Honda cars in India (7)

autocar.india

•4h

Go for the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara/Toyota Hyryder strong-hybrid. At 1,300-1,400 km a month, the fuel saving is big enough to recover the higher price in around 2-3 years, especially if most of your running is in city traffic where the car often runs on electric. It is also the easiest to live with day to day - smooth, quiet and always an automatic, so no fatigue in jams.The Elevate’s 1.5 petrol is simple and cheaper upfront, but in real traffic it will use noticeably more fuel. Over your kind of monthly distance, that adds up. One honest catch with the strong-hybrid: the boot is smaller and at expressway speeds it feels relaxed rather than quick if you’re heavy on the throttle. If most of your kilometres are on the highway, the difference in fuel efficiency will be smaller, though the hybrid will still be the more economical option. If you are on a tight budget and your driving is largely highway-based, the Honda Elevate 1.5 or the naturally aspirated Hyryder makes more sense. For mixed use or city-heavy running, the Grand Vitara strong-hybrid is the smarter buy.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Honda Elevate

autocar.india

•12m

Pick the Honda City SV. With 30 km a day in Bengaluru traffic and quarterly 300 km runs, it will feel easier, smoother and cheaper to live with. Honda’s reliability and service consistency are stronger, the petrol is smoother in stop-go traffic, and you will see better mileage than the Nexon petrol. On the highway, the City sits more calmly at speed and its rear seat and ride comfort make those long trips less tiring.Safety is where the Nexon has the edge on paper, and its ground clearance and smaller footprint help over nasty speed breakers and tight parking. It also packs more features for the price. But your order of priorities puts reliability, handling, comfort and mileage before gadgets, and the City nails those every day.One honest caveat: the SV variant is light on features, and you must slow for big speed breakers with a full load. If that worries you more than fuel costs and smoothness, the Nexon Creative makes sense, but for your use, the City gives better long-term value.

Honda City

Tata Nexon

autocar.india

•2d

Pick the Honda City, ideally the petrol automatic, because it is the smoothest and easiest to drive in traffic. Its engine is very calm at low speeds and the automatic glides along without fuss, the steering is light, and the big glass area makes it simple to place in tight streets. Coming from a Ritz, the driving position and light controls will feel natural, and the cabin is roomier, so family runs are easier too.The Verna is a strong second option if you want a sharper look and extra features. The 1.5 petrol with the automatic is smooth enough, but the turbo with the automatic can feel a bit snappy in stop-go, which takes away from that easy driving you want.If your priority is a relaxed, fuss-free sedan for city use with occasional highway trips, go City. It just feels effortless.

Honda City

Hyundai Verna

autocar.india

•3d

If you enjoyed owning the Honda CR-V, the Honda ZR-V will feel like a natural successor. It carries forward the same Honda traits of refinement, comfort and effortless drivability, while adding a modern 2.0-litre strong-hybrid powertrain producing 184hp and 315Nm, paired with an e-CVT.The only caveat is the price. At an expected Rs 40-50 lakh (ex-showroom), the ZR-V comes to India as a full import (CBU), which will make it considerably more expensive than similarly sized SUVs. That's where we feel the value proposition becomes difficult to justify.If you're happy with your Innova HyCross, the ZR-V won't necessarily feel like an upgrade in terms of space or practicality. The HyCross offers a roomier cabin and will arguably be the more versatile family car. The ZR-V is aimed more at buyers who want a premium five-seat crossover with excellent refinement and hybrid efficiency rather than maximum practicality.

Honda ZR-V

Toyota Innova HyCross

autocar.india

•4d

With an annual running of less than 7,000km, fuel efficiency should not be the deciding factor. Instead, you should focus on comfort, reliability, ownership experience and how well the car will age over the next 12-15 years. That's why we wouldn't prioritise the Grand Vitara, Hyryder or Victoris Hybrid. Their hybrid systems command a price premium that you'll struggle to recover with such low annual usage.Between the remaining options, the Kia Seltos strikes the best balance. It offers a refined and proven naturally aspirated petrol engine, a smooth IVT automatic, a spacious and premium cabin, excellent comfort and a strong ownership experience. It also feels newer and more upmarket than the Elevate, while the Creta is due for a generational update sooner.The Honda Elevate deserves a mention for its simplicity and reliability. If absolute mechanical simplicity is your priority, it is arguably the safest long-term bet. However, it doesn't feel as premium as the Seltos. The engine and CVT combination isn't quite as refined, and Honda's dealer network is smaller.As for ethanol blending, we wouldn't let it influence your purchase decision. While there is plenty of discussion around E25, E27 and E30 fuels, there is currently no confirmed roadmap for such a transition. More importantly, all of these cars are E20-compliant, and manufacturers have engineered a degree of tolerance beyond that. The most likely effect of higher ethanol blends would be a small reduction in fuel efficiency and slightly accelerated wear of certain fuel-system components over a very long period, not a major reliability issue.

Kia Seltos

Honda Elevate

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

autocar.india

•4d

The MG Windsor EV would be our recommendation here. Coming from a Honda City diesel, you're likely looking for a comfortable, spacious and practical family car. Among the EVs you've shortlisted, the Windsor feels like the most complete package. It offers the roomiest cabin, excellent rear-seat comfort and enough space for five adults to travel comfortably. It also feels like a genuine upgrade from a sedan in terms of practicality and everyday usability.The Nexon EV 45 would be our second choice. It is a proven product, offers good performance and range, and is a sensible option if you prefer a more compact SUV. However, it cannot match the Windsor for rear-seat space and overall family-car appeal.The Maruti Suzuki e Vitara is worth considering, but it does have some notable shortcomings. The rear-seat headroom and boot space are limited, the seating position is slightly knees-up, the ride can feel busy and there is more road and tyre noise than we'd like. Given how late it is to the EV market, we expected Maruti to address some of these areas more effectively.The Punch EV continues to offer excellent value, but it is a segment smaller than the others and may not feel like a significant upgrade from your Honda City in terms of space and overall comfort.

MG Windsor

Tata Nexon EV

Tata Punch EV

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara

Honda City

autocar.india

•5d

The Kia Seltos IVT would be our recommendation. While the Honda Elevate undoubtedly offers the best value for money at current prices, there are two factors working against it in your case. First, you don't have a Honda showroom in your city, which could make routine servicing and warranty-related work less convenient. Second, the Elevate facelift is expected in the not-too-distant future, which could impact resale values of the current model.Between the Seltos and Creta, we'd pick the Seltos. It feels a little more premium inside, has a richer feature set and remains one of the best-looking SUVs in the segment. It is also newer than the Creta and therefore likely to remain fresh for longer. The naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with the IVT automatic is smooth, refined and perfectly suited to your low daily running and occasional 400km trips.

Kia Seltos

Honda Elevate

Hyundai Creta

autocar.india

•5d

Pick the Honda Amaze CVT VX. It’s the smoothest in stop-go traffic, which is where you’ll spend most of your 25 km daily, and its easy, linear responses make a first car feel friendly from day one. It’s compact to park yet has a big boot for your weekend runs, and the ride is comfy enough to shrug off bad patches. For the rare 300 km highway trip, it cruises calmly, though you’ll need a firmer press for quick overtakes.The Kia Sonet DCT HTX(O) is the fun one and sits taller, but that twin-clutch setup can feel a little jerky in crawling traffic and tends to drink more fuel in the city. The Toyota Taisor AMT S gives you a higher seat and light controls, but the AMT’s shifts are slow and can get in jams, and the S trim feels bare for the money.Only honest catch with the Amaze: it isn’t tall like the SUVs, and it won’t feel as quick as the Sonet on the highway. For your usage mix and as a first car, the Honda still makes the most sense.

Honda Amaze

Kia Sonet

autocar.india

•5d

Buy the Honda Elevate, since you have back trouble, seat comfort would be a high priority, and in this regard, the Elevate does well. The seats set a benchmark for comfort and have a finely judged foam density, which is not too hard and not too soft, so they should provide your back with good support. Under-thigh support is also generous. However, we would recommend you sit in it and test drive it yourself to make sure it suits your body type. Within your budget, you would get the mid-range automatic version, and we would recommend you opt for an automatic as it would reduce your left leg strain in traffic, which would also help alleviate some of the back pain. Ride quality is also good; it is on the firmer side, but the long travel suspension with well-judged damping means it can soak up bumps and potholes well without jarring you too much. If you would like to stick to something small, you could consider the Tata Punch. The entry and exit height is just right, the ride is well-damped and comfortable, and the seats are well cushioned and supportive enough. The top-end version would also come in well under your budget, and you would enjoy some top-end features too.

Honda Elevate

Tata Punch

autocar.india

•6d

You don’t have to sell the Figo yet. If it’s healthy, keep it 1-2 years more; parts and service are still fine, and depreciation from here is slow. The Rs. 2.75 lakh offer is fair for a 2019 petrol at 65k km. Try direct sale or multiple portals and aim closer to Rs. 3 lakh-plus if the car is clean.Pick the VW Taigun 1.5 if you upgrade now, because it’s the only one on your list that truly feels like a step up from your Figo for daily drives and relaxed highway runs. The 1.5 is punchy, and the steering and body control make city and highway drives enjoyable. One honest catch: the automatic can feel a bit hesitant in crawl; the manual is more fun if you don’t mind a clutch. The Honda Elevate is nice, but it isn't as enjoyable as the VW/Skoda SUVs.With 500-600 km a month in the city and about 2,000km a year out of town, an EV like the Nexon EV won’t pay back quickly unless you have cheap home charging and your running shoots up.Go petrol. Don’t stress about E20/E30 - the VW-Skoda 1.0/1.5 are E20-ready, and should not pose issues if and when E30 is rolled out.

Volkswagen Taigun

Honda Elevate

Tata Nexon EV