Delhi

•6w

Dear Autocar India experts, I am planning to buy a new car for my daily commute. I live in a hilly area and want my next car to be spacious enough for taking my three kids to school and for family functions. I have been waiting for the Skoda Superb for almost a year. Now that it is finally coming to India, I have heard that it may not be offered with a petrol engine, which is what I was hoping for. I am a fan of diesel cars, but I have had a bad experience with DPF issues in my Velar, so I am now hesitant to go down that route again. As an alternative, I am considering an electric car and have been looking at the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and BYD Sealion 7. I would like to know your expert opinion on these two EVs, particularly when it comes to after-sales service and ownership experience. Which one would you recommend for my requirements, or should I wait and go for the Skoda Superb anyway? I currently use a Brezza diesel for my daily commute and also have a Zen for fun drives. Kindly help me make the right choice. Thank you for your expert advice.

•6w

Given your requirements, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the better fit. You live in a hilly area, have three kids and need a car for school runs and family functions, so space, comfort and practicality are key. The Ioniq 5 is a large, spacious EV with a flat floor, excellent rear seat space and a big boot, making it well suited to family use. Hyundai also has a far stronger service network and EV support infrastructure than BYD, which is important for long-term ownership confidence.

The BYD Sealion 7 is a very impressive EV with a larger battery and longer claimed range, but BYD's service network is still relatively limited compared to Hyundai. In a hilly area where you may need support, that matters. The Ioniq 5's range is already very strong and more than adequate for daily use, so the difference is not worth the trade-off in service confidence.

As for the Skoda Superb, it is a fantastic car, but it is coming only as a diesel. Given your bad experience with DPF issues on your Velar and your preference for petrol, it is not the right choice. Modern diesels are cleaner, but DPF issues can still occur in hilly, stop-start conditions if the car is not regularly driven on longer runs.

You already have a Maruti Suzuki Brezza diesel for daily use and a Zen for fun drives, so the Ioniq 5 adds a spacious, comfortable and reliable family car to your garage without the DPF concerns. It is the most sensible and future-proof choice for your needs.

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•6w•

@quink86bx

Go with Maruti Suzuki Brezza 👍

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•1w

Dear Autocar India team, I am planning to purchase my first family car with a budget of Rs 11 lakh and have already booked the Kia Sonet HTK+ variant. However, concerns raised on social media about the performance of its 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine have made me reconsider my decision. Since our monthly usage is relatively low and the car will primarily be used for occasional trips, would the Sonet HTK+ be a suitable choice for our requirements, or should I consider another model or an alternative powertrain within the Sonet range? I would appreciate your professional guidance in making the right decision. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

•6h

If your usage is primarily in the city, the 1.2-litre Kia Sonet will serve you just fine. It has a smooth, refined engine paired with a light clutch and gearbox, which makes it easy to drive in city traffic. Where it falls short is on the highway, where it may need a downshift to make an overtake.If you frequently travel on the highway with three or more passengers, you would be better off looking at a turbo-petrol version of the Sonet. Alternatively, consider something like the Maruti Suzuki Brezza or Hyundai Venue with a turbo-petrol engine. However, the trade-off for better performance from a turbo-petrol engine is lower fuel efficiency in the city.If you only plan on using the Sonet around town, stick with the naturally aspirated engine. But if highway performance is important, the turbo-petrol is a worthwhile upgrade.

We’re first-time car buyers, a couple aged 40 and 35 with two kids (aged10 and 5), and we’re currently learning to drive at a Maruti driving school. Our budget is up to Rs 13.5 lakh on-road, and our usage will be about 40 percent city and 60 percent highway. We’re torn between the Maruti Suzuki Brezza 1.5 petrol (manual or automatic), which I prefer, and the Hyundai Venue 1.2 petrol, which my wife prefers because it feels smaller and more stylish. Between the Brezza and the Venue 1.2, which is better for new drivers with mixed city and highway use? Should first-time drivers choose a manual or an automatic, considering the extra cost, fuel efficiency and maintenance? Some people suggest an automatic, while others recommend a manual for better control and lower long-term maintenance. I’m also concerned about reports of the Venue 1.0 turbo DCT gearbox overheating. Please advise.

•22h

Since you are learning to drive, doing so on a manual would be better as then driving an automatic is much simpler to do, however if you learn on an automatic, then driving a manual is very difficult. Thus, learning on a manual gives you better flexibility in terms of the types of vehicles you can drive. As for the choice between the Brezza and the Venue, both are good options, and you can't go wrong with either. If it's an automatic, however, we would lean towards the 1.5 NA Brezza, as this comes with a torque converter gearbox, which is the smoothest type of automatic gearbox and is also more robust in heavy and constant start-stop traffic.

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•1d

We’re a family of four, a couple with two kids aged one and three, and we’re upgrading from a 2013 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R. My daily office commute is a 20 km round trip in the NCR, usually with only me in the car. On weekends, the whole family drives about 100 km within the NCR. Three times a year, we take long trips of up to around 1,000 km round trip to Punjab or Himachal Pradesh. We intend to keep the car for about eight to ten years. We’re considering the Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXi+ AT, Victoris VXi AT and XL6 Zeta AT. Which one would you suggest?

•23h

From your shortlist, we would go with the Maruti Brezza. The space on offer inside is quite generous, and given your family size, you do not really need a larger car. Moreover, since you drive daily within the city, the compact dimensions of the Brezza would be easier to manage in traffic and also in terms of finding parking. As for your yearly extended trips, the Brezza would also do just fine, though if you carry a lot of luggage, the Xl6 would be ideal. That aside the Brezza would more than suffice for you needs.

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•6d

I am planning to buy the top-end Hyundai Creta Turbo Petrol DCT variant. My daily running is around 50–100km, which adds up to approximately 25,000–30,000km annually. I am looking for a car that offers strong performance and quick acceleration, along with a comprehensive set of comfort and convenience features. Should I buy the current Creta Turbo Petrol DCT top variant or wait for the 2027 Creta? For context, I currently own a 2024 Maruti Suzuki Dzire Hybrid and a Volkswagen Virtus GT 1.5 TSI.

•5d

The 2027 Hyundai New Creta will be thoroughly updated inside-out, and it'll have more tech and features. If you don't mind waiting, it makes sense to get the 2027 new-gen model. Do note, its powertrain options are likely to be carried forward from the current version. If you can't wait, but still want the performance as well as the latest in terms of tech and features, consider the Kia Seltos turbo-dct instead, which packs in more or less everything the next-gen Creta is likely to offer.

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•6d

Which SUV would you pick for a family of 5?

•5d

I’m planning to buy a new car, and my annual running is around 40,000km, primarily involving highway drives and ghat sections. I have shortlisted the Kia Seltos Diesel HTX and the upcoming facelifted Toyota Innova Hycross ZX. I’m considering two approaches: either buy the Innova Hycross and keep it for the next 10 years, given its reputation for longevity and the expectation that its engine can last at least 4 lakh kilometres, or buy the Seltos, drive it for around 2 lakh kilometres over 4–5 years, sell it and upgrade to a brand-new Seltos or another car of a similar price and size. On paper, the Innova Hycross Hybrid seems like the better choice, considering its long-term reliability and features such as the Ottoman reclining seats. However, I’m concerned that I might get bored of it after four years or that it may start feeling outdated as newer technologies and features enter the market. This makes the second option appealing, as it would allow me to upgrade to a brand-new car every 4–5 years. Which approach would make more sense in the long run, considering my high annual running and ownership costs?

•5d

It seems like you're leaning towards the Kia Seltos Diesel HTX, and we think it is a good choice. The diesel engine feels adequately powered for highway usage and ghat driving, and it is likely to return respectable efficiency too. Moreover, despite being modern with all the latest tech and features, the Seltos will be substantially more affordable than the Toyota Innova Hycross hybrid. So unless you need the Innova's extra space, or you frequently travel with six or seven passengers, the Kia Seltos diesel is your best bet.

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