Honda cars in India (7)

I’m confused between the Maruti Suzuki Dzire ZXI+ AMT and Honda Amaze VX CVT for my first family car. Both have an on-road price of around Rs. 11 lakh. But, the Dzire offers more features, including a 360° camera, sunroof, and TPMS, while the Amaze has a CVT transmission and a good reputation for reliability. Which one would you recommend for a first family car?

Hi team, hope you're doing well! We are planning to buy our very first car and would appreciate your advice before making a final decision. Based on our requirements, we have shortlisted three options: the Honda Elevate facelift, Kia Seltos 1.5 NA petrol (new generation) and Renault Duster 1.3 TCe 160 (new generation). We prefer a naturally aspirated petrol engine with a manual transmission, as we are looking for low maintenance, reliability and smooth everyday drivability. Safety is our top priority, including robust build quality, active and passive safety features, and stable highway manners. We also want a family-friendly car with a spacious cabin, comfortable rear seats and a good-sized boot. Our usage will be relatively low, with city driving once or twice a week and a highway road trip once every couple of months. As first-time car buyers, we also value ease of driving, predictable ownership costs and hassle-free after-sales service. The variants we are currently considering are the Honda Elevate ZX Plus MT Black Edition, Kia Seltos HTX (A) and Renault Duster Iconic. Given these priorities, which car would you recommend? Are there any specific pros and cons or long-term ownership factors we should keep in mind? We would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for your help!

Hello, I've been looking to buy a new automatic petrol car with either a TC or a CVT transmission for a family of three. Our usage will mainly involve daily city driving in Bengaluru, with occasional highway trips of 100-500 km. So far, we have tested the Skoda Slavia 1.0 TC, Kylaq and Kushaq, Volkswagen Virtus 1.0 TC, Honda Elevate facelift (2026), Kia Sonet, Tata Punch AMT, Tata Sierra DCT and TC automatic options, and Punch EV. My wife is a beginner driver who currently drives a manual turbo sedan and a hatchback, so the car should also be suitable for her daily driving needs. Personally, I loved the Slavia for its punchy performance, handling, ride quality, softer suspension in the city and safety. However, I'm concerned about EPC errors and reliability issues. Since I already drive a turbo car, I enjoy the strong performance on highways, particularly the quick overtakes and punch. My wife, on the other hand, prefers sedate driving, although neither of us is particularly enthusiastic about driving. She preferred the Honda Elevate CVT over the Sonet. We're quite confused about which automatic to choose from these options. Please help us decide.

Toyota and Honda often keep their engines and other mechanical components in production for many years. For example, Honda has used its 1.5-litre VTEC engine since 2008 and its 1.2-litre petrol engine since 2009, while its hybrid technology has been on sale since 2022. Does this approach mean they prioritise reliability and low maintenance over innovation? Is it also why their cars command a premium in the used-car market, even when the core product remains largely unchanged? Do they hold back on software-driven features until they are confident these will work reliably, as seen with the touchscreen and camera interfaces in the 2026 Honda City and Toyota Innova Hycross hybrid?

I am looking for an automatic five-seater car under Rs 18 lakh and am confused between the Honda Elevate and Hyundai Creta. Which would be more comfortable for highway travel? My annual running will be below 12,000km.