[QuentinTino]

Originally Posted by bamaboy

With a 75 Lakh budget, I will recommend you to look for a used Land Cruiser or Prado. You'll be able to easily cater to every nook and cranny of Jharkhand, Bihar & Odisha and will be trouble-free ownership.

You can even consider used low mileage 5 series/E Class + new F/L Fortuner combo. We were in the same dilemma two months ago and wanted to exchange our 2015 W205 C200 with GLE300d. After almost a month of negotiation and factoring trade-in/resale value, we decided to retain the C Class and bought a new Fortuner F/L 4x4 AT. I don't regret not buying GLE and elated with the Luxury Saloon & tough Japanese SUV combo.

Well said, we were in the market for a family SUV ( Tiguan AllSpace, X3 etc.), rather went for a 3 series and an Innova instead, the German saloon + Japanese SUV/MPV combo is simply unbeatable in India. I have noticed a similar pattern among other Indian luxury buyers too.

[haskelerator]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

Hi Guys,
So we have been looking for a SUV that fits in the 75 Lac bracket (OTR).

Heres the criteria it should fill:

Ride Quality
Offroadability
Highway-Mile munching (Most Important)

Considering ride comfort is a priority and with our less than good roads I am surprised at the many recommendations for BMWs. Sure they are great to drive but they don’t give the kind of ride and comfort for rear seat passengers one would expect after shelling out 75 lacs. I find Audis a better compromise in that regard. Why not the q5?

[RishavRBhardwaj]

Originally Posted by haskelerator

I am surprised at the many recommendations for BMWs.

I just drove the X3 yesterday and and I have to admit I’m blown away by the drive. One SUV that likes to be thrown around corners.
The ride felt pretty bumpy to dad though. Seats too are a bit firm. Definitely not the car to be sitting in 6 hours straight.

Originally Posted by haskelerator

Why not the q5?

They’ve discontinued the Q5 due to BSVI norms for now.

[sircar]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

I just drove the X3 yesterday and and I have to admit I’m blown away by the drive. One SUV that likes to be thrown around corners.
The ride felt pretty bumpy to dad though. Seats too are a bit firm. Definitely not the car to be sitting in 6 hours straight.

They’ve discontinued the Q5 due to BSVI norms for now.

Couldn’t agree with you more about how the X3 drives. I remember I could not stop smiling the entire test drive. The ride is a little stiff on the sport mode, but in comfort it really glides over most rough patches. Mind you the GLC is better in this aspect but looses out of the sheer fun to drive factor and handling. By the way, did you try the x3 30i or 20d? I would recommend you drive the 30i if you have not. It is more powerful and feels quicker and smoother of the two.
I own the X3 30i and I have done trips of 300km one way with a family of four and all of us enjoyed the ride. Its surprisingly good and comfortable on highways.

[RishavRBhardwaj]

Originally Posted by sircar

By the way, did you try the x3 30i or 20d? I would recommend you drive the 30i if you have not. It is more powerful and feels quicker and smoother of the two.

Drove the 20d. Not sure if 30i would serve as great as 20d on highways. That’s where it has to spend the most time. (Single digit Fuel efficiency would become a concern.)
The suspension setup is going to remain the same though. What you said about comfort mode makes sense, but sadly it just takes away the very reason to get the X3. I.e the steering.

[sircar]

I drive 90% of the time in comfort mode and it has given me 10km/ltr till date. I have driven around 3000km since I got this car in Jan 2021 and my driving is mostly in city with occasional trips on the highway. I usually engage sport mode just to get the thrills for a short duration on open highways. I have been able to drive around 500km without needing to refill. But I guess if you will use this car regularly on highways and use it for more than 1500km per month then you will need the diesel.

[RishavRBhardwaj]

A CHANGE OF MIND:

Was very happily waiting for the delivery of my Land Rover Discovery Sport scheduled for November. An itch to test out some more cars compelled me to call for a test drive of the Volvo XC60.

In a couple of Days, Volvo sends an XC60 all the way from Kolkata to Ranchi for the TD. And in less than an hour, the vehicle in my daydreams suddenly changes from a British off-roader to a Scandinavian beauty.

Here's what I feel contributes the most to this rather a tectonic shift:

Firstly,

It's Really Fun to Drive: It Surely it doesn't tower over cars on the road like the Discovery Sport, But consequently feels smaller and much easier to drive in a spirited manner.

The Interiors: XC60's interiors belong to a segment above. The Nappa leather seats with ventillation and massage feature (thank god) really impresses.

The Wheels: Most luxury Brands slap on their most boring wheel options onto their cars in here in India, XC60's wheels atleast don’t disappoint to a degree to be called boring. I know boring wheels aren’t a dealbreaker for most people, Still.

Better Reliability to expect: Much lesser horror stories on the internet than that of the Land Rovers. Which is actually a great relief when the nearest service station is more than 300kms away. (Both JLR and Volvo's nearest service stations are in Kolkata, almost 350kms from Ranchi, where I live)

More bang for the Buck: The Volvo will save me somewhere around 10Lakhs on the OTR price. Factoring in, the Pilot assist, AEB and a long list of other safety features, The XC60 makes real sense.

But here's the catch:

Volvo has stopped production of the Diesels. If I plan to keep the car for the next 3-5 years, Will spare parts availability become an issue? Going for a petrol instead is out of the picture already, keeping in mind that the vehicle has to be on the highways almost 80 percent of the time.

Also there's a facelift around the corner, (Only Petrol). How will these things playout and how it's going to impact the vehicle's value is something I'm truly unsure of.

Should I go ahead and get the XC60 that I'm getting a fair deal on, or simply get the Disco Sport Delivered in November?

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

But here's the catch:

Volvo has stopped production of the Diesels. If I plan to keep the car for the next 3-5 years, Will spare parts availability become an issue? Going for a petrol instead is out of the picture already, keeping in mind that the vehicle has to be on the highways almost 80 percent of the time.

Also there's a facelift around the corner, (Only Petrol). How will these things playout and how it's going to impact the vehicle's value is something I'm truly unsure of.

Should I go ahead and get the XC60 that I'm getting a fair deal on, or simply get the Disco Sport Delivered in November?

Not sure if you pulled the trigger yet with the XC60.

I am in a similar boat and have been on the fence for a while swinging between options and narrowed it down to the XC60 since we already own a baby Volvo and are already a big fan of the safety tech which matters the most for us in the family. They are selling the last batch of diesel units after which the new petrol variants are expected. SA is pushing me to go for the D5 but not offering any mouthwatering discounts stating there is a demand since this is the last lot of diesels. He goes onto say that there would be a better resale value in the future. I wouldn't worry about the parts availability as the V40 CC I use still has parts availability and support from the manufacturer. There could be some waiting times depending on the parts but that's the deal with a slightly less prominent brand in India.

[RishavRBhardwaj]

Originally Posted by vjbox

I am in a similar boat and have been on the fence for a while swinging between options and narrowed it down to the XC60.

Going for the D5 diesel Indeed makes a lot of sense IMO. And yes there's demand for the last batch of the diesels. Also, the petrol facelift will be launched at a premium of atleast 5-6 lacs. Not sure how the resale value thing is going play out, but hey, no one buys a Volvo for great Resale Value anyway.

Talking about Discounts, No mouthwatering deals all over India. Still I Think we managed to get a fair deal, around 2 Lacs on the Ex-showroom+ Free 2+2 Year Extended Warranty.

Colour options too, are scarce. Just Pine Grey, White, and Black. We went ahead with the Pine Grey. Looks like a unique colour, kind of a Black in the Dark and Graphite in Direct sunlight.


I'm longing to get my hands on it. We have scheduled the delivery for Mid-October.

Happy Shopping

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

Going for the D5 diesel Indeed makes a lot of sense IMO. And yes there's demand for the last batch of the diesels. Also, the petrol facelift will be launched at a premium of atleast 5-6 lacs. Not sure how the resale value thing is going play out, but hey, no one buys a Volvo for great Resale Value anyway.

Talking about Discounts, No mouthwatering deals all over India. Still I Think we managed to get a fair deal, around 2 Lacs on the Ex-showroom+ Free 2+2 Year Extended Warranty.

Colour options too, are scarce. Just Pine Grey, White, and Black. We went ahead with the Pine Grey. Looks like a unique colour, kind of a Black in the Dark and Graphite in Direct sunlight.


I'm longing to get my hands on it. We have scheduled the delivery for Mid-October.

Happy Shopping

Yes it does look like there are no real discounts although I doubt the demand angle and I believe ist more to do with the limited lots that are being produced and dispatched while they move to focus on petrol, hybrid and electric power trains.So the limited lots ought to sell out. SA tells me he can offer 2.5 lac off and I know if I press hard, I can easily take it to 3.5 lac with additional warranty. You are right and to be honest I am not too worried about the resale value after I thought it through as we are going to claim depreciation anyway in our company. Its the fact that this is the last batch and new petrol variant is introduced with google OS with connected tech, enhanced ADAS sensors etc is making me think the future proof angle. I have asked the petrol spec details from the SA. He un-officially tells me the petrol variant will carry the same/closer spec and price as D5 (I am guessing the new B6)-

Excited to hear your that your new car is coming in- we saw the pine grey at display and it looked gorgeous, very nice pick! Our pick will likely be the onyx Black. Congratulations again and do keep us posted with the delivery updates and initial ownership reports!

[RishavRBhardwaj]

Originally Posted by vjbox

Yes it does look like there are no real discounts although I doubt the demand angle and I believe ist more to do with the limited lots that are being produced and dispatched while they move to focus on petrol, hybrid and electric power trains.So the limited lots ought to sell out. SA tells me he can offer 2.5 lac off and I know if I press hard, I can easily take it to 3.5 lac with additional warranty. You are right and to be honest I am not too worried about the resale value after I thought it through as we are going to claim depreciation anyway in our company. Its the fact that this is the last batch and new petrol variant is introduced with google OS with connected tech, enhanced ADAS sensors etc is making me think the future proof angle. I have asked the petrol spec details from the SA. He un-officially tells me the petrol variant will carry the same/closer spec and price as D5 (I am guessing the new B6)-

Excited to hear your that your new car is coming in- we saw the pine grey at display and it looked gorgeous, very nice pick! Our pick will likely be the onyx Black. Congratulations again and do keep us posted with the delivery updates and initial ownership reports!

That's a really sweet deal you're getting there. I'm not sure if they'll offer any discounts on the new one though. It's okay If you're fine paying around 10L extra for the android based system, connected tech and a few sensors. (10L= 3.5L discount+ ~6L price bump for the new one)

I know It'll start feeling outdated a bit sooner, but the current model makes just a tad more sense right now for the price.

You won't regret getting the new one IF they bring the R-design trim down to India. My SA says they won't. But who knows?

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

A CHANGE OF MIND:

Was very happily waiting for the delivery of my Land Rover Discovery Sport scheduled for November. An itch to test out some more cars compelled me to call for a test drive of the Volvo XC60.

The Volvo XC60 is an excellent car and if you don't need to do off-roading/soft-roading and are not a hardcore Land Rover fan, then XC60 is a more compelling buy than the Discovery Sport.

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

It's Really Fun to Drive: It Surely it doesn't tower over cars on the road like the Discovery Sport, But consequently feels smaller and much easier to drive in a spirited manner.

Are you talking about the Discovery or the Discovery Sport? The Discovery Sport doesn't tower over other cars on road. I think the XC60 has more road presence than the Discovery Sport and looks more upmarket as well.

Picture of Discovery Sport and XC60 from the internet

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

Should I go ahead and get the XC60 that I'm getting a fair deal on, or simply get the Disco Sport Delivered in November?

I think you should go ahead with the XC60 since you liked it so much.

[RishavRBhardwaj]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

The Volvo XC60 is an excellent car and if you don't need to do off-roading/soft-roading and are not a hardcore Land Rover fan

To be honest, I had confused ride quality with offroadability all my life. I don't know if this is a coincidence, but Cars with good offroad capabilities just happen to have good ride quality. Hence, The discovery sport was the only vehicle we looked at initially. Case examples- Our Renault Duster & Jeep Compass.
And It dawned on me pretty recently, that you can very well separate Offroadability and Ride Quality.
Now this doesn't stop me from being a Land Rover Fan though. I feel, the discovery sport, or any other Land Rover for that matter looks much more masculine than most SUVs.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

you talking about the Discovery or the Discovery Sport? The Discovery Sport doesn't tower over other cars on road.

Yes I'm talking about the Discovery Sport. XC60 and the Disco might not have much of a height difference on paper, but the Disco felt SIGNIFICANTLY higher. It felt almost as high as the Scorpio. Could be due to the higher seat height. But I don't think that should have made such a big difference.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

I think you should go ahead with the XC60 since you liked it so much.

Getting it delivered very soon

A picture of it standing at the dealer yard.

[RishavRBhardwaj]

The wait finally ended on 20th October. Wasn't active on TBHP, hence couldn't post this update on the thread. Thanking everyone once again for the extremely valuable inputs.