Delhi

•1d

I am planning to upgrade from Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo 1.0 AT (2020) to a family-friendly SUV. Considering the new Renault Duster Hybrid and Hyundai Creta IVT/Turbo Petrol. With ageing parents and a 9-month-old baby, my priorities are easy ingress and egress, spacious rear seats and good boot space. My annual running is around 5,000 km which mostly involves city driving. Which SUV would you recommend?

•3m

The Renault Duster (non-hybrid) has a large rear boot and the car is also newer and fun to drive, however your priorities of spacious rear seats and easy ingress/egress would be better met in the Creta and we would suggest the IVT as its smoother than the DCT autobox for everyday family use. Given that an all new Creta is around the corner you should bargain hard for a good deal and you could have a significantly lower purchase price too.

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Renault

Duster

from ₹12.17 Lakh

Hyundai

Creta

from ₹12.66 Lakh

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•13h

I’m thinking of buying a hybrid. Which would be the better choice: the Honda City Hybrid or the new Renault Duster Hybrid? Setting aside the body style for a moment (one is a sedan and the other an SUV), which would you recommend for reliability and long-term ownership? In terms of interior comfort, both cars seem similar to me, apart from a few small differences.

•9h

Go for the Duster Hybrid for its excellent driving manners. If you are self-driven, the Duster will be the better pick; even during long drives, you will appreciate its high ground clearance and overall rugged feel over bad and broken roads. In comparison, the Honda City hybrid will feel more refined and smoother to drive, particularly in the city, and its real-world efficiency is likely to be better too. Further, the City has a comfier backseat and larger boot. The only downside being that the sole hybrid variant is priced Rs 2 lakh above the top-spec Duster hybrid, making it a bit hard to justify the premium.

Renault Duster

Honda City

•2w

I am looking to buy a hybrid car in the Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh range because my daily running is 80 to 100 km. I was looking at the Renault Duster Strong Hybrid 1.8L, but I am not a big fan of its looks and rear seat space. I would like to know when the Kia Seltos Hybrid and the 7-seater version of the Duster are coming out so I can plan accordingly.

•1d

Since the design and rear seat space of the Renault Duster is not something you prefer, our recommendation would be to wait a bit for the upcoming Kia Seltos hybrid. The standard version has a good rear seat with plenty of space and comfort and the hybrid is likely to follow that. The Creta will also get a hybrid powertrain but this Kia car will be coming first so you will not have to wait too long. The 7-seat version of this Renault car will also look similar to the current Duster so if you aren't a fan of that, the upcoming SUV won't exactly be up your alley either. The idea decision would be to wait for the Seltos hybrid and take a call then.

Renault Duster

Kia Seltos Hybrid

•5d

Hi, I’ve been driving a 2011 Ford Fiesta Classic 1.4 turbo-diesel as my primary car in Northeast India (Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and elsewhere) through plains, hills, mud, snow and floods, often fully loaded with four people. I recently renewed its lapsed 15-year registration for another five years. The car is maintained in pristine condition, and I love its low-end torque and excellent fuel efficiency. However, it’s time to switch to a petrol car, and I need advice on a new car for the same driving conditions within a budget of Rs 17-18 lakh. Should I choose a turbo-petrol or a naturally aspirated engine to get similar driving dynamics, given that the terrain I drive on won’t change? I prefer a manual gearbox, especially for the hills, and I understand that petrol engines are thirstier. I’m nearly 48 and plan to keep the car for a long time, as I did with the Ford. Please leave out Hyundai, Kia and Maruti Suzuki, as I’ve had my fill of them. Thanks in advance. Dr

•3d

Given your experience with the 1.4-litre diesel Ford Fiesta, we would suggest looking at the Mahindra XUV 3XO T-GDi manual first, followed by the Renault Duster 1.3 Turbo manual. Both offer strong performance, which will be important when driving through the hills of the North East with four passengers and luggage.The XUV 3XO's 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine produces 131hp with good low- and mid-range response. It is compact, easy to manoeuvre and offers a comfortable ride. The Duster has a comfortable ride and a more engaging chassis, while its 163hp, 280Nm 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine offers considerably stronger performance. However, the Duster's tendency to stall when moving off from a standstill can be frustrating, particularly on steep inclines, so we would place it second.

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•6d

I am planning to buy a car with a factory-fitted CNG kit, an automatic transmission, and cruise control within a budget of Rs 15 lakh. Please suggest some options.

•6d

There are quite a few options that would meet your requirements, so its hard to pinpoint a specific model without knowing a bit more about your requirements and driving conditions. If you are looking for a city car then pick the Tata Punch, the compact dimensions are easy to manage in tight city traffic and the elevated driving position gives you a decent view outside. If however you want something bigger and with more space then the Maruti Suzuki Dzire would be a good option as you will have more rear space as well as a larger boot. Both cars will fit well within your budget. If you want a larger CNG car then you will have to settle for a manual and the a model like the Kia Carens Clavis or the Maruti Victoris.

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•1w

improve the grammar and write it in a paragraph - Hi Autocar, Iam looking to book a car this week. I have narrowed it down to one of 3 cars. Petrol Automatic IVTs. My running is mostly going to be 95% city (office to work in Mumbai traffic). Daily commute is around 15km, so I don't want a turbo in traffic. That's roughly 5k annual running. I am 6ft tall so wouldn't want something that is cramped 1. New Seltos HTK(O) 2. New elevate VX 3. Bayon HX 8 All of these are close to the 16L ex showroom price. I've driven the Seltos and Elevate. I really liked both of them. The Seltos feels more premium from the inside and I feel like that is something worth having in a daily car. The elevate is brilliant, but it seems cheap on the inside. No pani sunroof too, although I would maybe use it 1 day in year, it's priced the same as the Seltos, so that felt a miss. I know Honda engines are top, but at my running and limited enthusiast journey, I'm not sure if that does justice to need. Now comes the bayon. I have not done a test drive yet as its not available, but the bayon pricing at Hx6 and hx8 seems very close to the Creta currently.. I am tempted to go for the hx8 as it as a 360 camera,( I think that might be usefull for parking etc as I am coming from a hatchback ) but I am getting a "lesser car" vs the Seltos here I wonder.. Which one would you recommend? I am keen on booking before diwali, will see if there are any discounts on the Seltos (unlikey though)

•4d

All things considered, the Kia Seltos is the better fit for your needs. Since you are on the taller side, you will appreciate the extra room it has to offer compared to the Hyundai Bayon. Opting for the Bayon does get you a higher variant with a 360-degree camera, which can be helpful in tight spots. However, once you get used to the size of the vehicle, you might find yourself using the camera less often.As for the Honda Elevate, as you rightly mentioned, the Seltos feels more premium inside and costs about the same. The Elevate does offer a bit more performance from its 1.5L naturally aspirated engine, but since 95% of your driving is in slow-moving Mumbai traffic, the added performance won't really make much of a difference.Overall, the Seltos is the right fit for your needs.

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.

•4d

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.

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