Hello Autocar team. We are a family of five and mostly chauffeur-driven. Our daily running is almost 70 km. We want to buy an EV to save on fuel cost, primarily for city driving and occasional round trips of about 180-200 km to our native place. We have shortlisted the Punch EV Empowered S Long Range, the XUV3XO EV AX5, and the Windsor. Which one should we choose? We prefer comfort, safety, and service reliability. This will be our second car.

Autocar India

•2d

The Nexon EV with the 45kWh battery looks like the best fit within your Rs 15 lakh budget. It’s a well-established product now, having gone through multiple updates since its debut in 2020, and Tata Motors has steadily refined it over time.That said, don’t expect it to be entirely free of minor niggles that are known to still come up occasionally, but overall, it’s a sorted and usable EV. The size works well for city use, while its solid, reassuring build gives it good highway confidence, which is important if you’re planning longer drives.In terms of range, you can realistically expect over 300km in real-world conditions, depending on driving style, traffic, and terrain. Charging infrastructure is also steadily improving, which makes this Tata car easier to live with as a primary car.All things considered, it strikes a good balance between practicality, range, and price, making it one of the safest choices in this segment right now.

Tata Nexon EV

Autocar India

•17m

Mostly city use, a few trips out of town, first-time driver, and Rs 12 lakh to work with, in that situation, we would pick the Nissan Magnite Turbo CVT, ideally the top CVT trim that fits your lease budget. The CVT is seamless and keeps things smooth, which makes stop-and-go traffic much easier, and the turbo has good pull for the highway. It sits higher and gives you a better view of the road, and the steering is light, so squeezing into tight lanes or parking is simple.A couple of trade-offs to note are that Nissan’s service network is smaller than Honda’s, so check how close the dealer and workshop are in your city. Also, the cabin feels basic in some areas compared to pricier cars.The Honda Amaze has a very refined engine and smooth CVT, so it is great if you like an easy, relaxed drive. The flip side is that you sit lower and ground clearance is less than the other two, and performance is milder on highways with a full load. The Renault Kiger Turbo CVT is very similar to the Magnite in how it drives. Pick it if you prefer its look or if the Renault dealer is closer or gives a better deal.Overall, for your city-first use and as a new driver, the Magnite Turbo CVT lines up best.

Nissan Magnite

Honda Amaze

Renault Kiger

Autocar India

•2h

With 60 percent city, 30 percent highway and a bit of rough-road use, and 1,200-1,500 km a month, the Kia Seltos 1.5 diesel with the 6-speed automatic is the stronger fit for you. It pulls well from low speeds, so city drives and rural patches feel easy without pressing the pedal hard, and on the highway, it sits at speed calmly with enough power for safe passes. This automatic Kia car is a 6-speed torque-converter unit, smooth in traffic. At your monthly distance, it will also use less fuel than the petrol options.A couple of watch-outs: the diesel costs more to buy and is a bit louder at idle. If most of your city trips are very short in heavy traffic, the diesel’s particulate filter can clog over time, so plan one longer run each week to keep it clear.If your driving is mostly city and you value a quiet, easy feel, the Seltos 1.5 petrol IVT is the one to pick. The IVT feels smooth and is very relaxed in stop-go traffic. The turbo-petrol DCT offers the most performance, but the gearbox can feel a bit jerky in slow traffic.For your mix, we’d choose the Seltos diesel automatic.

Kia Seltos