Have a purchase budget of 40-65 lakh: What are my SUV options

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.

BHPian Adsc0230 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

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):

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

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

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

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:

• Skoda Octavia vRS - could be launched as a mild hybrid
• 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:
• BMW M340i - even though it's a sedan it's a dream car
• BMW 330Li - The long wheel base version of the 330i has made this out of the range of the 60L buyers.
• 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.

Here's what BHPian aseem23 had to say on the matter:

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.

BHPian bijims replied:

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.

BHPian Adsc0230 replied:

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.

Here's what BHPian Sanidhya mukund had to say on the matter:

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.

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