun driving experience, the Volkswagen Virtus 1.0 turbo-petrol manual suits your requirements better. It feels quick without needing to rev hard, so gaps in traffic and hill climbs are easy. The steering is light in the city, yet the car stays steady on open roads, and the big boot makes weekend runs simple. The manual is also enjoyable to use if you like being involved while driving.About the Honda City’s tyre noise: it does let in more tyre and road noise than you might expect on rough or concrete roads, but it is rarely a deal-breaker. It also varies a lot with tyre brand and pressure. Switching to a quieter set of tyres later usually helps.Two trade-offs with the Virtus: the rear seat is not as wide as the Honda City’s, and it won’t be as fuel-efficient. A close alternative with a similar driving feel is the Skoda Slavia. If you love the City’s smooth engine and spacious cabin, then that is still the one to get. Just keep in mind that a facelift is expected soon, so either wait for that or negotiate a good discount on the current stock.

Volkswagen Virtus

Skoda Slavia

Honda City

Autocar India

•1d

That headline range comes from a fixed lab test. In Europe, it is WLTP. In India, most brands quote the ARAI/MIDC result. For the Citroen eC3, the 320 km figure is from the Indian ARAI test. This is derived from running the car in a controlled environment - on a rolling road in a lab, at set gentle speeds, with no AC, light load and its battery temperature too is maintained at optimum levels. In the real world, however, different driving styles, ambient temperatures, air-con use, and gradient changes are likely to hamper efficiency. So the real-world figure is usually much lower than the manufacturer's claimed numbers.In our real-world tests, the eC3 delivered 228km, which is largely in line with the 230 km predicted range that's displayed when your car's battery is fully charged. The vehicle's on-board computer studies your previous driving style, based on which it displays a predicted range number.To check your real range, charge to 100%, reset the trip, drive to about 10-15% SoC and see the kilometres covered. If it is far lower than expected, even with calm driving, check tyre pressures and ask the dealer to scan for software updates or battery health.

Citroen eC3