Hello Autocar family, I am planning to buy a new car for me and my grandfather. I already have a Hyundai Santro at home, so this will be my second car. The mandatory requirements are a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera, and decent mileage. My daily commute is around 30 km, including 20 km on the highway and 10 km in the city. The cars we are considering are the Kia Seltos GTX A, Mahindra XUV 7XO AX7T, Maruti Suzuki Victoris ZXI Plus (O), Hyundai Creta N Line, and Tata Sierra Adventure. I am also open to considering the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq. We are both confused and haven't been able to agree on one option. Please help us out, guys!

autocar.india

•1d

With a daily running of just 10-15 km and only a few highway trips a year, fuel efficiency and long-term reliability should be your top priorities. The Seltos DCT GTX+ and Kushaq 1.5 DSG Monte Carlo are both excellent cars, but their turbo-petrol engines and dual-clutch gearboxes are not the most efficient or the most stress-free choices for predominantly short city runs. The DCT/DSG gearboxes are at their best on open roads, and in stop-start city traffic they can feel a bit jerky and are not as smooth or as durable as a torque converter automatic over the long term.The Seltos hybrid is worth waiting for if you are not in a hurry. It is expected to be priced roughly Rs. 2-3 lakh above the equivalent petrol variant, and for your usage pattern it will make more sense than the turbo-petrol DCT. Hybrids deliver their biggest efficiency gains in city driving, and over a 10-year ownership period the fuel savings and smoother driving experience will more than justify the premium.If you want to buy now, the Kia Seltos IVT (naturally aspirated petrol with CVT) is the better choice for your usage. It is smooth, reliable and well suited to city driving, and you will not be paying a premium for performance you will rarely use. The Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI with the torque converter automatic is another good option if you prefer a more engaging driving experience, but the Seltos IVT is the more refined and hassle-free choice.EVs are not the right fit for you at the moment given your concerns about charging infrastructure and your low daily running. The savings are not significant enough to justify the compromises.

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kushaq

autocar.india

•6d

Yes, a 1.5-litre diesel is still a worthwhile choice for your usage. At 15,000 km a year with 60% highway driving, you are well within the sweet spot for diesel ownership. The DPF concerns are often overstated - modern diesels are designed to regenerate the filter during sustained highway runs, and your usage pattern is ideal for that. CAFE III regulations are pushing manufacturers towards cleaner engines, but they are not making diesels obsolete; they are simply making them more efficient and cleaner. The bigger question is whether diesel still makes financial sense. With the narrowing price gap between petrol and diesel, the payback period is longer than it used to be, but at your mileage and highway bias, it still adds up. If you are keeping the car for 5-7 years, you will see the benefit. As for automatic versus manual, go automatic if you want ease of use in city traffic; modern torque converter automatics on diesels are smooth and reliable in cars like the Kia Seltos and the Hyundai Creta. Overall, diesel is still the right choice for your usage.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

autocar.india

•5d

Given your age and your current ownership of a Wagon R VXI CNG, the priority should be ease of driving, reliability and low running costs. Since you specifically want a CNG automatic, the Tata Punch i-CNG AMT is the most sensible upgrade. It retains the same strengths you are used to: low running costs and a tall driving position, while adding the convenience of an automatic gearbox.The AMT is not the smoothest automatic on the market, but it is simple, reliable and well-suited to city driving. In fact, Tata Motors is currently the only brand offering AMTs with CNG models, with the Altroz, Tiago and Tigor also available with this combination. However, given its tall seating position and ease of ingress and egress, we recommend the Punch CNG. It's feature-loaded too, and thanks to its dual-cylinder CNG storage, you don't sacrifice on boot space either.

Tata Punch

Tata Altroz

Tata Tiago

Tata Tigor