Latest questions answered by experts

autocar.india

•42m

Since you have a long daily run, predominantly on the highway, we'd recommend you step up to something more powerful. Specifically, the Hero Xpulse 210 will be a good fit for your needs. It has great suspension, which will isolate you from the worst of our road imperfections; good performance on the highway and when ridden sensibly, it will also give you decent fuel economy. If you want to stick with a street-biased commuter, look at the Honda Unicorn and Bajaj Pulsar N160. These will feel more natural for you to ride and will return good fuel economy, although highway performance will be weaker than the Xpulse. The Pulsar N250 is also a good machine which would make sense for your use case.Take test rides of these bikes before you make your decision.

autocar.india

•1h

Since you've said range is not a super important consideration for you, we'd recommend going with the TVS iQube 2.2. The base iQube offers you a very polished riding experience with zippy performance, good comfort, quick charging times and even has a front disc brake for reliable stopping power. Its 30L underseat storage area is also quite spacious, and overall, the iQube 2.2 will make for a good companion during your short stints aboard it.

autocar.india

•1h

If you are planning to buy the Volkswagen Virtus 1.0 GT Line Manual, it is worth waiting for the upcoming Virtus facelift. The current Virtus is already a strong product, but the facelift is expected to bring meaningful updates, particularly improvements to the air conditioning system, which is likely to enhance the overall ownership experience.If you are not in an urgent hurry, waiting a few weeks for the updated version makes sense. If you need the car immediately, the current Virtus is still a solid choice, which will possibly be available at a discounted price, but given the timing, waiting is the more sensible option.

Volkswagen Virtus

autocar.india

•2h

The Suzuki V-Strom SX is a severely underrated machine, and we at Autocar are quite fond of it. It would actually serve your needs well, but we'd recommend you don't buy the V-Strom right now because Suzuki is understood to be working on an all-new Gixxer 150/250 lineup, which will likely debut towards the end of this year or perhaps at the start of 2027. These same updates are then likely to trickle over to the V-Strom in due course. Instead, for now we'd recommend looking at the TVS Apache RTX 300 and Hero Xpulse 210.

autocar.india

•3h

We would strongly advise against installing an aftermarket CNG kit on your Kia Seltos HTK iMT. This Kia car uses a direct injection turbocharged petrol engine, which isn't well suited to aftermarket CNG conversions. The iMT gearbox adds another layer of complexity, as the system relies on precise engine and clutch control, and CNG conversions could affect drivability and calibration. More importantly, Kia does not offer a factory CNG option on the Seltos, so any conversion would void your warranty and introduce reliability risks. If your running has increased significantly, it would be more sensible to replace your Seltos with a diesel car or consider a factory CNG model where the engine and fuel system are designed to work together from the factory.

Kia Seltos

autocar.india

•4h

With 80% highway driving, 5,000km a year and a preference for a sub-4m SUV without a sunroof, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza automatic is the best fit. The Brezza’s naturally aspirated petrol engine is smooth and predictable, which is ideal for a 70+ driver, and the 6-speed torque converter automatic is reliable and well suited to both highway cruising and occasional city use. The Brezza also offers a comfortable ride, good visibility and a straightforward ownership experience with Maruti’s extensive service network. At your annual running, diesel does not make sense, and the Brezza’s petrol engine is efficient enough for highway use. The Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic is the alternative if you want a more powerful turbo petrol engine, but the Brezza’s simplicity, reliability and ease of ownership make it the better long-term choice for your requirements.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Mahindra XUV 3XO

autocar.india

•5h

Since you predominantly use your bike inside Pune city, choosing a machine with good comfort would be wise. Neo-retro machines like the Honda CB350 trio, Royal Enfield Hunter / Classic / Bullet 350 and TVS Ronin would fit the bill well and offer you a great step up from your Passion Pro too. If instead you want something off-road oriented, then the Hero Xpulse 210 and TVS Apache RTX 300 will make sense. Take a test ride of these very different bikes before you make your decision.

autocar.india

•6h

Go for the Skoda Kylaq. It is the most complete car of the three, offering a more premium cabin, better driving dynamics and a more substantial feel overall. The Kylaq's turbo petrol engine is punchy and refined, and the car feels more planted and confidence-inspiring on the highway. Overall, the Kylaq is the better car, and if you like to drive, this is the one we'd recommend.The Fronx and Taisor are good value propositions with strong reliability and low running costs, backed by their Maruti and Toyota respectively, which have a more extensive support network compared to Skoda.

Skoda Kylaq

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor

autocar.india

•7h

If your Hyundai Xcent is running well with only minor niggles, there is no urgent need to change it. At 1.33 lakh km, a well-maintained petrol car can still have plenty of life left, especially if you are comfortable with it and it continues to serve your needs reliably. However, if you are starting to feel the age of the car or want to upgrade to something safer, more comfortable and more modern, this is a sensible time to consider a change. Moreover, your car is of the pre-E10 petrol era, and with the enforcement of E20 petrol, you would have to take a bit more care of it. Thus, getting a new car now is not a bad idea.With 13,000 km a year and a mix of highway and bad roads, you want something that is comfortable, reliable and capable of handling rough patches without being too expensive to maintain. In your budget of Rs.10 lakh, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza is a good bet, and you can choose between the 1.5-litre petrol and the new 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with a manual gearbox. Both engines are smooth, efficient and powerful enough, and will feel like a noticeable upgrade from your Xcent. The Brezza is also spacious, comfortable and stable out on the highway. Do note, however, you will get a low-spec variant in this budget, and you should consider increasing it slightly if you want more features.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

autocar.india

•9h

If you can arrange for home charging, despite your daily city commute of just 25km, the XEV 9S is the more economical option, as your running costs will only be a small fraction of a petrol-automatic XUV 7XO. Also, the electric car is smooth yet zippy performance, and comfy suspension, as well as its light steering and tight turning radius, makes it ideal for city drives. And with an impressive real-world range of over 400km, and quick DC fast charging times, this will be very usable on long highway drives too.The petrol-automatic is an excellent, punchy powertrain, however it isn't very efficient, and your fuel costs will be substantial compared to what you'll pay using home charging for the EV.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Mahindra XEV 9S

autocar.india

•10h

With less than 500km a month, your Celerio is still a perfectly usable car, and from a purely financial perspective, there is no pressing reason to upgrade. However, after nine years, it is understandable to want something newer, safer and more comfortable, especially if you are considering a move to an automatic SUV. Plus, at 9 years old, your car is not only from the pre-E20 petrol era, it's pre-E10 as well, so you would have to start taking a bit of extra care of it.Given your low running, most of which is in the city and driven by you, a petrol automatic is a good idea. The Maruti Suzuki Brezza automatic is a strong option. It is reliable, efficient, easy to drive, has a comfortable ride and Maruti’s service network is a big advantage for long-term ownership. It has just received a facelift, and with it has come a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating. Most of all, however, you will get a fully loaded automatic for around the top end of your budget.If you want something a little more exciting, the Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic is another excellent choice. It offers a more powerful turbo petrol engine, a more premium cabin and a more spacious rear seat. However, it won't be as efficient as the Brezza, and in your budget, you'll only get a mid-range automatic model.Ultimately, the decision comes down to whether you want to upgrade for the sake of a better ownership experience or more fun. If it's the former, the Brezza automatic is the safe, sensible choice, while the XUV 3XO automatic offers more performance and a more premium feel.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Maruti Suzuki Celerio

Mahindra XUV 7XO