[careind]

I chose the Verna.

It was a toss between Ioniq and Verna to be frank.

But I applaud Hyundai for showing the gumption to bring in the refreshing power upgrade of the Verna during the times were sedans are a dying breed.
This is the first time the Koreans have come near , or I could say even matched, the VAG's portfolio offering in this segment. And for that a big pat on the back to Hyundai.

[M@y@vi]

This is my first comment after being accepted as a member. I could not vote but will share my opinion here.
In my list -

Winner:
Honda Elevate:
Contrary to Rajinikanth, Elevate has come in late but is not latest in terms of features.
BUT! Elevate has been positioned well in terms of value for money aspect. Fairly tough, extremely reliable, Airy interiors presumed problem free ownership makes it a winner.
It was a difficult decision for me to let go off an Elevate booked during my recent car purchase.

Close runner up: Hyundai Verna
Hyundai is listening. Yes! They have improved the leg room for rear seats. plethora of Engine+gear box options. I am not a fan of Hyundai design language. I20 is the only better-looking car in my opinion. But the car is a great value for money. I would like to see more Verna's on the road which not the current scenario. if Hyundai is able to tweak and bring faster updates, they will give a new lease of life for the whole sedan segment.

[Ashar]

Voted for the Hyundai Exter. I was torn between the Hyundai Exter and the BMW X1. The poll results completely surprised me!

The Exter took on the Punch and declared out loud, "Lemme show you how it's done." Whatever the Punch did, the Exter replicated but in a very elegant and refined manner. I own a Punch automatic, and after test-driving the Exter automatic, I realized that if I had been more patient and waited for the Exter, the wait would have been well worth it. Just my opinion! The engine & transmission refinement & performance was leagues ahead of Punch. The ride & handling, which was a strength of Punch, was as good, if not better. Overall, it turned out to be an amazing micro SUV.


Regarding the X1, customers seem to have a strong liking for it. It looks as big as the old X3. The styling is typical BMW—aggressive and sporty—and it doesn't scream "entry-level BMW" in any way. BMW has managed to make it look aspirational. They've also enhanced the ride quality, overall space, and comfort of the car, and added exciting features to make it even more desirable. BMW seems to have put a great deal of effort into the X1, and it truly shows.

Between the Exter and X1, I was equally biased toward both. I chose the Exter as it was within reach for a much larger group.

[chennai-indian]

Voted for Verna. One of the rare launches in the Sedan segment with edgy, funky and polarizing looks but loaded to the gills with features and a very good engine to boot

[buntee90]

Voted for the Verna, Hyundai has taken the fight to Honda and VAG in Sedans and won this time.

It has the power, space and looks palatable in Dark Colors !!

[charanreddy]

I had three key contenders.

1. The Verna for what it has done to the C Segment sedan buyer. It was a hard job to beat the VW twins, but the Hyundai pulled it off making it a desirable choice in the segment.

2. Toyota Hycross : Bring strong hybrid and petrol to this diesel dominated segment is no mean feat , but Toyota has pushed the segment boundaries. It helps that there is literally no competition, but in this era where diesels future is unknown, Toyota managed to give an option.

And finally the winner.

3. Hyundai Ioniq 5 : for the sheer amount of value this car brings vs much more expensive competition. This car has pushed the segment bechmark by the biggest margin and the closest comparable competitor is 50% more expensive, while the big 3 can take a hike.

[Motard_Blr]

I voted for the Toyota Hycross.

My reasoning for this choice is that the car should be great and it should be sufficiently relevant to Indian car market that there is a substantial impact.

Accordingly, Ioniq5 is a great car but it is irrelevant to the market.

Verna is a great car but there's no big innovation. Also, sedans are less relevant than SUVs, as seen in the sales figures.

So the easy choice was the Toyota Hycross. Even the basic car is great but the hybrid is a proper leap forward in accessible technology. Need I even mention the sales?

[DivyanshuDiv]

Voted for Hyundai Verna.
From the current options and especially the package it brings is magnanimous for the price. It is solid made, smart looking, features loaded, 5 start rated, nice engine and transmission options, and a benchmark sedan in its class. It has revived the sedan segment and surely stand at top in the list of car of the year.
Kudos to Hyundai.

[Gamemaztr]

When I opened the poll, I felt that I would vote for the Innova Hycross hands down without any doubt. However, after reading the nice, short and crisp summary by GTO, I was very confused. Eventually, I was left to choose between the Hycross and the Jimny.

My thought process was very simple. To vote for a vehicle that has: (a) caused raised eyebrows in the Indian auto industry; (b) is mass-produced and (c) is a vehicle that would define how the company thinks it should tread in the future in the Indian market.

W.r.t the Innova Hycross, the Innova Crysta was the only MPV in the 25-40 Lakh zone which was and is mass-produced. It is spacious, has a dependable ladder on frame construction, and a trusty, mile-munching diesel engine. Whenever I spoke with the tourist drivers driving the Crysta, they always had one thing to say: the car is comfortable to drive as well as ride and just doesn't fail you in the middle of the road. Toyota had taken a risk with the Hycross - monocoque construction and petrol/petrol hybrid engine. While it was addition of more space to an already spacious car, it raised eyebrows when Toyota skipped the diesel engine - which till that time seemed irreplaceable. Most of the drivers initially told me that the Hycross is DOA. However, in the last 8-9 months, the perception has completely turned upside down. While it is not to debate that the Hycross is a great ride, driving it has been more pleasing for many. To almost all I spoke to, the hybrid has been something very interesting for them and they are loving it. While it has its fair share of cons, IMHO, the Innova Hycross has redefined the MPV class in the 25-40 Lakh zone.

W.r.t. the Jimny, this territory had been unchartered after the departure of the agile Gypsy. Though there were cars in a class or two higher (Thar and Wrangler), being in the class they where off-roading in such a vehicle was out of reach for many. While Jimny has been in the Suzuki stable for around 4 decades now, Maruti Suzuki didn't seem to be a fan of it. As most would recollect, Gypsy in the later stage was only mass-produced for the Armed Forces. Clearly, MSIL wasn't in the mood to offer it to the public in general. Also interestingly, the 3-Door Jimny was being manufactured in India yet wasn't available for the Indian markets. Then there is a change of mind at MSIL and we see the 5-door Jimny today. It looks nice and neat, IMO has a good road presence, and feels solidly built. However, whether MSIL bought a breakthrough product in the market or not seems to be a question that I can only answer in negative. I reason it in the following manner: the product is in a market that seems to exist but doesn't (a jeep in a 10 to 20 Lakh bracket); I feel the market is very niche at this stage for that price range. The Jimny presently seems to be the RJio of 2016 - a Secondary Sim to your mainstream operators, can give you goosebumps only when used correctly, otherwise a pain. And the over-optimistic pricing doesn't help. Secondly, the car ergonomically seems to be very poorly planned - poor storage places, crammed footwell and rear seats - taking me to my initial concern, MSIL was never in the mood to offer it in the first place. To introduce a car in a price bracket just to fill it and make some quick bucks, for me, isn't a car of the year. I can't conclude that Jimny has bought a revolution in the market for its price bracket, which the Innova Hycross was successful at in its price bracket.

Thus, the Innova Hycross comes out to be a clear winner from my point of view and so gets my vote.

[gauravdgr8]

For me the car of the year is the Innova Hycross. Purely because it has successfully created a niche in a luxury segment and still commands a wait time. Great work there by Toyota

[ManneAtWheelz]

My vote goes to Comet. I'm in love with it starting from its name to the looks of it. Very much practical car (not a fun to drive though), especially for ladies who are scared with size of the car. Can easily use it anywhere in city due to its small size, can be used for all grocery needs, kids school drop & pickups and many more to say.

Comes with only 2 speakers - with small cabin, I feel that is more than enough.

Can live with missing features like seat height adjustment, rear washer & wiper but with this price they can be integrated as well.

The big miss for me is absence of a spare wheel & DC/AC fast charge options.

[abaliga]

Voted for the Elevate, Honda was sensible enough to price it well, a well balanced car with bullet proof reliability! Hopefully the sales tally will motivate Honda to launch more cars and exciting powertrain options!

[ankitsharma]

Voted for the new Verna 1.5 Turbo. A lot of people like me are liking the engine/segment/interiors albeit the exteriors. But but but my vote for Verna do not go for any of these things but the fact that they are investing into the segment which is somehow getting subdued due to the crossover demand (deemed as SUVs/C-SUVs).

While hunting a car for my brother I test drove Verna 1.5 Turbo last month. Also drove few others viz. i20 (Turbo and 1.2), Venue , Baleno and few others. The point is that Verna right now provides a tune for enthusiasts as well with the 1.5L Turbo. This is what we have been expecting from the Manufacturers and now that Hyundai has done that we are not at all appreciating.
The SA at Hyundai dealership told me that i20 used to come with a 1.0L Turbo engine in the regular (non N-Line) tune. It was discontinued due to very very low sales. I mean people are fighting for hot hatches in India and when one comes up even with the lesser cost nobody even buys it.

P.S. I am not only talking about the TBhp community here but we Indians as a whole. Please do not take offense.

[Abhisheknott]

Not a very enticing list of contenders to vote for as many others have already mentioned.

Fronx is a superb vehicle especially with the Boosterjet but is just a decked up Baleno.
Hycross is a worthy contender but is nothing out of the ordinary or unexpected from Toyota.
Jimny is too small and engine dull.
C3 Aircross again looks good but let down by missing features and doubts of brand staying power/safety.
Comet is like a 4 wheeled techy Greaves Garuda.
The Ioniq 5 is the only one which stands out and gets my vote and the Verna 2nd for the snappy design.

[SeniorC]

Voted for Verna 1.5 Turbo. It has everything that a car owner would want at that price. Had Seltos 1.5 GTX+ been in the list, I would have voted for that.