Mumbai

Haris

•2d

Hi Autocar Team, I currently own a 2016 Maruti Suzuki Ciaz diesel, which I plan to keep for highway trips, long-distance travel and as a backup vehicle. I am looking to buy a second car purely as a city EV for Chennai, with a budget of around Rs 15 lakh on-road, though I can stretch slightly if justified. My typical usage includes daily city driving, client meetings, airport runs and occasional family outings. I drive around 10,000km per year and usually keep my cars for 7-9 years or until they reach around 1 lakh kilometres. My priorities are: ride comfort and suspension, reliability over 7-9 years, battery warranty and long-term ownership confidence, service network and availability of parts, ease of driving and parking in city traffic, resale value after 7-9 years, and real-world range of at least 300km. I have already test-driven several EVs, including the Mahindra BE 6, Hyundai Creta EV, Kia Carens EV, MG ZS EV, Maruti e Vitara and VinFast VF 6. While I liked the Mahindra and VinFast products, I am now wondering whether a smaller and more affordable EV makes more sense since I already have the Ciaz for highway duties. Which EV would you recommend as the best secondary city car for long-term ownership in India today? Would you choose the Tata Punch EV, Nexon EV, Tiago EV, MG Windsor EV or another option altogether? Looking forward to your advice.

Autocar India

•12m

Pick the Tata Nexon EV 45kWh. For a Chennai city car, it rides over broken roads better than most, slips into tight parking spaces, and still delivers over 300km on a single charge. You already have the Ciaz for highway duties, so the Nexon EV’s size, light steering and good visibility make daily client visits and airport runs stress-free.

For long-term ownership, Tata’s EV footprint is the widest in India today, with parts and service support across most cities, and the 8-year/1.6 lakh km battery warranty aligns well with your 7-9 year ownership plan. The battery chemistry also handles heat well, which matters in Chennai. Running costs remain low, and strong demand should help resale values compared to many other EVs.

The Punch EV and Tiago EV are good options too, but they will fall well short of your requirement of 300km-plus on a single charge. The MG Windsor EV is worth considering if you want a more spacious cabin, though its real-world range is not as strong as the Nexon EV’s.

One honest niggle: Tata’s service quality can be inconsistent, so make sure you choose a good dealer with a strong reputation.

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More questions on similar cars

Neerav Parmar

•2d

Hi. I have a Maruti Suzuki S-Presso CNG that I bought in August 2020. It has already covered 1,60,000km. My daily running is approximately 115km, with 85% on highways and 15% in mixed city traffic. I want to replace it before Diwali 2026. Please suggest a car for long-term ownership. Should I continue with CNG, or switch to an EV or diesel?

Autocar India

•52m

An EV could make a lot of sense for your usage, but only if you can install a home charger. Covering 115km a day, mostly on the highway, is easy for today’s EVs, and your heavy running will cut fuel and service costs significantly. You will also get much stronger cruising performance and overtaking ability than your S-Presso CNG, with no fuel station queues to worry about.The Tata Nexon EV 45kWh is the sensible pick for value and service network support, and it will comfortably manage two days of driving on a single charge. If you are on a tighter budget, then the Punch EV 40kWh is also a good choice.The honest catch: highway fast chargers can still be patchy on some routes, and the upfront purchase price is higher.If home charging is not possible, then buy a diesel and keep life simple on the highway. The Hyundai Venue diesel and Kia Sonet diesel are both good choices for your needs.

Tata Nexon EV

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Sagar Kailash Agarwall

•2w

Hi, I am planning to buy an EV in the 15-17 lakh range. This will be my daily drive to the office, which is approximately 40-50 kms a day. I have driven the Nexon EV, Windsor EV, and the Curvv EV. I haven't driven the VF6 yet, as it is a little over my budget, but it seems a better car in terms of build quality and driving, as per reviews. Should I settle for one of the obvious or splurge a bit for the VinFast?

Autocar India

•1d

For a 40-50 km daily city run and a budget of Rs. 15-17 lakh, go with the Nexon EV 45kWh version in a mid trim. It suits your use and budget better than stretching for the Vinfast VF6. You’ll get more than enough range for the week with a healthy buffer; it is easy to drive and park, rides comfortably over bad patches. Also, Tata’s service reach is fairly wide. The Nexon EV has also proven to be a safe car.Do note, the Nexon EV’s cabin does not feel as premium as the VF6. But for office runs, traffic and the odd weekend trip, it works well.If you want a fresher shape and a bit more road presence from your shortlist, the Tata Curvv EV is worth a look.

rishi sudhakar

I purchased a VinFast VF6 just 10 days ago. The company and dealer committed a range of 468km on a full charge, but it doesn't even deliver 280km. The dealer is not sharing any phone numbers or email IDs of VinFast representatives. Please advise how I can get this issue addressed. I would also request your channel to raise this issue, as EV companies should not be allowed to make such claims and sell their products to Indian customers.

Autocar India

•2d

The first thing to understand is that the 468km figure is the ARAI-certified range, and that number is achieved under standardised test conditions. In the real world, every electric car sold in India delivers significantly less than its claimed ARAI range, depending on speed, driving style, traffic, terrain, air-conditioning use and weather conditions.This is not unique to the VinFast VF6. Models such as the Nexon EV, Curvv EV, Windsor EV and Creta Electric also deliver real-world ranges that are noticeably lower than their official ARAI figures. That said, a real-world range of around 280km does appear lower than expected and is worth investigating.Before concluding that there is a fault, check factors such as average speed, drive mode, AC usage and whether the battery has completed a few charge-discharge cycles. Many EVs show more consistent efficiency after the initial running-in period.As for escalating the issue, insist on a written response from the dealer and ask them to arrange a battery health and diagnostic check. Keep records of all communication. If the dealer is unable or unwilling to provide contact details for the manufacturer, ask for the regional service manager's details and raise the matter through VinFast's official customer support channels.

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Popular discussions right now

Jayvir Deol

•3d

I want to buy an SUV, and my budget is around 20 lakh. I have seen the MG Hector, the Mahindra XUV and the Tharr Rox. Which car should I buy, and given the current scenarios on the govt policies, should I go for petrol or diesel?

Autocar India

•2d

Pick the Mahindra XUV 7XO. At around Rs. 20 lakh, it gives you the best mix of space, strong performance and safety, and it is far easier to live with every day than the Thar Roxx while being a better value than a low or mid Hector variant. You also get both petrol and diesel choices, so you can match it to your running.Fuel choice is simple. Go petrol if most of your use is in the city or your running is under about 1,200 km a month. It is quieter, has fewer policy worries, and resale stays safe even if some cities tighten diesel rules. Pick diesel only if you drive long highway distances often, want a longer tank range, or haul a full family with luggage regularly.The only real downside with the XUV 7XO is that the fanciest features push you beyond Rs. 20 lakh, and there may be a wait period. If you mainly want a rugged toy, the Thar Roxx is great, but for family life, the XUV 7XO fits better.

Saransh Parnami

I am confused between the Nexon, XUV 3XO, and Venue as my first car. My running is expected to be 1,000-1,200 km per month. My priorities are: 1) Performance, 2) Mileage and ownership cost, 3) Features, and 4) Rear-seat and boot space. Please advise and suggest the best-value variant as well. I am inclined towards a manual.

Autocar India

•3d

Our first recommendation would be the new Venue Turbo Petrol Manual. It strikes the best balance for your priorities. The turbo petrol engine is punchy and enjoyable to drive, fuel efficiency is respectable, and Hyundai's ownership experience is generally hassle-free. The latest Hyundai Venue is also more spacious than before, particularly in the rear seat, and feels like a very well-rounded first car. For value, we would look at the SX Turbo Manual, which gets a good mix of features without stretching the budget too much.Our second choice would be the Mahindra XUV 3XO. If outright performance and rear seat space are your priorities, it is arguably the strongest car here. The turbo petrol engine is lively, the rear bench is among the widest in the segment, and it feels more substantial than the Venue. The downside is that fuel efficiency is not as strong, and the boot is one of the smallest in the class. The MX2 Pro or AX5 Manual would be the variants to consider, depending on your budget.The Tata Nexon would be our third choice. It remains a good all-round package with decent space, a strong feature list and good road presence. However, compared to the newer Venue and 3XO, it does not feel quite as polished, and neither the driving experience nor the ownership proposition is as compelling.

Abhishek Das

I am planning to purchase a new automatic car and am confused between the Honda Amaze ZX CVT and the Skoda Kylaq Signature Plus AT. My usage will be around 90% city driving, primarily for office commuting between Dwarka, Delhi and my office near IFFCO Chowk, Gurugram (approximately 25 km one way). However, I will not be driving daily, as I often use the Metro as well. The car will also be driven by my 69-year-old father, so ease of driving, comfort, visibility, ingress/egress, and reliability are important considerations. Our previous car was an Alto K10 Manual, so this will be our first automatic car and a significant upgrade. Considering my usage pattern, family profile and the fact that we intend to keep the car for a long period for around 10 years, which of these two would you recommend?

Autocar India

•4d

Based on your requirement, we would recommend the Honda Amaze ZX CVT over the Skoda Kylaq Signature+ AT. The reason is that your priorities are not outright performance or driving excitement. You are looking for a car that will spend 90% of its life in city traffic, will also be driven by your 69-year-old father, and is expected to stay with the family for around 10 years. In that context, Amaze's strengths line up perfectly with your requirements. The CVT is smoother than the Kylaq's torque converter automatic in stop-and-go traffic, visibility is excellent, the car is easy to place on the road, ingress and egress are straightforward, and Honda's long-term reliability record is hard to fault. Coming from an Alto K10, it will already feel like a substantial upgrade in comfort, refinement and features.The Kylaq Signature Plus AT is the more desirable car from an enthusiast's perspective. The 1.0 TSI turbo petrol has more punch, the higher seating position is nice, and the overall package feels more substantial. However, it is also a larger vehicle to manoeuvre, and while the automatic is good, it is not quite as seamless in everyday traffic as Honda's CVT.Another point in Amaze's favour is that the ZX variant gets Honda Sensing ADAS, which adds useful safety features without making the car complicated to operate. Since your father will also be driving it, that extra layer of safety is a nice bonus.

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