I am planning to buy a new SUV at around ₹17 lakh on-road price and have shortlisted the Honda Elevate ZX, Kia Seltos HTK and new Kushaq Prestige. I primarily need a car for 80% driving in the city and around 1000-1200 km per month. Which is better in terms of engine and mileage? Is the Honda Elevate outdated compared to other cars in the segment?

Autocar India

•5w

The Honda Elevate is a good option for your needs. The 1.5-litre petrol engine is smooth and refined, and the CVT automatic gearbox is well-suited to city driving. The car is spacious and comfortable, and the ZX variant is well-equipped too. However, in comparison to the Seltos, it does not have the space or the modernity, and the cabin does not feel as plush.

The Kia Seltos HTK with the CVT gearbox is the best option considering all your needs. It is a lot better-equipped than the Honda, has a better ride quality, and the engine has a lot more punch and strong performance while still being easy to drive in the city. The smoothness, refinement and ease of use are why the Seltos will be our recommendation.

The Skoda Kushaq is a good option, too. The 1.0-litre TSI engine is quite efficient, but it is not as smooth as the 1.5-litre engines of the Honda and Kia. The facelift that was recently revealed will be launched in a few days, but it hasn't changed much in the rear seat space, where it is still not as spacious as the Seltos. So we would advise you to shortlist the Seltos.

Explore cars mentioned

Kia

Seltos

from ₹12.79 Lakh

Honda

Elevate

from ₹13.58 Lakh

Skoda

Kushaq

from ₹12.45 Lakh

ADRvlogs

•5w

1. Kia Seltos 2. Honda Elevate 3. Kushaq Since your drive is 80% in the city, Else would have put Kushaq 1.5 DSG in top slots ( if you carry not more than 3 adults beside you )

Praveen N K

•4w

1. Kia Seltos 2. New Skoda Kushaq 3. Honda Elevate. The above does not take anything away from the Kushaq & Elevate. It is just an all round holistic score.

Chandan

•4w

Hello I am looking to buy a car under 20 lakhs, my options are seltos, kushaq and harrier. Can u suggest which would be better if I'm going for automatic and roughly 1000km drive that too mostly in city.

More questions on similar cars

Aditya Gupta

•1d

I am looking for a mid-size SUV with a diesel engine and an automatic transmission. I am confused between the Hyundai Creta and the new Kia Seltos. My running is mostly in the city, about 10 to 20 km daily. Please help.

Autocar India

•10h

Go for the Kia Seltos diesel automatic. It is essentially a more evolved version of the same package, using the same proven engine and gearbox as the Creta , but offering more space, a bigger boot and a noticeably more premium interior along with a longer feature list.Importantly, unlike the older Seltos, the new one has a much more pliant and comfortable ride, so that is no longer a drawback. This makes it just as usable for your daily 10 to 20 km city driving while still being better overall.The Hyundai Creta is still a solid, no-nonsense option with a comfortable cabin and proven track record, but it now feels like the more conservative choice rather than the best one, until the new Creta comes early next year.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

Kritarth

•1d

I am planning to buy the Renault Duster Techno 1.3 DCT. I also have the option of the Kia Seltos, but I am confused between the two. I drive very rarely, in the city two or three times a month, and on highways once a month.

Autocar India

•11h

Opt for the Kia Seltos. With your very low usage, just a few city drives a month and occasional highway trips, you need something that is easy, refined and completely hassle-free every time you take it out, and the Seltos fits that role perfectly.It feels smooth and effortless to drive, especially in the city, and overall comes across as a more polished and well-rounded product, which matters more when the car is not used daily. It is the kind of car you can pick up after a gap, and it just feels familiar and easy to live with, without demanding too much from you.The Renault Duster 1.3 DCT is the more enthusiast-focused option with a stronger, more engaging driving experience, and you will enjoy it more on highways, but that strength only really comes into play if you drive often and value that engagement regularly.

Kia Seltos

Renault Duster

smruti ranjan senapati

•6d

Is the Renault Duster E85 ready? What does it mean? I have watched a couple of videos on YouTube from Autocar itself and one other creator. Here are the links: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5838JDpbBWw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUBLwrvlYbA&t=90s. I am confused about whether to buy the Duster, as ethanol blending will increase, but I really like the interior and exterior of the Kia Seltos. So, I am confused about which one to choose.

Autocar India

•12h

The point we’ve made is that Renault has already proven flex-fuel technology in markets like Brazil, where Renault cars routinely run on high-ethanol blends, so it can be introduced here when there’s a clear policy push and E85 fuel availability. For now, the new Duster’s engine for India is calibrated for E20, in line with our fuel roadmap, but the hardware is material-compliant for higher blends, so there’s some headroom built in.So, in short, the current India-spec Renault Duster is not a flex-fuel E85 vehicle and is not designed to run on E85 today. What it means is that when (and if) E85 becomes commercially relevant here, Renault can fairly quickly localise a proper flex-fuel engine for the Duster, rather than starting from scratch, because the tech already exists in its global portfolio.On your Duster vs Seltos dilemma: If you want a daily driver and won’t be doing too many long out-of-town runs, the Kia Seltos is the more complete package right now, with a better-finished cabin, more features and a roomier, more premium overall experience. The Duster will appeal more if you prioritise driving dynamics and rough-road ability, but purely from a comfort, interiors and family-car perspective, the Seltos edges it out.

Renault Duster

Kia Seltos

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