[LeoMachine]

Diesel for me. Though I don't have much preference between Petrol and Diesel, the economics of fuel pricing and potentially mileage compels me for Diesel option.

I'll wait for EV's till it's tried and tested. Having to worry about range and availability of charging points on highways is a big No-No for me. Hopefully, as EV infrastructure becomes more accessible, EV would be the way to go but till then it's Diesel all the way.

[uthra]

Petrol for me. Have always loved petrol. I am happy with what I drive now (a 9-year old Swift) and it has a few years in it. Plus driving it in NCR is a breeze, with or without traffic. Despite the tremendous improvements in diesel engines I remain biased to petrol.
As for EVs, in any form, will wait for the infrastructure and ecosystem to mature. Also the development of long-range EVs. It's more a reflection on me, tbh, than the vehicles themselves but ease of recharge is a big factor. Also, this:
https://www.bhaskar.com/business/new...130010687.html

A complete eco-friendly transport mode cannot exist in isolation. And Indian ecosystem isn't there, as yet. So yeah, petrol for me.

[black.beauty]

I am inclined towards petrol but I doubt it will be possible. With the rising fuel costs and a market where the transition to EV looks much sooner than the Western countries.

However before the complete transition happens, I'd want to own a 3 series or an X3. Hopefully it is still practical whenever I'm looking to purchase it. I understand environmentally it is a good move, however growing up hearing so much on these fantastic ICE cars, I want to be able to experience them fully. The roar when you accelerate, and the exhaust, all of which that gives a character to a car would be mildly lost with EV.

[Ravi Parwan]

Voted for electric, although could go for a diesel XUV too.

given the benefits offered in terms of both cost of running as well as performance, an electric drive train is likely to become the defacto norm sooner rather than later. public charging is also likely to become more available as the user base expands.

For purely local usage, I have all the ingredients already in place ( solar rooftop production, 3 phase supply and a driveway with covered parking.

All that is missing is the EV to finish the picture!!

[parrys]

Voted diesel!

Reason:
1. Mileage & Range on a full tank
2. Torque

I don't see myself buying an EV in this decade at least.
I don't think I want to waste time charging a vehicle, or planning my trips.

[man_and_machine]

Petrol.

1. The choices of Diesel are becoming fewer.
2. The petrol engines are getting better more powerful (total KW not just torque) in many cars, compared to the diesels
3. Regulatory env. is getting tighter and will only go north. If I intend to keep the car beyond 5 - 7 years the resale market will face the conditions at that point in time 2030 and beyond. Might be harsh on Diesel hearts.
4. The actual running cost is not too much in this deregulated market. Even if the prices fluctuate they tend to change in a reasonable amount of time either way.
5. The actual drive experience of a turbo petrol is very different with NVH as opposed to the diesels (even in the same models)
5. The over all commute models have changed. In the pre-pandemic days office commute was always 5 days a week, fixed distance each day. Now the predictable distance covered each month is far lower (might not be for everyone though). So city:high way ratio has changed.
6. Some will test the waters with a second small electric car, that will take over for most city driving. So the net petrol expense will reduce anyway
7. The lower (at least a lakh is many cases) initial cost (and hence the GST, Road tax etc, all a certain percentage of the vehicle cost) makes it easier to own the same brand and model at a more affordable cost.
8. If the car ends up straying longer than 5 - 7 years, the maintenance (might be) will be lower.

[mago]

Although I not allowed to vote, but would like to make my opinion. I have recently replaced one of my petrol cars to electric one. But I will prefer to have a Plug in Hybrid that can offer more flexibility. Hope these cars are soon made available in India by the manufacturers.

[Mach_1590]

Voted for PHEV

India isn't ready for pure EVs. It is a large country, with good roads being built, people have started moving across country for leisurely road trips. A direct transition from Petrol/Diesel is inorganic and crude, the change is too massive on all scales. There are people who do not want to lose the fun of IC engines, and then there are people like me who want turbo petrol to be as frugal as turbo diesel. This is possible only by PHEV/SHEV. Why PHEV? Because transition from PHEV to EV would be simpler IMO and for the city usage, those small batteries with ~30/40 kms of battery only range would save big $$. We'll all have decent charging infra ready(even at home/office) by the time every manufacturer is actively selling EVs.

[pram_ind]

My interest is towards EV, but voted for Strong Hybrid.
EV needs more time as the charging stations, on way, are not reliable. We have seen in many reviews, how a power cut effects the charging time. My Father who owns a ZS ev also had some harrowing time with charging, when there was a power cut, and the generator attached had no diesel. He was stuck for 2 hrs and when the power resumed took another hour to charge.

[simplyself]

If I were to shop for a new vehicle today, I would go for a diesel.

Even as my monthly travel has reduced drastically, I do occassional burst of hectic travelling. So I prefer to go for a diesel.

As of now, I wouldnt go for Hybrids or EVs.

Hybrids cost a lot more and their performance is to be seen, though I believe this is a sustainable mode of personal transport.

Electrics like wise cost more than their diesel counterparts and the charging infrastructure is still nascent.

And I still prefer geared vehicles.

[dragracer567]

An EV for sure.

I have my eye on the Kia EV6, the only thing limiting my purchase are some financial considerations and living arrangements. If there were cheaper options with the range & charge timings comparable to the EV6, I'd have jumped already.

[veyron_head]

Diesel any day! The economy of diesel is simply unmatched. Even when you don't do too many kms in an year, the per-trip economy is too good. Less stopping at the fuel stations too.

I would never buy an EV, not at least in the near future. Lack of charging infra is one, but the time it takes to charge (as opposed to the minutes it takes to fuel up in an ICE car) is a complete deal breaker for me. A friend of mine took more than 8 hours to reach Chennai from Bangalore (which is usually a 5.5 hr trip) because he did a round trip, was running out of charge and had to find a charging station and then wait for it to charge. I can't do this!

I did have an eye on the City Hybrid but then they put the battery in the trunk and killed the boot space which has been a big positive for City till now. May be the Hyryder would be interesting.

[vineet20]

I haven't contributed enough on the forum to get to vote on this poll, but if I could vote, I would go for a petrol sedan with a similar build and power profile as a Polo GT (which I currently drive).

[Shiali]

My next car mostly be a petrol vehicle. But considering the present scenario and fuel priced i might shift to a strong hybrid also. I'm concerned about the performance of the hybrid vehicles. I'm closely following the Hyryder threads and waiting for the new honda launches.

So finally my vote is for a petrol car and next option is strong hybrid

[Axe77]

Definitely no diesel.
Highly unlikely to be strong hybrid. If it was as a workhorse, I would have been inclined towards strong hybrid if feasible. However, that role has just been taken up by the diesel Meridian.

It will most likely a powerful turbo petrol with an outside chance of an EV.

The next car will likely replace the 3GT around 2024/25 (give or take) and a very important criteria will be PERFORMANCE, even if its ‘slightly’ at the expense of practicality.

So most likely contenders are likely to be products like an X3 / 330Li / 6GT petrol / M340i / perhaps even an EV at the comparable price points (EV6 / i4 or similar). Used / new both will be under consideration.

Between turbo petrol and EV, my preference would be a high performing turbo petrol simply because it might be a dying breed and I can always prematurely swap out the Meridian at 5 - 7 years for an EV to get the best of both worlds.