[lamborghini]

Voted 'other'.

With the S-Cross & Corolla in the garage, there really isn't anything enticing for me in this segment. One is a brilliant hot hatch (if you can call it so), and one is a brilliant chauffeur driven car for the city family duties.

If we had to replace any of these two with a new car, I probably am going to go and pick up the Octavia the day Skoda gives me a good discount, or see if the Tucson end of model clearance sale is lucrative.
If pre-owned was an option : I'd look hard for a low run BMW X1 / Audi A4 which would be a good replacement for the Corolla - compact enough for the city running, and safe + comfortable for the expected to increase expressway runs.

If for some reason the above don't work out and I am restricted to my choices : I would probably swing for the MG ZS, City Hybrid, or the Slavia 1.0TSi / 1.5TSi MT depending on the usage case (family car v/s self driven).

[antz.bin]

Voted for MG ZS EV but this is the most evenly distributed poll I have ever seen on Team BHP.


As expected, ZS EV is the most preferred. But surprisingly, City Petrol is the least preferred. I expected that to be City Hybrid!

Would have been more interesting if the Nexon EV Max had made the poll options. It is in no manner inferior to the City Hybrid apart from the wheelbase (= interior space). It would be all the car that any regular city dweller may need.

It has more than enough range for city trips, just enough range for a weekend trip. It is not suitable for cross country drives but most people don't do that anyways. The last time a car in my household did more than the expected range of Nexon EV Max in a day was in 2014. More range has not been needed for anyone in my family ever since.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

As expected, ZS EV is the most preferred. But surprisingly, City Petrol is the least preferred. I expected that to be City Hybrid!

City iVTEC was always going to be the runt of this group, considering it’s a 15L rupee car going up against 20-25L rupee ones. The car’s prime advantage is the iVTEC-CVT combo, which good in urban conditions. Good, but not in great this company. ZS EV is head and shoulders better. Even as a multi role car, the VW twins make a stronger case with their better build quality, better suspensions, better insulation and the superior TSi engine. Basically, if the budget is not tight, there are better options to be had than the City.

[KungFuPanda]

Voted for other. I would go for the Nexon EV Max at this stage. Ticks most boxes for me. We have to move to a more sustainable future, and if ever going for a new car, will switch to an EV. Find the Nexon better value than the MG ZS EV at this stage.

[Fan@Automotive]

I would prefer TATA NEXON EV Max over the listed cars for the following reasons;
- It would be my second car (mainly for the city and around)
- Pure EV (though the source of electricity is still not clean)
- Low running costs (rupees/km)
- Price of owning one is comparable to the cars listed
- Higher ground clearance and ability to tackle bad roads (the roads in and around Bengaluru are making me uncomfortable in both my Honda City and Skoda Rapid)
- It benefits from the compact size
- Build quality is also comparable to the cars listed

The only concern is the TATA after sales and service.

If I had to make a choice for a Primary and only car, it would still be a spacious car with an ICE, capable of munching miles and tackling bad roads, not in the list here.

[GreasyCarb55]

I have reasons to pick each car on this list except the Slavia 1.5 DSG.

Honda City - The sensible option.

MG ZS EV - The futuristic option.

Honda City Hybrid - The best of both worlds (futuristic and sensible)

Virtus 1.5 DSG - The fun option, the Slavia DSG was specifically mentioned, if I want to get a 1.5 VW with a DSG I'll take the better looking Virtus.

My choice? - None of the above, I'd rather get a Thar LX Soft Top Diesel MT.

Why?

• I don't need a sensible car right now.
• MT gearbox because I like it and as I said, don't need a sensible car.
• We have a 2017 City and 2011 Innova so that covers the sensibility factor.
• If I had to get a Sedan I'd rather have the Slavia 1.5 MT
• If I wanted an EV I'd get the new Nexon Max and not the ZS EV.
• It's a Thar.

[lsjey]

I voted for the City hybrid. My reasoning is this:

1. The EV Tech is not yet fully sorted and the charging infrastructure will be an issue for another 5-10 years.
2. The resale value of an EV is question mark.
3. Hybrid vehicles provide the best compromise between the ICE and EV worlds.

The only hurdle is the price and loss of boot space.

Regards,
lsjey

[VALLURIS]

Voted for Honda City Hybrid.

I personally prefer a plug in hybrid over EV any day. But since the nearest option we have right now is the EHV Hybrid I prefer to go with this.

I usually plan my trips where I start from my office directly, my wife picks me up and we hit the highways. I cant live with range anxiety even if we get 400+ kms on a single charge.

Honda City Hybrid gives me a range of around 1000 kms ( 45 liters and taking 22 kms average )on full tank, and the best part I can refuel my car from more than 10,000 fuel outlets across our country in less than 5 mins.

[Latheesh]

Very confusing poll

For me it is based on the budget
Category A
~ 13L = City MT
15-18L = City CVT
---------------------------------------
Category B
~ 20-23 L = Slavia 1.5 DSG/Virtus 1.5 DSG/City Hybrid
---------------------------------------
Category C
25L+ MG ZS EV

Selection within B or jumping to C is based on the individual requirements.
Category A = It has to be the City
I would also add Octavia to the category C

[rajshenoy]

Voted other, my choice is Nexon EV(or max) for pure city usage. It is still cheaper than the honda city hybrid and the real world tank range should be more than sufficient for city runs.

MG ZS is more spacious but not by much. Also the tank range is almost similar.

[Livnletcarsliv]

Voted for Others - Nexon EV Max.
Looks the most value for money with necessary feature list (even if not all).

However, if its a ONE car garage, then my vote goes to Honda City Hybrid. EV in the city and EV-ICE combo for highway drives.

Of course, all the other aspects like build quality, fit & finish, space, performance, driving dynamics, ride and handling, looks, reliability, maintenance cost, features, ergonomics, etc are subject and based on the priorities the choice differs.

[Mr.Ogre]

Originally Posted by saisree

Voted for City Hybrid. A delightful concoction of both ICE and EV. Peaceful City Rides and no Range Anxiety as in case of Pure EV's, added with Honda's no nonsense practicality and dependability.

My second vote goes to Skoda Slavia 1.5 Manual.

Exactly my pick. Voted for City Hybrid. I did own a City from 2012 to 2015, and I can vouch for its reliability and no-nonsense qualities.

For me peace of mind is very important, hence my second pick is Slavia 1.5 with the manual transmission. Nothing gives more satisfaction than a terrific engine mated to a perfect shifting manual transmission.

I am not yet open to owning an Indian, Korean or Chinese brand. Maybe EVs can change that opinion in the future, but for now its predominantly Japanese, Ford and VW exactly in that order.

[anki64]

Query for the Original Post

Why is City Hybrid not mentioned as e-CVT (mentioned as CVT) and City Petrol is mentioned as AT (when it is an actual CVT)?

It is quite interesting to see 42% of votes (as of now) are either towards City Petrol or Hybrid. I guess Peace-of-Mind and Ownership experience do contribute to BHPians decision making.

[Mumbaiker]

Hello to all the TeamBHPians. This is my first post

I am currently in the market looking for a sedan. I test drove the Honda City ZX petrol to start with as this has been on my list for a while now. The experience at Prabhadevi showroom wasn't great. Though I liked the car, I was skeptical as there were rumors floating around of Honda shutting shop. So I decided to wait it out. I had checked with the SA whether they had plans of any new cars to be launched, at that time I didn't get a positive response. By then the Skoda Slavia was launched, and I was wow'ed by its looks.
Once the test drive of the Slavia was available, I went to their Worli showroom. The experience was below par nearing pathetic. The SA totally ignored my family. For me, owing a car = family event.

Anyways I test drove the 1.5 DSG. The test drive was very short so couldn't really get to understand the potential of that engine. Once back to the showroom, I was hoping that the SA would provide details of the price and explain the differences in the models. When I insisted he didn't even ask us to sit and said I will send the price list on WhatsApp, so much for personnel connect. I was absolutely disappointed. The slavia was ticked off then and there. If this is the showroom experience, I cant even imagine what would happen at the service centre.

Then Honda eHev news starting trickling. I used to browse through the forum and news everyday trying to understand the launch dates and changes. Was a bit disappointed with the reduction in the boot space.
Finally I got to see the Hybrid in person and this time luckily was assigned a different SA at the Honda Prabhadevi showroom. He was nice and explained all the features. In my first visit I could drive only the Hybrid as the petrol wasn't available at that time.
So I asked him for back to back drives of the petrol and the hybrid and he happily agreed. This was done on the subsequent weekend.

For me, coming from Wagon R and Celerio, there is a huge difference in the engine and the space in the car. But I was more focused on how it feels in the rear seat (bounciness highlighted sometimes) as my kid tends to have issues with nausea sometimes. But in both the cars there was no bounciness that was felt in the rear seat by him.
Coming to the engine and the drive, I felt the eHev felt nice and powerful compared to the petrol only version. The petrol though has a 1.5 but there isn't really a pull when you floor the accelerator. It was like a linear climb and doesn't give you that "fast" feeling. But the eHev did have some of it. You press the accelerator hard, and you are pulled back in the drivers seat, though not as much as you would in the VW 1.5 dsg.
Also, the brakes on the petrol aren't really great to be honest. I felt they needed to be pumped to make sure the car stops in time. But for the eHev braking was precise.

We now visited the VW showroom to check the Virtus. The looks are just awesome. We fell in love with the Blue as soon as we entered the showroom. The SA here was very friendly and explained all the features in depth. Tried to placate my concerns about the DSG gearbox and after sales as such.
I made my family sit in the rear seat to check if we all fit in. The rear seat is for 2 medium sized adults and 1 child. Try to even put 3 medium sized adults and the center seat has absolutely no space because of the curvatures in the sides of the rear seat.
The interiors of the car feel so much premium compared to the City. It looks fabulous. The boot space is another place where it beats the eHev hands-down.

As the Virtus test drive isnt available yet, we took the Taigun 1.5 dsg for the test drive.
I had never driven a VW before, and no wonder they call it the enthusiasts car. Floor the pedal and boy the car shows what it is. I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed the Tiagun 1.5 dsg. Based on this test drive, I have booked the Virtus. I am not sure though that I will be buying the Virtus given the AC issues and the DSG failure rates highlighted on this forum. I would rather live with a peace of mind.

Finally coming to the decision.
Family loved the looks of Virtus. But they also liked the City rear seat better.
Honda City doesnt come with ventilated seats, I would love those on the eHev.
Power is again better in the VW engine, but eHev is not really bad. It will be a good performer on the highways as well.
Dad is more keen on the City as it is a "Honda" as well as it is a strong hybrid.
Wife says Virtus has an X-factor which City lacks (I agree).

Cost Benefit analysis -
I have seen lot of calculations between the City petrol vs the City eHev and it was one of the factors too. But I didn't see any comparison of pricing and breakeven with the Virtus or the Slavia.

So here is my calculation -
Considering the Virtus to be priced similarly to the Taigun, the top end would be around 22.48 lacs on road in Mumbai including all the warranties. The eHev costs 23.36 lacs including all warranties. Assuming a 20kmpl mileage on the eHev and 10kmpl on the Virtus, I calculated that it would take around 15000 kms at Rs.120/litre of petrol cost to breakeven with the Virtus.



Considering all the above and Wife is ok giving up the boot space (really surprising to me), I have decided to go ahead with the eHev for now. I havent cancelled the Virtus booking, it will be done once the pricing is out.

[Mumbaiker]

Unable to vote for now, but considering the costs and the reliability issues with the VW cars, I would vote for the eHev.
Also attaching my breakeven analysis between the Virtus and the eHev (booked both of them for now)