[Xaos636]

For a moment I thought this was my thread as I was about to put one a few days back. I had your exact same confusion between the Seltos 1.5DCT and Virtus DSG. I test drove the Verna 1.5DCT, Carens 1.5DCT and Alcazar 1.5DCT to get an idea of this combination as I had just the Seltos 1.5DCT in my mind. I run the similar gearbox in my Venue DCT(since 65k kms) and a drive with the DQ200 made me understand that there is a lot of difference.

Things took a turn when I drove the 1.5DSG from the VW family. The Virtus actually blew me away and I decided to take the 5* safety rating as the differentiating factor and took delivery of the Virtus GT Plus DSG last week. So far, brilliant. Enough ground clearance and best in class Engine + Gearbox combo made in sweeter.

If we cant chose on a safer car now when there is availability, then when are we going to? This was asked by my dad who has been against Germans from day 1.

[thisissoumya]

Originally Posted by Bhodrolok

Should I go ahead with the Seltos with ADAS or should I stick to the tried and tested Virtus but no ADAS? Or should I look at something else?

Just to summarize need a car for 4-5 occupants, has to be fun to drive and safe which I would keep at least for next 5 years.

Help!!!

Fun to drive has become a little subjective and confusing at the same time these days, more so because these modern crossovers are fast and handle so much better. Therefore its not black and white choice between sedan and crossover in terms of drivability. In terms of performance Virtus is a step up from the Vento with its 1.5 TSI. However the overall package (interior etc) will probably not give you the feel of a definite upgrade IMHO.

On the other hand the Seltos is a very capable and all round package. If you are ready to shift from a German to a Korean (Many including me can't) then go right ahead with the Seltos. Its scores very highly in practicality being a crossover and provides adequate fun in driving (not as much as the Virtus though). But you have to decide whether you push your car to that limit or not.

Since you have already toyed with the idea of pre-owned Octavia and VRS, how about stretching a little and look for a 3 series (F30 may be)? I didn't want to confuse you but couldn't resist

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by click

@rajeevraj Can you tell more about the remap? What difference did it make? and did you get it done a VW or outside?

Have it detailed in the below thread. Definitely has made a good difference atleast in my perspective

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...-page-2-a.html

[TheRealityLemon]

Originally Posted by Cresterk

Do you really want to drive hard or fast in a car that doesn't have a 5 star safety rating?

Well, considering the Indian road conditions, driving behavior and adherence to traffic rules, would you drive hard or fast even if the car has a 5 star rating?

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by Bhodrolok

Should I go ahead with the Seltos with ADAS or should I stick to the tried and tested Virtus but no ADAS?

Please don't confuse the presence of driving aids like ADAS with safety rating in a crash test. How sure are you that a sudden deceleration by ADAS will not get you rear ended by the average Indian driver behind you!?
Our country has a long way to go before aids like lane assist & other similar stuff to become meaningful! What is required foremost is common sense, which unfortunately is scarce here.

So as of now, NCAP ratings > driving aids any given day!

[W.A.G.7]

That's a very quirky dilemma! Both the cars you have listed will pull strings to your heart. But at the end of the day, take a long long test drive and see the one which pulls the strings to the max! I would like to take this test drive back to back (meaning on 2 consecutive days). My own personal opinion - my head says VW Virtus, but my heart says the Kia Seltos 2.0.

I would go with my heart and continue the booking with the Kia Seltos 2.0.

[TechnoBloop]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

It doesn't work like that anymore. The VW/Skoda build quality today is something existing owners will not be happy to see, especially the interiors. There are enough complaints about rattles too apart from QC issues.

In terms of safety, it still works like that. Fit and finish doesn't determine a car's safety.
As an example, take the pre-facelift Seltos and the Virtus!

[IanNazareth]

Originally Posted by Bhodrolok

I have been driving my 2015 Vento with around 60K kms till date and it's getting a little old in the tooth now even as VW don't have any extended warranties beyond the 7th year.

I personally would blindly pick the VW twins, Skoda is giving great service from my experience. More so since you already have a VW and are happy with it.

Whoever said 'You only live once!' is false. We live everyday, and die only once!

Let this decide.

[Cresterk]

Originally Posted by TheRealityLemon

Well, considering the Indian road conditions, driving behavior and adherence to traffic rules, would you drive hard or fast even if the car has a 5 star rating?

Well the question was about driver's cars, the cars being compared are all 150hp+ and already one car has been rejected because the driving experience wasn't up to OP's standards so I can hazard a pretty good guess that OP isn't just looking to sit in the left lane at 40kmph. There are plenty of opportunities to legally go fast without weaving through traffic or risking other people's lives.

The roads conditions here is exactly why I recommended a 5 star safety rated car. You could calmy be doing triple digit speeds on the highway, following all rules and someone might just decide to take a u-turn in front of you.

[careind]

I had the same itch exactly in the same spot like you with my 2015 Rapid TDI AT , but in 2021. you may be in the same boat I had been!

Soon after the lockdown and after the completion of 6 years, I went ahead and did a stage 1 ECU remap which made me fall in love with the car again with the refreshing lower/mid range torque!
But when I made the remap decision, I was clear that I would refresh sometime at/after the 8th year as I thought it would start throwing up mechanical faults ( and it did ) and start showing its age.

I continued for another year and booked my XUV7oo in late 2022. Got the XUV7oo delivered mid 2023, waved off the Rapid with a good bye and generally feeling happy about the acquisition.

I can say that I have made the gradual progression from a hatchback ( Santro/i10) to a Sedan ( Rapid ) to an SUV, though totally unintentional !

[F150]

Originally Posted by Figopian

Same conundrum that I am having!! 7 years old TDI DSG and there are no diesels with VAG!!!

Virtus/Slavia look good, nothing else look 'Safe' and economical too!!

Had same feeling about Seltos, hopefully I will like it when I do a test drive, fingers crossed!! Also waitng for its crash test results. Do let us know what you go for finally

We are practically sailing in the same boat. I am running my Rapid TDi DSG in its 8th year. When I test drove Virtus, it didnt feel like an upgrade. Interior Quality of Kushaq wasn't great either.
I liked Taigun from the entire lot, but space wasn't great for the price.
.

I test drove the olg gen Seltos , the ride quality wasn't anything to write home. I hope they improved that.
I would prefer VW DSG any day over other implementations.

[abhatt]

The only car that appealed to me after Polo was a Jeep Compass. The new interiors and safety dynamics are amazing. The Diesel manual variant is super fun to drive as well.

[sandeepmohan]

I have no experience with either car you've listed. That said, I do know know the VW Vento quite well and in that sense, I don't think you can replace that feeling of driving a sedan, no matter how good the KIA is. This is not the say the KIA is flawed. It appeals in a different way and has done well as a model in pretty much every market it sells.

Considering you had/have a budget for a Innova, have you ever considered a Pre Approved/Certified European from the likes of Volvo, BMW, Mercedes or Audi? You'll be surprised at the options. Scout around, take some cars for a spin before you put money down on a new VW or KIA.

Note that for cost of ownership and resale later down the line, will be safer to buy a new VW or KIA.

[fhdowntheline]

The trouble is that once you get used to the feature list and fit/finish of a Hyundai/Kia car it is very difficult to settle for anything less. My 2020 Creta's interiors haven't faded much at all inspite of the black-white combo. All the features/buttons work as new. Did I feel disappointed with the 3 star rating ? Obviously. Would I consciously seek a car with 5 star rating? The issue is that such ratings are also pretty dynamic by themselves. Most of the highly rated cars pre 2022 would not be rated even 3 stars currently. So where do you stop at? I test drove the Virtus DSG recently. I found it to be a brilliant performer which is no secret by now. But ingress-egress for the front/rear ,back seat comfort, Infotainment (not a deal breaker) did not feel comparable. BTW, @VW- it doesn't cost a fortune to give a good rear camera with adaptive guidelines. Same thing for 6 airbags all round. I have always been puzzled with such strategies by manufacturers. Slap on an ADAS package similar to the Verna/ Seltos and you are done ! The same thing goes for say, a Tata Punch. 6 airbags and ESP across variants will take the wind out of Exter's sails.

[bijims]

Yes, it is indeed a fact that the Korean and Chinese cars tend to pamper you with all the features you could ask for, with good fit and finish and quality levels too, so moving towards their Japanese counterparts or even VW/Skoda may not feel much of an upgrade in terms of features.

Moreover, the cost of ownership of the Koreans is not as high as VW/Skoda either, so that comes into play as well. Now, with the Koreans bringing in powerful turbo petrol cars with best-in-class power and torque figures, frugal diesel cars with good performance, and good naturally aspirated petrol cars as well, the Koreans have a car for everybody. If Kia doesn't have it, Hyundai will surely do. Such is the dominance of the Koreans in today's market, that besides Maruti who gets the biggest chunk of its sales from sub-4-meter cars, the Homegrown Tata and Mahindra who have a few good cars up their sleeve, Hyundai and Kia are perhaps the leaders in the Utility vehicle space, with the Creta, Seltos, Venue, Sonet, and Carens being best-sellers. Moreover, Hyundai was brave enough to update their sedan, Verna in a market where sedans are a dying breed with it now being the best-seller there as well.

So, the Koreans have been able to please the masses with bling, features, and somewhat good value for money as well, and that is why once you get used to them, everything else in the same segment, feels somewhat of a downgrade.