Hyundai Creta Electric Excellence Knight

Autocar India

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Go for the Hyundai Creta Electric for your 50 km Mumbai commute, an EV is the easiest and most comfortable to drive while keeping running costs low. In traffic, it pulls away smoothly, feels very quiet inside, and with a rated range of 420km to 510km, depending on which battery you choose, charging requirements will be minimal. The driving position is commanding, visibility is good, the steering is light, and the ride handles bumps well, which helps on broken city roads. One thing you have to make sure of, however, is that a charger can be installed at your home, which is essential to EV ownership today. If you're uncertain about the charging, consider a strong hybrid like the Maruti Suzuki Victoris. It also delivers very low running costs (though not quite as low as an EV), and the advantage is that you don't have to charge it.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Autocar India

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The Hyundai Creta Electric is one of the best-suited options here. It is a spacious and comfortable SUV, which makes a big difference for long drives. The ride quality is well-tuned for comfort, the seats are supportive, and the overall driving experience is relaxed, which will suit you well as a senior driver.It is also extremely easy to drive. The controls are light, the power delivery is smooth and predictable, and the car feels very natural to get used to. Unlike some newer EVs like the Mahindra BE 6, which feel more futuristic and tech-heavy, the Creta EV feels like a normal, familiar car that just happens to be electric. This makes it far less intimidating and more comfortable to live with day to day.Performance is strong enough for inclines thanks to instant torque, and it feels confident on highways. The real-world range is sufficient for your 100 km regular drives and can manage your 250 km trips with some planning. Safety is also well taken care of, with modern features and driver aids adding reassurance on longer journeys.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Mahindra BE 6

Autocar India

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The Hyundai Creta Electric is the best model from your shortlist. It's got a very refined powertrain and delivers a good range (LR variant). It also feels the best-rounded thanks to its cabin being roomier than the Tata Punch EV's and Toyota Ebella's. The Tata Punch EV is impressive, but it is essentially two sizes smaller than the Hyundai Creta Electric. Correspondingly, it won't be as well-suited to family use as the Creta. Toyota's Ebella doesn't quite hit the spot. It's not particularly practical for its size, and the stiff ride quality also marks it down. The Toyota should be keenly priced when it goes on sale in the days to come.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Tata Punch EV

Toyota Urban Cruiser Ebella

Autocar India

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Since most of your driving is outside the city and even in rural areas, an electric car might pose some challenges like recharging. Rural areas don't have as many chargers as small towns or cities, and even if you do find one, voltage fluctuations are a common occurrence. Also, for long highway trips, an EV requires a lot more planning and factors like waiting queues at charging stations.Your best bet for a hassle-free ownership experience would be a diesel SUV. The Kia Seltos is new, updated and gets a tried and tested diesel engine that suits your needs the best. We would recommend the Seltos diesel over the Hyundai Creta Electric.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta Electric

Autocar India

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The Maruti Suzuki E Vitara is a sensible electric car, backed by Nexa's widespread sales and support network. It is also equipped with a large 61kWh battery, with which you can expect a highway range of approximately 370km on a full charge - city range will be better. The interiors feel premium, performance is smooth, and its light steering and tight turning radius make it very easy to manoeuvre. That said, the E Vitara's user experience is flawed, the floor is high, which results in a knees-up seating, and its suspension isn't as sorted as some rivals.We would suggest that you consider the entry-level variants of the Kia Carens Clavis EV or Hyundai Creta Electric, both of which cover the basics well. Yes, these have a smaller 42kWh battery, but their powertrain is very efficient, which will deliver impressive real-world range. Overall, both these are excellent options for similar money as the E Vitara.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Kia Carens Clavis EV

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara

Autocar India

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The Hyundai Creta Electric is much smaller than the Tata Harrier EV and Mahindra XEV 9S, making it relatively much lighter than the other cars. It also has the smallest battery pack compared to the others, but on account of its lower kerb weight, it is a lot more efficient, and you can expect around 430km on a single charge with mixed usage.Hyundai has also improved the battery's DC fast-charging capability recently, so charging times are also much lower. Furthermore, it is the most sorted electric SUV you can buy, with logical ergonomics and a clutter-free user interface/experience. Also, with no or minimal glitches, the Hyundai is much more reliable than the other two, and one that's very easy to recommend.Since you have a budget of up to Rs 35 lakh, you could look for a Hyundai Ioniq 5. The Ioniq 5 is an outstanding electric car, and for all its merits, it even won our 2024 Car of the Year. It will be a bit more effort to source one, but because a facelift is expected soon, dealers will try to liquidate existing stock at mouth-watering discounts.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Hyundai Creta Electric

Tata Harrier EV

Mahindra XEV 9S

Autocar India

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If you have convenient access to EV charging or, better yet, can install an EV charger at your home, an electric car is worth considering. EVs feel their best in the city with a seamless drive experience that no ICE automatic can match. Of course, refinement is another highlight. The quiet experience really adds calm to frustrating bumper-to-bumper drives.You haven't shared your budget, but (in order of price) models like the Tata Punch EV, Tata Nexon EV, MG Windsor, Hyundai Creta Electric, and Mahindra XEV 9S should be in your consideration set.

MG Windsor

Tata Punch EV

Tata Nexon EV

Hyundai Creta Electric

Mahindra XEV 9S

Autocar India

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You could shortlist the Kia Seltos and the Mahindra XUV 7XO. Both are excellent midsize SUVs that will fall within your budget. Both are feature-rich, spacious and reliable. Since fuel efficiency is something you're concerned about, you could consider their diesel versions. If you're open to electric cars, the Hyundai Creta Electric is a fantastic option.

Kia Seltos

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Hyundai Creta Electric

Autocar India

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In our opinion, you should avoid retrofitting CNG to your around 7-year-old Seltos. Instead, it makes more sense to sell it and move to a newer car that is more efficient and easier on the pocket.If you can set up home charging, an EV makes a lot of sense. It will significantly cut down your travel expenses, and, being an electric car, there is no hassle of changing gears. EVs are smooth and extremely easy to drive, which can greatly reduce daily driving stress.Since you already own a Kia Seltos and would prefer something familiar, we would suggest considering the Hyundai Creta Electric. It is a very well-rounded product, and the calibration of the electric motor is spot on, making it extremely smooth and easy to drive. It also offers a single pedal regenerative braking mode that works beautifully, and once you get used to it, you will rarely need to use the brake pedal, reducing fatigue even further. Considering your running, we would recommend the larger 52 kWh battery pack, which should deliver over 350 km on a single charge, making it practical for your usage.There are other, on-paper, more impressive EVs at this price point, such as the Tata Harrier EV and Mahindra BE 6. However, if you are looking for a car that is easy to drive, hassle-free and easy to live with, the Creta EV is a very strong choice.If you prefer to stick with an internal combustion engine but want lower running costs, you should consider the Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid. It runs in EV mode a lot of the time at low speeds and in stop-and-go traffic, making it very smooth and easy to drive. Being a strong hybrid, it is also extremely efficient, and even in the worst traffic conditions, you can safely expect over 20 kpl. Since it is still an ICE vehicle, occasional long highway trips don’t require planning, unlike an EV. What you will need to plan, however, is luggage, as the hybrid battery under the boot floor does eat into usable boot space.If you are willing to wait, the new Renault Duster is expected to get a hybrid powertrain around Diwali, and the next-generation Creta and Seltos are also expected to receive hybrid options early next year.

Hyundai Creta Electric

Tata Harrier EV

Mahindra BE 6

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Autocar India

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With usage that high, especially highway usage, we do not recommend getting an electric car, at least not at present. While the need for cost savings is understandable, such high daily usage will require daily charging, which will quickly shorten the battery's life. Moreover, a 350km one-way trip will require an EV with a very long range, and most in this price bracket will not do it comfortably, so at least one charging stop is imperative.Instead, we recommend a strong hybrid SUV like the Maruti Suzuki Victoris, or if you can wait until Diwali, the new Renault Duster hybrid, as it offers the best of both worlds - low running costs as well as flexibility.If you are still set on having an EV, you would need at least a mid-size EV, such as the Tata Curvv EV, Mahindra BE 6, Hyundai Creta Electric, or Kia Carens Clavis EV, in order to have enough comfortable range, but those would be outside your budget of Rs 18 lakh.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

Hyundai Creta Electric

Kia Carens Clavis EV

Renault Duster