Primary Requirement:
A small compact hatch which is feature rich and offers modern creature comforts for city duties.
Primary Driver:
Wife.
I would rate her as a good driver (even when she’s not listening) So she’s trustworthy behind the wheel. Has managed a Figo Titanium before on long term and is comfortable with hatchbacks. Has been ‘designated driver’ of choice for safe return, post many a blurry night. She’s however uncomfortable with clutchless cars and might need getting used to automatics. She did struggle with SPresso AMT we have at my parents’ home and avoided switching places when we went intercity on a Creta AT. She loves fresh, good interiors and premium appointments.
After the Figo sale, there has been a long hiatus with respect to the second car in the house as requirements and situations didn’t demand one.
This year we felt we do need a small car for the wife again, for some occasional work related travel, school drops, market runs etc within the city. We didn’t think about it much and as a stop gap for the last 6 months we have been managing with a pre owned Swift. Basic and gets the job done. We have to let it go though, due to unavoidable reasons.
Secondary Driver:
Me.
I’m a SUV guy and have preferred large ladder frames over low slung sedans. I’ve been driving the first generation Storme since it’s launch and have not yet found a worthy replacement for it. But that’s a different thread altogether. Ergo, I’m not a hatch guy and have not been following hatches especially the interesting launches recently.
Driving the swift again, returning to hatches after long, I’m suddenly reminded of the pleasures of a small car. Meandering through small lanes and tiny parking slots give me a joy I seem to have missed with my burly Safari. I’m also guilty of the long forgotten feeling that only zippy petrols give.
Family Requirement:
As a family we have started to feel requirement of a new car. We would like to invest in the safety options available today which were unheard of in our previous cars. Nice features and well appointed interiors are sorely missed.
In our pursuit for next car, I stick with my SUV requirements and my wife is pro small hatches as she finds big burly SUVs intimidating.
Cars have become obscenely expensive and I had been planning that the next car could be a one car do all for the family and so I should go for a premium well built SUV laden with features which probably both of us can drive, meeting each other in the middle. Maybe something like the Compass. But eyes watered after seeing what it costs on road today.
And with one car do all, the advantage of having two independent cars at a time is lost and one of us would have to always compromise or suffer.
Two cars makes sense. So we figured we go in for a new small hatch for her with all creature comforts while I continue to hunt for bare bones SUVs when the time and option comes to replace Storme. Probably I could do even preowned route also for the next large depreciating SUV since we would have a solid new small car in the family for primary duties. Which also relegates my suv to secondary status and I can compromise family and plush requirements, thus bringing price down of the SUV when we get there and get away with a heart purchase. ( see where I’m sneakily going with this? )
So the hatch it is now. I would request for user inputs and expert opinions from our Tbhp community to help me wade through these unchartered A,B segment waters.
Checklist. Classified as Vital -Essential -Desirable.
Vital.
Safe car.- Good safety track record. While absolute perfect 5 GNCAP stars may not be vital, we would like to steer away from zero star tin cans with known crumple tendencies.
Good build - This segment no more belongs exclusively to budget players. Some good solid cars have entered the ring making it exciting .
Premium interiors- We want the car to feel like a luxury barge (relative to the segment) This is key to keep the car fresh and make us feel as a worthy upgrade.
Features- We hold cars for long . Future proof features which would help us hold the car longer and not go out of date in 3 years are vital.
Driver seat adjust and ergonomics- I’m tall and my wife is short. So height adjust and possibility to work the ergos for both of us is vital. She should be able to see all around in her highest and closest driving position and I should be able to manage to slide the seat back and sit low. I can manage without complaints (as always) if it’s tight for me but the car should be biased towards helping a shorter driver get best driving position.
Essential.
Size -compact as possible to park and putter around effortlessly. Don’t unnecessarily want to move up to Compact sedan with tiny boot as we don’t need it and the price should be kept in check. Hence hatch will do. Also let’s not go the hatch on stilts/ pretend SUV way and splurge money on altitude please.
Transmission - It would be nice to have an automatic which looks precisely advantageous for this particular use case. But since wife is comfortable with manual, and it would help keep price in check, I’m open to stick shift also.
Features- those good to have features which cost a bomb in a large car have trickled down to hatches and can be experienced at an affordable price bracket. That’s what we’re gunning for. So pump up the feature list please. Are there sunroof hatches I wonder.
Engine- Not particular about diesel/petrol. A good motor married to the gearbox is all we need. If petrol keeps the overall purchase cost in check then would prefer petrol as the other large car would be diesel. Break even despite costlier petrol cost/litre is not valid as running would be low.
Wife is sedate driver and doesn’t corner carve. She was very happy when she got a speeding ticket on express way once and counts it as a lifetime adventure experience.
As I’m the secondary driver, a FTD hatch would be an added bonus for occasional grins.
Fuss free ownership.
I want one car in the family to be fuss free and not popping surprises now and then, or requiring constant visits to service Center to fix a faulty bulb here or a failed sensor there. Sorted, niggle free experience please.
Desirable:
Body exterior: Has to tick the ‘chick hatch’ box in terms of style and colour. So good looks from the ladies’ perspective will win brownie points. Doesn’t matter if I will have to cover my face driving a pista green hatch. Should also enjoy bragging rights amongst the lady friends gang meeting up on weekday afternoons which seems to be a new thing I can’t comprehend (and wisely I keep shut).
New Car Let’s not go the preowned route because at the budget and considering we would like to keep the car long and also need this to be a fuss free ownership (all headaches are reserved for my next SUV probably)
Pedigree: Can we sneak in a European experience at this budget? I’m a Skoda type guy when it comes to interiors and clever features. And it would be nice to have that German feel in our garage. Again since it’s a smaller car I can afford to maintain it rather than say, a larger Kodiaq perhaps.
Manufacturer: We ve had the Nano and the Safari so Tata’s been there, done that . Would desire new better A.S.S experience from other makers but if winner of this battle is Tata, then not averse to the idea of going again to Tata either. I’m open to any Indian, Korean, European worth its salt.
Budget - 10lacs Ex showroom. Ambitious and greedy? Maybe. But I trust the community to find me a diamond in the rough.
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