[TheVegabond]

Hello all,

Recently, one of my close friends was looking to upgrade his 2014 Hyundai Santro. He had driven the Santro for more than a lakh kms and kept it in a good shape. But the time had come for an upgrade to a bigger car with more features. He zeroed in on the sub-compact SUV segment with budget of 10 lakh OTR.

The cars shortlisted were Kia Sonet, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon. All 3 of these were rejected post test drive. Following were the deal breakers:

Kia Sonet – Uncomfortable rear seat and poor interior in lower variants. The GT line had all the bells and whistles but was well above 12 lakh OTR while the rear seat remained a deal breaker.

Brezza – Cheap interiors and no feel-good factor, rejected hands down.

Nexon – Similar to Sonet, the real seat felt cramped and fully loaded variants went above 11 lakh OTR.

Dejected, he went on to test drive Mahindra XUV300 and Hyundai Venue and returned unimpressed. The boot in XUV300 was a let down while he could not connect with the Venue.

At this point, I suggested him to test drive Honda WRV with a warning about the reviews of its petrol engine being sluggish. But voila, he found the car perfect to drive while his family loved the cabin. The dealer offered a great deal on exchange. The launch of Exclusive edition came as an icing on the cake and he drove home the top end petrol variant.

Now, the point here is that we have a flood in the sub-compact SUV segment. Besides the cars mentioned above, Nissan Magnite will be here in a few days and then Renault will bring in the Kiger. Despite having so many options, each of these cars seems to have one or more limitations which are nothing less than a deal breaker.

Is the sub-compact SUV segment worth looking at or should someone push the budget up and look at Creta, Seltos etc?

[TrackDay]

I guess this depends on each man's individual taste, perspective and daily requirements. I am on the look out for a new car. My running is very low and the roads in my city and nearby districts are pretty ok. Not the best, but livable.

I began with the Brezza, Nexon, Ecosport and even Seltos. Each car has its own strength. But then I changed my focus into the sedan segment and found the cars more suited to my taste and family. Especially the city, ciaz and Verna. These sedans offer much more space comparatively. But my take on the Sub compact SUV segment is that if your local road conditions are bad it might be better to stick on to them. Espeially the Nexon and ecosport. Both are good. The Nexon Folliage green is a looker.

[petrolHead_1609]

My opinion,

Sub 4 meter screams compromise!

Thanks to taxation here, the segment grew and is now growing way beyond its reach just because it can. They have reached the heights of 14L OTR, seriously?

The whole idea of segment was to cater people who wanted to buy CSUV or sedan but were with budget constraints. On the contrary, the prices are now much in the range of segments above.

I believe if you are in the market with a budget of 11-12L, sub 4 meter is a good choice, spending a single penny beyond that, don't buy it!

Bells and whistles don't engage you for more than a year or two, rather go ahead and buy Creta/Seltos. S and HTK trims are decently kitted, although poorly rated in safety but if you are already considering anything apart from XUV 300 and Nexon, going ahead with these shouldn't be an issue.

Even if you wander in sedans, you get a VFM Rapid Rider under 10L OTR and for 12-14L OTR, one can have decently kitted city or verna.

Nissan magnite is being touted to be priced competitively to give it a bigger advantage, I believe that's the price bracket this segment needs to sit in and others have just gone beyond that because they can. Or may be 60-90k above magnite but anything more is not acceptable.

[gusfring]

Well, the CSUVs take a couple things from SUVs... One is the design, other is the ground clearance. You can call it a hatchback on stilts, and you'd be hitting the bull's eye.

Why, look at the rear end of the Venue, and you'd seriously have trouble saying it is a SUV. Space offered inside is quite the same as a hatchback, can be lesser too (case in point Venue). Creta and Seltos, longer than 4m, are definitely SUVs, with much better space inside.

C-SUVs are an Indian favourite for the high GC (some of our roads are like off-roading, hence ), the looks, the easy maneuverability (due to essentially being a hatchback, and the shorter <4m length). Otherwise, they're definitely just hatchbacks.

[WhiteSierra]

Originally Posted by TheVegabond

Kia Sonet – Uncomfortable rear seat and poor interior in lower variants. The GT line had all the bells and whistles but was well above 12 lakh OTR while the rear seat remained a deal breaker.

Brezza – Cheap interiors and no feel-good factor, rejected hands down.

Nexon – Similar to Sonet, the real seat felt cramped and fully loaded variants went above 11 lakh OTR.

Dejected, he went on to test drive Mahindra XUV300 and Hyundai Venue and returned unimpressed. The boot in XUV300 was a let down while he could not connect with the Venue.


Is the sub-compact SUV segment worth looking at or should someone push the budget up and look at Creta, Seltos etc?

These are the main CONS of sub-compact SUVs. They neither belong here (SUVs) nor there (Hatchbacks). The biggest sacrifice one has to do is either boot space or 2nd row space. Most of the sub-compact SUVs are for self driving people with 2 kids who are seated in the 2nd row. Please ask your friend to checkout the Ecosport, the 2nd row is decent enough compared to Nexon, Venue and Sonet. If he wants bigger 2nd row seating space and leg room space, ask your friend to stretch his budget over a lakh for a Renault Duster.

At this point, I suggested him to test drive Honda WRV with a warning about the reviews of its petrol engine being sluggish. But voila, he found the car perfect to drive while his family loved the cabin. The dealer offered a great deal on exchange. The launch of Exclusive edition came as an icing on the cake and he drove home the top end petrol variant.

WRV is more of a hatchback cross-over than a sub compact SUV. If he is comfortable with the car, ask him to go ahead and purchase it. Few people find different classes of cars to be comfortable for their driving style. For example I find driving SUVs easier than sedans and hatchbacks as I learnt my driving on SUVs and I'm very comfortable with them. Since your friend is coming from a Santro, WRV seems to be a good upgrade.

Alternatively, ask him to checkout Ford Ecosport and Renault Duster if he wants a bigger car and a bigger boot space.

[GandalfTheGrey]

Originally Posted by TheVegabond

Hello all,

Now, the point here is that we have a flood in the sub-compact SUV segment. Besides the cars mentioned above, Nissan Magnite will be here in a few days and then Renault will bring in the Kiger. Despite having so many options, each of these cars seems to have one or more limitations which are nothing less than a deal breaker.

Is the sub-compact SUV segment worth looking at or should someone push the budget up and look at Creta, Seltos etc?

I don't see Ecosport in the list of cars. Any reason for avoiding it?

My take is this; I think the problem mentioned here plagues every segment, and not just the sub 4M one. There's no one size fits all car, at least in the sub 15 lakh segment. One thing I've realized in a car purchase, at least in the sub 10-15 lakh segment, is in a given budget, one needs to be very clear about what one is ready to compromise as much as what one needs. If what I need and what I can compromise are clear, choosing a car becomes relatively easy.

When I got my Ecosport, I was very clear that I wanted a CUV that's safe and engaging to drive, and was ready to compromise on space and other aspects. So Ecosport was the only choice I was left with in my budget.

Cheers!

[SoumenD]

Well I was in the same boat as your friend earlier last year, only difference being I was looking for an automatic. Loved the Nexon but the AMT was a deal breaker. If WRV had the cvt I would have gone for it eyes closed but sadly it didn’t so had to settle for Jazz CVT. Miss the high GC though

Sub4m CSUV segment although having a lot of options doesn’t really have a do it all option for a 1 car garage. DCTs and AMTs aren’t really reliable in our traffic conditions as per the reviews so I was looking for CVT or TC which only Ecosport had but that at the cost of FE(7-8kmpl in city). However almost 2 years later there seems to be one car which caters to my needs , the MAGNITE, but alas I am no more looking.

[Raghu M]

When I was looking out for an upgrade, I thought I would not compromise on safety and space (leg room, head room). I chose the XUV300 only because it had comfort, safety and space. Yes, the boot is a compromise. I don't think any car can offer literally everything. If it does, it will burn a hole in the pocket. Everyone has their requirements, we just have to go based on that. For me budget was not a big problem as I had postponed my upgrade by more than 2 years. But I would definitely not buy something that I just don't need. When you have safety as top priority, you have to dole out extra money.

[TheVegabond]

Originally Posted by GandalfTheGrey

I don't see Ecosport in the list of cars. Any reason for avoiding it?

My take is this; I think the problem mentioned here plagues every segment, and not just the sub 4M one. There's no one size fits all car, at least in the sub 15 lakh segment. One thing I've realized in a car purchase, at least in the sub 10-15 lakh segment, is in a given budget, one needs to be very clear about what one is ready to compromise as much as what one needs. If what I need and what I can compromise are clear, choosing a car becomes relatively easy.

When I got my Ecosport, I was very clear that I wanted a CUV that's safe and engaging to drive, and was ready to compromise on space and other aspects. So Ecosport was the only choice I was left with in my budget.

Cheers!

My friend found WRV more practical and suited his requirement more than the Ecosport.

You have rightly pointed out that one needs be sure about the things he can compromise on. And that was the particular reason I suggested WRV. He was ok with how it drives and the cabin was biggest as compared to other cars mentioned.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by TheVegabond

Hello all,

Recently, one of my close friends was looking to upgrade his 2014 Hyundai Santro. He had driven the Santro for more than a lakh kms and kept it in a good shape. But the time had come for an upgrade to a bigger car with more features. He zeroed in on the sub-compact SUV segment with budget of 10 lakh OTR.

My question is what does an upgrade mean for him? Why this segment? IMO, i don't think CSUV is really an upgrade to be honest except for GC and some more features.

Instead of spending so much money on the Venue/Brezza/Sonet I would suggest he look for a sedan. The Verna/City/Rapid/Ciaz are within striking distance anyway and with good offers, he might get a decently loaded version. In fact the Amaze S CVT would fit right in his budget and it's a very decent option.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by TheVegabond

Now, the point here is that we have a flood in the sub-compact SUV segment. Besides the cars mentioned above, Nissan Magnite will be here in a few days and then Renault will bring in the Kiger. Despite having so many options, each of these cars seems to have one or more limitations which are nothing less than a deal breaker.

Is the sub-compact SUV segment worth looking at or should someone push the budget up and look at Creta, Seltos etc?

There can't be a one-size-fits-all solution to everything.

What didn't appeal to your friend (and he had all valid reasons), does appeal to 40k other buyers in the market month after month. Their requirements could be different and hence, they like the XUV300, Nexon, Venue, Sonet and so on. As long as we buyers get a variety of options to choose from and it satisfies our requirements, we are happy.

[torquecurve]

In one word - Trade - Off (ok one Hyphenated word).
Every vehicle is a trade off. And I mean every single one.
You have to make a list of priorities and the vehicle that ticks them is what you select.
Priorities are not just any list it is a list with what you think is important for you. E.g a person primarily buying a car for city usage might put safety at a lower priority than a person buying for highway use. The same person might prioritise comfort (automatic) over FE compared to the highway guy who will prefer a manual with higher FE.
Make that priority list, evaluate the car against it to short list. Then throw the list away and listen to your heart. A car is something that you should lock, look back and smile before you walk away. And when you start the engine should make you feel good!

[TheVegabond]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

My question is what does an upgrade mean for him? Why this segment? IMO, i don't think CSUV is really an upgrade to be honest except for GC and some more features.

Instead of spending so much money on the Venue/Brezza/Sonet I would suggest he look for a sedan. The Verna/City/Rapid/Ciaz are within striking distance anyway and with good offers, he might get a decently loaded version. In fact the Amaze S CVT would fit right in his budget and it's a very decent option.

I did suggest Rapid TSI as a value for money option but he never wanted a sedan and with that budget, CSUV was the only option.

[Tachyonites]

Originally Posted by TheVegabond

Now, the point here is that we have a flood in the sub-compact SUV segment. Besides the cars mentioned above, Nissan Magnite will be here in a few days and then Renault will bring in the Kiger. Despite having so many options, each of these cars seems to have one or more limitations which are nothing less than a deal breaker.
Is the sub-compact SUV segment worth looking at or should someone push the budget up and look at Creta, Seltos etc?

Great topic buddy!!

It primarily depends upon one's needs and requirements. I for one, would happily go for an SUV (for example - Creta/Seltos) over a C-SUV. In a new car, I don't go nit-picking for gizmos and segment first features. The thing I stress the most when buying a new car is the engine.
For me, a car is defined by its engine and not its features. I would happily forgo creature comforts in order to get myself a better and more powerful engine. People may take a liking to C-SUVs too as it forms the heart and even the backbone of cars in India. There are just so many options for everyone for example - Ecosport, Sonet, Venue, etc.
One thing is that one has to make compromises when buying a C-SUV be it on space, comfort or anything else that might just be a deal-breaker for some.

To sum it up, it depends upon one's preferences. IMHO I would go for a base model SUV rather than going for a top-model C-SUV (may be subjective).
Thanks.

[motorlover]

I think it comes down to each one's requirements. When I purchased top end hyundai xcent 6 years back , ecosport and duster were contenders. Decision was about buying lower end suv or top end xcent. I settled for xcent because it had a huge boot space especially for my airport trips and comfortable back seating. Although everyone that time was going gaga over ecosport and got to admit it had the looks but practically I hated the claustrophobic cabin and the dashboard was like a mountain. Dark Interiors pushed me off even more. The rear seat had manual opening windows and am so glad I didnt buy it because I now have a young kid and I don't have to sweat about the fact he can open the rear windows as with my xcent I can lock it with a button click. I have been so happy that I plan to keep xcent for a couple of more years as it's hardly given me any major issues. Infact I made it more sporty with vinyl wraps, new htk exhaust which gives me the feel of a sports car and the pickup has really improved with that new exhaust. Plus I added premium seat covers with arm rest. The drive feel is the same one gets when they buy a new car. So in all to each it's own.