[buzzy_boy]

Originally Posted by NithinR

My heart wants to go for XUV, but my brain is with Seltos. Which one do I choose?

Go with the XUV. Remember, 10 years is a long time, and the XUV would take care of your growing family. The vehicle is not practical for city use, but neither is the Seltos IMHO. You can add a city car (Alto etc.) to your garage later on.

[Horizons]

I can't recommed the Creta at all. Other than the admittedly excellent 1.4 TGDi+DCT combo, it's just not a car that's good to drive enthusiastically, due to the overly soft suspension that rolls like a ball in corners, not being helped by the poor tyres being fitted as stock to the car.
With the unresolved DCT issues and the car giving abysmal FE when driven hard, it's not really a fun car to drive, not to mention the less-than-stellar safety rating.

With that being said, the Kushaq/Taigun twins are safe cars, with the fun factor that the VAG Group is known for in India. However, the 1.5 with the DSG has an unfortunate issue of it's reliability being a bit of a question mark, as the DQ200 transmission is known to be problematic. While it may never affect owners throughrout it's life, it is still something to be wary of, as it will cost quite a bit when it goes bad.

The XUV700 is also a good option, especially in it's diesel guise, as it is frugal yet has enough horsepower for anyone's need. The 6 speed Torque Converter Gearbox is a robust piece of equipment and will be reliable, and since it has an SCR system, there is no need to worry about the DPF issues with a BS6 diesel engine. Wait times are a grouse though, but if retaining the car for a long period of time, it shouldn't really matter.

A Dark Horse could be the Thar. While not necessarily fun to drive in the typical fashion, it's fun in it's own right. Add to that the great powertrains and fantastic aesthetics, and it's a car that I don't think should be glossed over.

[tsi_niks1989]

Test drive either the Kushaq/Taigun 1.5 TSI, you will love them as a daily driver. You will be always excited to take your car around even in traffic, believe me I have been nursing both Kushaq and a Virtus GT in last 1 year and it has been a very satisfying experience (when you push the pedal ofcourse ).

Koreans might seem more reliable but the DCT issues have been popping up now and then on those two brands similar to what it used to in earlier Polo GT TSIs. XUV 700 in petrol would be costly on your pocket with single digit fuel efficiency and it is a bigger vehicle to manage in city.

Keeping safety aspect in mind, VAG twins are at the top among the cars tested by GNCAP.

Happy hunting!!

[07CR]

Originally Posted by NithinR

Hello there, fellow petrolheads!

My requirements: I'm a techie living in Chennai, so most of my driving is going to be in the city and in traffic. My hometown is 500 km away, so I might be driving on the highway once a month, maybe.

Since most of your driving would be in City, I would suggest the hyryder V hybrid.

Pros-

• Excellent nvh in hybrid mode
• Excellent performance uptill 100-120 kph.
• Exemplary mileage be it city or highway.
• Toyota reliability and fuss free ownership
• May have excellent resale price too
• Very well loaded in terms of features
• Among the largest small suv styled cars, should be manageable in City, yet have good presence on highways.
• Excellent ride and handling balance
• Manageable waiting period

Cons-

• Performance above 120 kph is average
• Thin sunroof cover
• Nvh when pushing hard

[OrthodocX]

Originally Posted by 07CR

Since most of your driving would be in City, I would suggest the hyryder V hybrid.

[*]Thin sunroof cover
[/list]

I agree with your recommendation. Test drove the Hyryder recently and it's quite good to drive. Feels premium enough and looks good too.

Like you pointed out, I'm really worried about the thin excuse of a sunroof cover the Hyryder and Grand Vitara have opted for. I'm from Chennai too and the Sun God is likely to join me (inside the car itself) for every trip for 10 of the 12 months in the year. the other issue is the paltry boot space on the strong hybrid.

BTW @nithinR I'm in the same boat as you, looking for a car in Chennai (albeit a second one, as first one will go to the missus owing to shift in residence by September). You've narrowed down to a very similar list that I've made (+Hyryder)

I'll keep an eye out for your posts. Wish you the best on your selection and purchase.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by OrthodocX

Like you pointed out, I'm really worried about the thin excuse of a sunroof cover the Hyryder and Grand Vitara have opted for. I'm from Chennai too and the Sun God is likely to join me (inside the car itself) for every trip for 10 of the 12 months in the year. the other issue is the paltry boot space on the strong hybrid.

Toyota seems to be working on a accessory for sunroof cover. Not sure, but I feel there should be something in aftermarket shops for this.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by NithinR

Hi,
So I drove the vehicles I'd selected and narrowed it down to two.
My heart wants to go for XUV, but my brain is with Seltos. Which one do I choose?

In my opinion, a car is a significant purchase, and with the Seltos due for a facelift this year, I wouldn't recommend the current generation. The XUV700 is an all-rounder and ticks most of the boxes. Go with your heart and book the XUV700, meanwhile the New generation Kia Seltos would launch in the meantime, if it fits your needs, you could go for it.

But as of now, the XUV700 is the car to get.

Originally Posted by doc&drive

Hello fellow Bhpians,
1- Is it worth upgrading from Kiger as it has similar 1 litre engine and is also drivable even though the cars i considered are of another segment.

2- Kiger had goodies like digital cluster , push button start. (Virtus has push button start).
Kiger has 4 airbags where as the rest has 2 airbags , but definitely feels more solid.

3- The exchange will have a definite hit on my wallet and what should be the maximum acceptable depreciation for Kiger.

Thank you all in advance and please help me to get out from this confusion.

From a financail standpoint, you would be better off with the Kiger CVT, its compact, its automatic, it's quite safe with 4 airbags and 4-star NCAP rating. You would lose atleast a couple of lakhs when selling it too, but if getting a better car is priority to you, then the best options are:

Sedan Segment

1. Honda City CVT
The Honda City is the undisputed king of the sedan segment in India, with a well-tuned CVT and smooth N.A petrol engine, it will be a reliable companion and will last you ages. Honda is known for their rock-solid reliabilty.

2. VW Virtus/ Skoda Slavia
The Virtus and Slavia are the best performing sedans you could get, but the 1.5 DSG is the real deal. the 1.0 Torque Converter AT is quite good but not as good as the 1.5 DSG.

SUV Segment

1. VW Taigun/Skoda Kushaq
As iterated earlier with their sedan counterparts, the 1.5 DSG is the one to get, but the 1.0 Torque Converter AT aint no slouch either.

2. Toyota UC Hyryder S Hybrid
It may not be the best performer, nor the best handlier but it's extemely fuel efficient and good for you considering your running of ocer 15k km per year. But if performance is must, you may skip it.

3. Nissan Kicks XV Premium 1.3 Turbo CVT
Although, not a popular choice, the Kicks is a really good car with excellent high speed ride, ample grunt, with an excellent engine jointly made with Mercedes. The steering is a bit heavy. Do take a test drive, if you think its worth the gamble, you would be surprised.

Hope it Helps!

[doc&drive]

Originally Posted by bijims

From a financial standpoint, you would be better off with the Kiger CVT, its compact, its automatic, it's quite safe with 4 airbags and 4-star NCAP rating. You would lose at-least a couple of lakhs when selling it too, but if getting a better car is priority to you

The financial part is holding me back, but when ever i am taking Kiger for a long drive i am feeling like i need something more.
I need to travel around 1000 km/month. So if i want to exchange i am only left with either Taigun 1.0 or Virtus 1.0 because 1.5 engine options are way beyond my budget. I am concerned whether i will get satisfied with 1.0 engine. When i took test drive it felt much better than Kiger CVT.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by doc&drive

I need to travel around 1000 km/month. So if i want to exchange i am only left with either Taigun 1.0 or Virtus 1.0 because 1.5 engine options are way beyond my budget. I am concerned whether i will get satisfied with 1.0 engine. When i took test drive it felt much better than Kiger CVT.

Might I suggest the Sonet iMT/DCT? Before buying my Sonet iMT last year, I took test drive of the Kiger CVT and felt it to be above average. But driving the Sonet iMT instantly felt like a 35% upgrade in terms of acceleration, therefore finalized the iMT turbo. Been over a year, and I don't regret my decision. Afterall it's 120 PS vs 100 PS of the Kiger.

[doc&drive]

Originally Posted by 07CR

Might I suggest the Sonet iMT/DCT?

My brother has a Sonet, thats why i avoided it from the list in order to avoid two same cars in the family.

[Roonil]

The Kiger CVT is the best automatic under 15L on road,hands down. Only replace it if you can upgrade to Kushaq 1.5 DSG. Otherwise, it's just a waste of money. Especially if you replace it with another 1L 3 cylinder turbo engine.

[Ordinaryme]

Hi Everyone,

Very glad to be here, first of all. I will be purchasing my (own) first ever car. I have been going over pages and pages of ownership, review , what car threads over the past two weeks and I feel a little exhausted right now. I'll tell you a little about myself and my history with vehicles.

I'm from Delhi. I'm 6 feet tall. I have been driving my parents' Wagon R for the last 6 odd years , but very sporadically, because I have my own KTM Duke 390 which I use for commuting and for the occasional bike rides.

Now, I am planning on getting married in December this year and I have decided that I cannot delay on getting a car any further. ( P.S waiting period of the car is important, as you guys would have concurred)

I'll get to the point now. I need help getting the right vehicle for me keeping in mind some of the basic stuff from above, along with the actual requirements mentioned below:

1) Budget - It's a tricky one actually. I went through a similar dilemma when I was getting my bike. I took the plunge there and paid the premium for the KTM and I haven't regretted it at all. I like the ride experience, the no nonsense German/Austrian finishing, added with the "awe" I get from the crowd
I want to keep my budget at around 15 odd lakhs, but alll these compact SUVs with their mid/top variant lie in the 17-19 lakh range. Should I be splurging the extra cash or should I stick to the Brezzas, Sonets etc? The question is, is it worth it? I can think of expanding the budget, but only if it feels worth the features, drive experience.

2) My daily use will be somewhere between 20-40 km. Like with my bike, I intend to use the car for the occasional road trips too. Therefore, I feel that drive experience is more important for me than the overall efficiency. With the Wagon R, naturally, I have never felt the 'joy' of driving. I just want to feel that thrill, the drive experience that car owners talk about, you know. That experience might be short lived, or might last long.. but I surely would like to experience it once for sure. I mean, if I'm knowingly spending a handsome amount of money on a depreciating asset, the least I could get is a premium experience, right?

3) One thing that has always annoyed me with Wagon R was, how I could always literally feel the pothole, the speed brakers and every bit of unevenness of the Delhi NCR roads. Do these compact SUVs counter that? I'm not sure the test rides will give me the actual picture because I'm always going to compare it with the ride experience of the Wagon R. Hence, I come to you guys for the answer/opinion.

These are pretty much the main questions that are circling in my head. I'm sure the features would pretty much be neck to neck with all the competitors in this range.

So far, I have narrowed my options down to the Taigun 1.0 MT Topline, Creta SX, Seltos.

...or do you feel I'd still be able to have fun in the Brezza, Nexon, Sonet range?

I'm very confused, I'll admit. Would love all the advice, opinion, criticism! I can get.

[sumeetchawla]

Originally Posted by Ordinaryme

Hi Everyone,

So far, I have narrowed my options down to the Taigun 1.0 MT Topline, Creta SX, Seltos.

...or do you feel I'd still be able to have fun in the Brezza, Nexon, Sonet range?

I'm very confused, I'll admit. Would love all the advice, opinion, criticism! I can get.

Hello!

You and I are on a similar boat. I too have been driving a Grandi10 for 8-9 years now and am looking to upgrade to a new SUV. I too started with the sub compact segment. Test drove Brezza, Nexon, Sonet and then upgraded my budget to bigger compact SUVs like Creta and Seltos.

I am confused between Creta SX IVT and Creta SX(O) IVT. The difference in premium-ness and other nice features are quite evident. Been waiting for the Creta facelift since last December.

I didn't check out this gen's Seltos because the newer variant is supposedly being revealed in June.

Regarding Nexon, a new facelift version is coming soon so I would suggest waiting for that if you are looking at Nexon. Unless it will come next year?

I did enjoy the ride quality of Creta and Grand Vitara more than the sub compact SUVs. Also the spacious interiors.

I have shared my selecting experience till now over here (Skoda Kushaq vs Hyundai Creta vs Kia Seltos vs Jeep Compass vs others)

[Ordinaryme]

Originally Posted by sumeetchawla

Hello!

You and I are on a similar boat. I too have been driving a Grandi10 for 8-9 years now and am looking to upgrade to a new SUV. I too started with the sub compact segment. Test drove Brezza, Nexon, Sonet and then upgraded my budget to bigger compact SUVs like Creta and Seltos.

I am confused between Creta SX IVT and Creta SX(O) IVT. The difference in premium-ness and other nice features are quite evident. Been waiting for the Creta facelift since last December.

I didn't check out this gen's Seltos because the newer variant is supposedly being revealed in June.

Regarding Nexon, a new facelift version is coming soon so I would suggest waiting for that if you are looking at Nexon. Unless it will come next year?

I did enjoy the ride quality of Creta and Grand Vitara more than the sub compact SUVs. Also the spacious interiors.

I have shared my selecting experience till now over here (Skoda Kushaq vs Hyundai Creta vs Kia Seltos vs Jeep Compass vs others)

Hey man.. thanks for acknowledging my post as well. Since you've test ridden the smaller cars, from a personal point of view, do you feel these SUVs are worth the 4-5 lakhs premium over the sub compact segment? Over the long run, it might not feel like a huge amount; but then, an initial 30% additional cost is always going to pinch, right?

[bijims]

Originally Posted by Ordinaryme

Hey man.. thanks for acknowledging my post as well. Since you've test ridden the smaller cars, from a personal point of view, do you feel these SUVs are worth the 4-5 lakhs premium over the sub compact segment? Over the long run, it might not feel like a huge amount; but then, an initial 30% additional cost is always going to pinch, right?

My friend was in a similar situation last year, first of all, you should note that feature wise the differences are not too much between the compact and sub-compact SUVs, you get 80-90 percent of all the features in sub-compact SUVs too, but size and ability to seat 5 comfortably may be a reason to upgrade, moreover, a few compact and sub-compact SUVs share similar engines too, for example, the Mild Hybrid Brezza and the Grand Vitara/Hyryder, Diesel variant of the Creta/Seltos and Sonet/Venue, etc.

If you are going for an SUV longer than 4 meters make sure it has a good engine and gearbox combo and does not feel underpowered. I would recommend the 1.5 Litre Turbo-petrol variants of the Creta and Seltos once they launch and the 1.5 Turbo-petrol variants of the Taigun/Kushaq or the Hybrid versions of the Hyryder/Grand Vitara, Lower trims of the XUV700, Scorpio-N, Harrier, Safari, Hector can also be considered but in these cases, they are likely to offer less "feel-good" features.