[Adsc0230]

Hello,

I am on the lookout to buy a new mid-size/compact SUV. It would be a single driver's car with mostly driven by me. I have been driving for the last 30 years or so and I have driven in several countries in Europe, in NZ, in USA, UK etc.

My driving requirement is for 70-80% in the city (Bangalore) and once in 3-4 months I would like to take out the car for a spin on the highways or for a weekend drive with my wife and maybe a couple of other friends. My annual commute is not expected to be more than 5-6k Kms - as such I am not too worried about mileage. Diesel cars although are fun and peppy to drive seem to be out given the uncertainty ahead and with my not-so-high driving needs - have heard DPF issues if car is not driven for a long period of time.

My budget (on-road price): 40L but can stretch till 60-65L for the right car

My overall criteria -

• Safe (G or Euro NCAP 5* rated) - solid build quality
• Fun and peppy to drive
• Stylish and modern looking - can sustain for the next
• Decent ground clearance (to avoid some of the nasty potholes and speed
• bumps on city roads.)
• Comfortable on long rides for driver and passengers aka good back-seat space for seating, leg and thigh
• Basic newer technologies - Auto-Hold (for assist during stop-go traffic), 360-degree parking sensors, cameras (best if 360-degree or else front and back) - these help during turns and during parking in tight areas.
• Availability should be in the next 2-3 months max
• No known surprises/challenges during Maintenance

My short-listed cars (in no particular order) -
1. Audi Q3 Sportback S-Line 2L 4WD Petrol

+ 2L 4cyl Powerful and Torquey engine

+ Coupe design and exterior features better than standard Q3

+ Solid build quality

- Interiors look dated compared to its rivals

2. Mahindra XUV700 Automatic AX7L 2 L Petrol

+ Solid build quality

+Modern-ish Interiors

+ Powerful Petrol engine

- Missing 4WD in Petrol

- 8 to 9 months of waiting time

- Miss the feel of sitting in a Premium Luxury car

3. BMW X1 Petrol 1.5L 2WD Petrol

+ Great modern interiors

+ New BMW Infotainment screen and iDrive8 system

+ Look and feel inside the care is Premium

- Relatively poor 1.5L engine that too with 3cyl

4. Volvo XC40 Petrol

+ Top in class for Safety and build quality

+ Driving dynamics work work

- Poor Back seat

- Infotainment cluster seems dated

Other option that I am thinking is to wait it out for the following potential cars in 2024 -
1. Skoda Octavia vRS - could be launched as a mild hybrid
2. Skoda Superb - could be launched as a mild hybrid - not a SUV but is like a cross-over-ish Sedan cum SUV like feel.

Other cars that I liked but are out of my budget -
1. BMW M340i - even though it's a sedan it's a dream car
2. BMW 330Li - The long wheel base version of the 330i has made this out of the range of the 60L buyers.
3. Mercedes GLC (new one to arrive soon)

I am also feeling a bit of YOLO and before the jump to electric cars becomes the natural choice in the future, I'd like to go for my last Petrol ICE buy. I tend to keep my cars for at least 8-10 years and I am not too comfortable with pre-owned cars.

I would appreciate the thoughts and guidance from this community to help me make the right choice or at least get closer as it is super-confusing right now.

[aseem23]

Hello,

Volvo XC40 is a perfect car. Besides this, you can also take a look at the Audi Q5. I heard Audi is offering some discounts on the Q5. Maybe you get lucky. .
It is also worth waiting for the upcoming GLC; I think it is launching this month. I don't think it should cross 65Lakhs on road price, but I could be wrong, seeing the car prices skyrocketing.

Also, what about Skoda Kodiaq?? Do take the test drive if possible.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by aseem23

Hello,

Volvo XC40 is a perfect car. Besides this, you can also take a look at the Audi Q5. I heard Audi is offering some discounts on the Q5. Maybe you get lucky. .
It is also worth waiting for the upcoming GLC; I think it is launching this month. I don't think it should cross 65Lakhs on road price, but I could be wrong, seeing the car prices skyrocketing.

Also, what about Skoda Kodiaq?? Do take the test drive if possible.

The Q5 costs 78 lakhs on-road Bangalore before discounts and the GLC will cost similarly as well, the Kodiaq lacks the snob value of the Germans. In a market where anything above 35 lakhs and you get diminishing value, it's hard to find a worthy car under 65 lakhs. The options recommended by the OP are indeed the ones worth checking out.

[Adsc0230]

Originally Posted by aseem23

Hello,

Volvo XC40 is a perfect car. Besides this, you can also take a look at the Audi Q5. I heard Audi is offering some discounts on the Q5. Maybe you get lucky. .
It is also worth waiting for the upcoming GLC; I think it is launching this month. I don't think it should cross 65Lakhs on road price, but I could be wrong, seeing the car prices skyrocketing.

Also, what about Skoda Kodiaq?? Do take the test drive if possible.

Thank you for the suggestions. The XC40 is in my shortlist and it's a great car to drive both in the city and on highways.

Unfortunately, the Audi Q5 and Merc GLC are beyond my budget. Haven't test driven those.

I did test drive the Skoda Kodiaq - it's a excellent car to drive but its interiors feel dated and didn't impress me and moreover it comes to around 50L+ on road. Somehow when I compare it with the Audi Q3 Sportback, it gets a similar 2L engine with DSG but with an Audi tag and with Quattro drive for a slight uptick. That's when the Kodiaq starts feeling not so Value for money compared to the Q3. My main usage will be driving within the city as a daily driver and for occasional weekend trips. The Kodiaq seems to be larger car in dimensions too for my usage.

[Sanidhya mukund]

The 40-70 lakh SUV segment is extremely crowded, but it seems to be almost impossible to pick the right car. Like you, I am also not open to diesels thanks to NGT and DPF issues, which effectively eliminates half the cars. If you are keen on getting a ‘badge’, then your choices are pretty limited.

I found the rear seat backrest of the Volvo XC40 to be quite upright. Also didn’t like the Merc GLA, which doesn’t seem to have anything other than the badge going for it. The Audi Q3 is nice, but feels a little too VW on the inside. The Premium-Plus model misses out on some very basic features- doesn’t even have push-button start! The 7-10 lakh premium over the VW Tiguan doesn’t seem justified.
BMW X1 is fresh and modern, with the only chink in the armour being the 3 cylinder engine. I haven’t driven one yet, so cannot comment, but going by what I’ve read, it is not particularly slow. It does 0-100 in under 10 seconds. Should be alright for most people.

If you move one segment higher, the current Merc GLC can no longer be had, unless your local dealer is disposing of demo vehicles/unsold stock. The new one is expected to be uncomfortably close to 80 lakhs when launched. The BMW X3 is now a diesel only model in India. The GLB, though priced in this segment, simply doesn’t feel premium enough for the price, with that 1.3 litre Renault engine and those creaky A-class interiors. The Audi Q5 is heavily discounted, but then a model-change is due soon. Volvo XC60 is nice too, but a shade too expensive. Same with the Lexus NX. However, if you are open to pre-owned, one of these cars may be a good choice for 60-65.

If you are not particular on the badge part, then the VW Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Innova Hycross and Mahindra XUV700 can also be considered. Good cars that can give luxury cars a run for their money.

[Adsc0230]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

The 40-70 lakh SUV segment is extremely crowded, but it seems to be almost impossible to pick the right car. Like you, I am also not open to diesels thanks to NGT and DPF issues, which effectively eliminates half the cars. If you are keen on getting a ‘badge’, then your choices are pretty limited.

Exactly, there are several challenges and now unknowns about Diesel passenger cars, especially in the next 5+ years. Even if I decide to buy a Premium/Badge diesel car now, I am worried of the extreme depreciation in the next 4-5 years.

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

I found the rear seat backrest of the Volvo XC40 to be quite upright. Also didn’t like the Merc GLA, which doesn’t seem to have anything other than the badge going for it. The Audi Q3 is nice, but feels a little too VW on the inside. The Premium-Plus model misses out on some very basic features- doesn’t even have push-button start! The 7-10 lakh premium over the VW Tiguan doesn’t seem justified.
BMW X1 is fresh and modern, with the only chink in the armour being the 3 cylinder engine. I haven’t driven one yet, so cannot comment, but going by what I’ve read, it is not particularly slow. It does 0-100 in under 10 seconds. Should be alright for most people.

I took a test drive of the VW Tiguan as well. It felt like a car from the last decade and I was surprised that VW isn't looking to overhaul this car - even the peppiness in the drive was missing. VW can easily capitalize on this segment with the VW Tiguan and seems to be missing out.

The BMW X1 is not a slow car at all however, I am worried that the 3-cylinder will start showing issues and noise over time. I did not understand how can BMW offer a premium car for 60L+ with a 3-cylinder.

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

If you move one segment higher, the current Merc GLC can no longer be had, unless your local dealer is disposing of demo vehicles/unsold stock. The new one is expected to be uncomfortably close to 80 lakhs when launched. The BMW X3 is now a diesel only model in India. The GLB, though priced in this segment, simply doesn’t feel premium enough for the price, with that 1.3 litre Renault engine and those creaky A-class interiors. The Audi Q5 is heavily discounted, but then a model-change is due soon. Volvo XC60 is nice too, but a shade too expensive. Same with the Lexus NX. However, if you are open to pre-owned, one of these cars may be a good choice for 60-65.

Completely agree with you. Although, I haven't even considered these.

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

If you are not particular on the badge part, then the VW Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Innova Hycross and Mahindra XUV700 can also be considered. Good cars that can give luxury cars a run for their money.

I haven't driven the Tucson yet but again the gap there between the Diesel and Petrol offerings makes the Petrol as something that's not value for money. The XUV700 is definitely in my short-list and also the cheapest of the lot - in fact less than 40L on road - I am just worried about the after sales maintenance and vehicle/infotainment issues with Mahindra cars that several people have posted online.

[aseem23]

Originally Posted by Adsc0230

I haven't driven the Tucson yet but again the gap there between the Diesel and Petrol offerings makes the Petrol as something that's not value for money. The XUV700 is definitely in my short-list and also the cheapest of the lot - in fact less than 40L on road - I am just worried about the after sales maintenance and vehicle/infotainment issues with Mahindra cars that several people have posted online.

Do take the test drive of the Tucson. I own Tucson Diesel, and I love everything about it. No car is perfect, and I can't say much about the Petrol variant, but going by the ownership review of Tucson Petrol owners on this forum I think it won't disappoint you.

Regarding Audi Q5, here in Punjab, it is heavily discounted. The base variant is around 63 lakhs on road post discounts. If I had shown serious interest, then maybe I could have saved a lot more. Though, I can understand taxes are higher in Bangalore.

[Adsc0230]

Originally Posted by aseem23

Do take the test drive of the Tucson. I own Tucson Diesel, and I love everything about it. No car is perfect, and I can't say much about the Petrol variant, but going by the ownership review of Tucson Petrol owners on this forum I think it won't disappoint you.

Thanks, will try and take the TD of Tucson Petrol by this weekend.
It does seem to have the best features there is to offer. How does the Indian variant rate it in terms of NCAP safety globally? I couldn't find a relevant source for this anywhere.

[aseem23]

Originally Posted by Adsc0230

variant rate it in terms of NCAP safety globally? I couldn't find a relevant source for this anywhere.

Here's the team-bhp thread on Tucson Safety. https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...0-stars-5.html (Latin NCAP: 2022 Hyundai Tucson scores 0 stars)

Go through this thread (comments), and you will find that it is a completely safe car. Don't go by the headlines, as they can be misleading. The devil is in the details

[Adsc0230]

The more I read and research further - Hyundai Tucson and VW Tiguan (both Petrol) seem to be making it to my top two. However, I hear a new Tiguan with updated interiors and exteriors is revealed in Europe and that it may make it to India early-mid 2024.

[aseem23]

Originally Posted by Adsc0230

The more I read and research further - Hyundai Tucson and VW Tiguan (both Petrol) seem to be making it to my top two. However, I hear a new Tiguan with updated interiors and exteriors is revealed in Europe and that it may make it to India early-mid 2024.

Yes, that's true. New Tiguan and Kodiaq are currently being tested in Europe. The interiors have already been leaked online. If you can wait for another year, several other vehicles/facelifts will also launch within a year.

[abaliga]

Q3 and Kodiaq are good options based on your preferences for the following reasons

- Both have 2.0 turbo petrols, BMW on X1 and Mercedes on GLA offer smaller capacity petrol engines
- Based on your running it does not make sense to go for the diesel as BS6 diesels are troublesome when mostly driven in city limits
- Tucson is a great option but the preferred powertrain for this car is a diesel
- Kodiaq is definitely a size bigger and may be a handful in the city, but with the light controls one can get used to the dimensions
- Besides the badge, Kodiaq offers everything that the Q3 has and some more, quality is at par with the Audi

Meanwhile if you are able to find a Q5 at a decent discount, go for it eyes closed as it is a segment above with a higher state of tune on the same 2.0 TSI and has fantastic build quality inside and out. Good luck with the hunt

[Tvk1991]

Please look into used cars which are two to three years old.
You can find good examples of GLC, X3, X1 and 330i in this price range.
There is currently a BMW 3GT 330i as well in sale in Team-Bhp Classifieds.

[sunikkat]

From your shortlists Q3 makes sense. X1 in my opinion is a strict no for that poor 1.5 engine.
Please do give a good look at Tiguan, it’s a great car.
If sedan is an option I would suggest going for 330Li, your budget is almost there. That would have been my preference.

[turbowhistle]

Why not get something slightly used with extended warranty? You can even get 530d or even X3 for this price mate.


It's funny how XUV has made most premium cars look seriously overpriced with the endless feature list and great engines, if you don't care about the badge then it will be THE car to get for me.

else from your shortlist Q3 or XC40(superb little car) makes most sense, I would completely skip X1 as that engine is like a joke in that price range.