Steering rack and turbo were replaced under warranty. I had opted for extended warranty till 5 years/1,50,000 km.

BHPian DrAakash recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have a 2018 Race Red Titanium Diesel Ecosport. I have done almost 1,40,000 km with it.

I had the following issues with the car. Though all were minor, the car didn't feel as nice to drive:

• Clutch was getting really hard to press. Start off was jerky.
• Noise from front right suspension while going over small bumps, also felt crashy.
• Noise from the steering at the extreme ends of rotation.
• Rattling noise from engine bay at idling, the service advisor attributed it to a worn out radiator bush(.. Or was it a mount?)

Following jobs were carried out at the 1,40,000 service:

• Clutch and flywheel replacement.
• Front shock absorber replacement.
• Steering rack replacement.
• Turbocharger replacement.
• Radiator mount (.. or was it a bush?) replacement.
• General Service.

Steering rack and turbo were replaced under warranty. I had opted for extended warranty till 5 years/1,50,000 km.

For the rest, I paid Rs. 28500 which sounds quite reasonable to me.

Also got the tyres replaced. I had Continental UC6 in 205/60 R16, the stock size, had done over 59000 km with them, still had about 6-8000 km left in them but they were feeling not as cushioning now and got 3-4 punctures in the last 2 months so I thought might as well do it now. This time i went for UC6 again but bumped up the size to 215/60 R16. Paid ₹34000 for them, wheel balancing, alignment and new valves were included in the above price.

The car now feels as good as new to drive. It's incredibly stable and quiet to drive. Steering has a slightly more weighted feel to it which I like.

All in all this service has restored the car to 100% health and I don't see any major issues/ expenses for at least another 1,00,000 km.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The wiper washer fluid stops coming out randomly. The washer fluid reservoir is always full. I can hear the motor working but the fluid doesn’t come out.

BHPian nik0502 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi guys,

I am having couple of issues with my 2020 Ecosport Titanium Plus AT. I am planning a visit to Ford Service Center but the issues are mostly random hence looking for your inputs. I am afraid that I might not be able to replicate the issue and the service centre will dismiss my concerns.

Issue No. 1:

One of the horn stops working randomly and the horn sounds more like those on Activa’s. The issue happens randomly and I have been able to record it on video. I am assuming it would require a replacement.

Issue No. 2:

The wiper washer fluid stops coming out randomly. The washer fluid reservoir is always full. I can hear the motor working but the fluid doesn’t come out. Sometimes restarting the car fixes the problem. I couldn’t find fluid leak anywhere too. I don’t have this recorded and I think if I am not able to reproduce the issue the service centre will not do much but say they have checked everything and everything is okay.

Issue No. 3:

Rattling sound from the front. It happens when I am going through a bump, potholes or a speed breaker. This sound appeared after the last service. The car was damn silent before the service. First I thought it was the bumper however on a closer inspection the sound appears to be somewhere around the engine bay. It’s like some plastic bits are loose.

Have any of the fellow members faced these issues and how do they get rectified.

On a side note I had a really scary incident on a recent road trip. The car was driving absolutely fine for first 50-60 kms however after that I started to feel judder and vibration at steering wheel every time I was applying brakes. I thought it’s due to the discs. However the judder became violent as I progressed. I stopped for a quick inspection and the discs were absolutely smooth. I couldn’t understand why I am feeling the judder if the discs are fine. I decided to check the wheel nuts. To my surprise three out of four wheels were loose. I was able to tighten the nuts using the wheel spanner and the issue disappeared. Anyone else faced this?

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

I have faced these 2 issues as well in my Ecosport. I am yet to take it to the service center for rectification. The horn though, touch wood has been working fine for the last 2 months. Lets hope it stays that way. The windshield spray, the rear one works but the one in the front seems to hardly spray any water. Will get that checked when I visit the service center for the recall.

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

Can confirm two of those issues are also present in my Aspire. My car's horn was perfect for a long time until a month ago when I had to drive down bad mountain roads amidst extremely heavy rains. Since then, randomly one of the horns stop working even when it hasn't rained for weeks, and it sounds even worse than an Activa, it sounds so embarrassing that I stop using it when that happens. After parking the car for a couple of hours, it gets back to normal.

And the wiper issue is also there, although i mentioned it to the SA during my last service and since then it hasn't happened a lot. He said that he adjusted he washer lines inside the bonnet a bit and that fixed it.

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

I too have this irritating sound in my 2014 EcoSport TDCi. Not sure if it the same case in your car, however, in my case it's the assembly which holds the radiator. It has some play which causes this sound. I used a couple of zip ties and secured it. That jugaad only last a few kilometres. Since then I have left it as it is.

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

I have the exact same problem in my 2017 Ecosport. I have visited multiple times FASC but they have not been able to solve it. Since it happens randomly, it makes diagnosing all the more difficult. I am thinking to replace the horn which stops working (its driver side one).

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My travel everyday is a 10 kms round trip to and fro office. But I do travel across the city every other day. This usually ends up commuting in peak hour traffic in the evenings.

BHPian danlalan recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Wow this is my first thread in a very very long time( 10 yers i guess). I am so confused as to what i should buy that I've gone totally blank. Looking for some recommendations on buying a new car or a used low kilometer car.

So a little about me,

Stay:

I live on rent and I will continue to do so. The place that I currently stay at,  I will be here for atleast the next 5yrs approx.

My parking:

This place has tight parking spots and spots change every time because its first come first serve, but nonetheless all the spots are tight in terms on getting into and out of as they are stack parking. To get into the stack you have to take a 90 degree turn tight turn which would require at least 2 to 3 iteration before getting into them.

My travel:

My travel everyday is a 10 kms round trip to and fro office. But I do travel across the city every other day. This usually ends up commuting in peak hour traffic in the evenings.

I do a once every 15/20 day Mumbai-Pune (350km round trip) run. My monthly running would turn out to be about 1.5k to 2k kms a month.

My cars & their life sentence:

This usually hovers around 9 to 10yrs, I guess this would be the case for most people.

My last daily drive was a 2012 i10 automatic (sold).

Preference & budget:

• New or used preferably 2020 or later models.
• I am looking for a daily drive that is fuel efficient.
• Petrol or diesel.
• Non electric.
• Automatic gearbox for sure. Shouldn't be an iMT. AMT not so sure as I've heard they aren't the best shifters.
• Would prefer the compact SUV types as high ingress degress is an advantage.
• Brand preference would first be a Hyundai (Having owned one) then Kia (used) then others.
• The budget is the constraint. This was a 10 lakhs. Would want to spend a max of 13 lakhs no higher, Not a single rupee more.

Had a option of a used Sonet HTK+ DCT diesel 11k kms. Vitara ZDI. Don't know if these are a good choice over probably a new Venue S(O) DCT or anything else new.

Let the suggestions begin.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:

Consider the following suggestions given your situation, bearing in mind your running and your parking scenario:

• Used Maruti Brezza Petrol or Diesel.
• Toyota Urban Cruiser Petrol or Diesel.
• Used Tata Nexon EV Prime if you can get one, else the Petrol or Diesel variant.
• Used Maruti Swift.
• Used Maruti WagonR.
• Used Maruti Ignis.

The reasons for the above suggestions are the following; the frugality of the engines in the above vehicles, easy serviceability, general reliability, practicality and peace of mind, compactness of size and proportions, good ground clearance for our typical road conditions and general ease of parking.

Here's what BHPian ajayc123 had to say on the matter:

I would say new Brezza or Toyota Urban Cruiser, if you can get hold of one.

Reasons:

• Compact - better bet for your parking situation.
• Frugal.
• Reliable.
• Proper automatic.
• Safe.
• Powerful enough for highway.

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

I come from a similar situation like yours on tight parking spots and congested roads especially during office commute hours.

I opted for Ignis MT considering the compactness and higher turning radius and well within my budget and it has been amazing choice for packed city!

However, the AT gearbox of Ignis did not inspire me to drive more of it and I ended up getting MT as the stick is not much of trouble for me and was not keen on AT to start with.

Here's what BHPian 07CR had to say on the matter:

Yours and mine travel criteria is kind of similar, wherein I travel 22 kms to and fro to my office. There is also a 400-500 km highway only trip every month. I purchased a preowned Sonet HTX iMT, this year in Feb (7 month old car). It's served my requirements quite well, and I purchased this at 11 L.

Any reason to avoid iMT? Even I was apprehensive of it first, but the gearshift is pinky finger light, and the ease of auto clutch enhances the comfort. The 120 PS motor also is more than ample for any of my city or highway needs( it offers better performance than my Ecosport S 1.5 TDCI). That said the daily mileage hovers between 10-14 kmpl, depending on the traffic. On highways, at cruise of 85-90 it delivers 17-18 kmpl (all mileage with AC).

If you are in for a Sonet iMT, I know of a reliable Pune dealer, who is selling a one year old HTX+ iMT, at little more than 11.5L. Will dm you the details if interested. Happy shopping!

Here's what BHPian d-g-p had to say on the matter:

• Take a call on DCT after going through pro and cons you can find from a large number of threads in this forum. In general it is better if DCT can be avoided in bumper to bumper and start stop traffic.
• Amongst torque converter and CVT gearbox for new car with above criteria you can go with:
• New Brezza VXI AT.
• Nissan Magnite turbo CVT if you are confident with service centers in your city. You can choose XV or XV premium according to budget.
• Renault Kiger turbo CVT ( Some safety like features like ESC missing).
• For used car with AT Brezza, Urban cruiser, Ecosport with a good deal (with consideration that Ford has exited Indian market) or a Diesel TC AT Sonet if you can find one. These are all sub 4 metre cars that would fit with your space constraints and SUV stance.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I'm giving the digital speedometer a pass as I prefer the analog+color combo which is present currently in both my cars and moreover the cost in obscenely expensive

BHPian jithin23 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Mid life updates to the Blue Baby.

78,000 km update:

As the Blue Baby is warming up towards the 6 digit odometer reading soon, I've changed the clutch pack and got the engine decarbonized at Carbon Cleaning near Jakkur.

It's unlike the regular decarbonization centers where they use an additive in the fuel tank. The air filter is opened and a liquid called HHO is used in the small tube fixed with a suction cup. The engine is switched on through the process and we need to drive within 1.5k rpm for 10 kms for the decarbonization magic to happen. After a few hundred kms, the car feels more eager to drive. The process costs about Rs. 2,500

Also, I replaced the aftermarket camera on my Sync 3 with the adaptive guideline one by Blaupunkt as suggested by a Pune group member known as Swapnil Kunjir. Here's the link for the model. The cost for this camera is about Rs 2,300 after discounts on GoMechanic.

Some pics for reference:

Night view:

Day view. The white line is the adaptive guide line in action:

The functioning of the adaptive guidelines works when the car is in reverse motion and the steering wheel turned simultaneously. However there is a lag in the adaptive guideline sync though, but does the job.

Another mid life update I’ve given the blue baby is the glove box lamp which is present in the Titanium+ with sync 3. I bought the part thinking that there will be a glass beneath it, but when the part arrived, it came without the glass and then my mind moved towards repurposing that part. It does help immensely during night journeys as we need to search for some document or things inside the glovebox. I ordered the part via SMP Auto Parts, GP Road(Chennai).

SMP Auto Parts:

Part number for the glovebox light:

Cost of this mod- 750(part)+500(electrician's labor+crimps).

This light works similar to the light control used in refrigerator doors

The steps to work on this are:

First, prepare a harness using the crimps which are used for connecting the horn terminals.

Harness prepared. Please make a pair like the one shown in the image for connecting the harness to the light.

Then detach the glovebox and search for an accessory power which turns on during Ignition:

The part in flesh:

Wire connected to the part:

Once the power source and ground is found, you can fit the switch in the empty slot(it sits flush) and then you can assemble back the glovebox. New mod unlocked.

The empty circular slots is meant for the glovebox light. The upper portion of the glovebox can be pulled like a drawer easily:

The output:

In low light:

Update on the mod scene: I'm giving the digital speedometer a pass as I prefer the analog+color combo which is present currently in both my cars and moreover the cost in obscenely expensive, which isn't worth for 60k. 25-30k, I would have given it a thought.

Regarding Global windows, Unfortunately these won't work unless we change the switches as well as the hall motors and winders if we need to use it the OE way. Aftermarket modules are available for about 4-5k. However, I'd give this a pass too

So, the blue baby is good for another few more months till I get the most awaited mod which is Hill Assist/ESP and auto dimming mirror(very useful or I'm spoilt by my Titanium+ ) I'm almost close on my research for this as well as the parts to procure it, I'd certainly like to finish this mod before leaving the country and then call it a day for modding the blue baby.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I have seen this cluster being developed during my professional experience, so I was very much sure about the technical feasibility.

BHPian jhenu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone.

I am back with another big upgrade for my facelift 2017 Ford Ecosport

It’s a full digital instrument cluster/speedometer upgrade for the facelift model.

You would’ve seen these kinds of fully digital clusters in luxury Sedans and SUVs not on a mid-segment car, even though if present it would’ve been a partial one having segmented displays with LCD.

Bad part 1st. Sorry to say it’s not for the older models before 2017 as the architecture and the pin configurations are totally different. In fact, the older model cluster has the immobilizer key programmed, master for the vehicle configuration and also follows different electrical architecture, so it’s not possible practically. That’s it about the bad part.

Okay, coming back to the facelift model, it follows different architecture which is more flexible than the former one I said above, and also we can incorporate many modules from its other sibling such as latest generation Puma, Kuga, Focus, Fiesta Escape etc. provided some software and hardware customization done.

As I listed the possible feature mods in this below link, I am introducing the next modification here in this thread.

Again this is also a late release due to vehicle unavailability. now I bought a facelift model so releasing next mods is very easy for me.

I bought this part two years back from a US 2020 Escape, and bringing to India was very difficult. I was worried about possible damage to the part as it’s a complete LCD unit with heavy heat sink around.

if broken it will look like this:

I have seen this cluster being developed during my professional experience, so I was very much sure about the technical feasibility and virtually realized the compatibility with the dashboard. I was not worried much about the dashboard fitment part as I am very much interested into sculpting things.

Only challenging part was on the software. Not all the software low level details can be known unless we actually worked and tried it on the vehicle and also using the UDS protocol. This is a very big part so I am not going to touch now, in a nutshell we need to software configure the cluster to make it support the actual vehicle configurations either in the NVM or in the EEPROM.

First you need to get the cluster from the Escape( LJ6T-10849-DEK ) or Kuga(NV4T-10849-DFC) Puma(L1TT-10849-FPB), Fiesta Focus etc… but you need to find out correct KM or Miles, Diesel or Petrol, AT or MT types based on your vehicle otherwise you need support on modifying the EEPROM to make it compatible which is not available publicly. On top of it, the configurations and the frame modifications. This part is costlier as the quality of this HW and SW part is high. i guess the new one costs roughly 2000$, used one may be available at half of its price or even lesser.

So lets see some physical structural differences.

Both old and new cluster side by side front view:

Back side view:

Connector closeup:

Front side glass frame:

Glass frame rear:

Mounting screw holders:

LCD without outer frame and drilled new screw holes:

I have to trim the outer lens and the plastic frame carefully without a single scratch on the lens or damage to the LCD.

I have used handle tools from Black and Decker, Dremel tool will work. The intention is not to make any single change in the dashboard as reversing things back to stock is trouble free.

Here are some more pictures on how it looks:

As i have flashed the PUMA software, my cluster shows the startup logo from PUMA:

Another view:

This is with Sync4 which is currently in the works:

 Sync4 in the dash in works soon releasing in the upcoming mod:

With flat bottom steering:

I have shared more details in a Youtube video.

Thank You.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Maruti, Hyundai, and Tata together have dominated the sub-4m segment with nearly 80% market share over the last decade.

BHPian pqr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Genesis and the journey of sub-4-meter passenger vehicles in India

"On cars, I propose to reduce the excise duty to 16 per cent from 24 per cent, but only for small cars. A small car, for this purpose, will mean a car of length not exceeding 4,000 mm and with an engine capacity not exceeding 1,500 cc for diesel cars and not exceeding 1,200 cc for petrol cars. I am confident that industry will seize the opportunity to make India a hub for the manufacture of small and fuel-efficient cars."

- 2006-07 Union budget speech (point no. 137), Finance Minister, Government of India

Genesis

That was the policy decision taken by the union government in 2006, which fostered long-term development and sales of small cars in the Indian market thereafter.

Sub-4-meter passenger vehicle market share

On an average, 73% of cars sold in the Indian market have a length of less than 4 meter since policy implementation in 2006.

In the pre-policy days, there was rapid growth of affordable sedans (Ford Ikon, Hyundai Accent, and Tata Indigo) introduced by manufacturers, and overall sub-4-m car sales were on the downfall. Post policy enactment in 2006, hatchbacks witnessed faster growth than any other category, as per the policy design.

However, in the previous decade, manufacturers learnt the art of packaging sedans and crossovers to fit into policy-layed constraints and fueled the journey further. The share of this vehicle category reached the highest level of 79% in 2018. In recent times, demand for entry-level hatchbacks and sub-4m sedans has declined, leading to a low share of 73% in 2022. Moreover, a new breed of crossovers with a wide price spectrum in recent times has substituted demand for sedans and hatchbacks in the sub-4-meter category.

2017 - Opportunity to change the status quo

At the time of GST implementation in 2017, the government had a chance to rationalise the very idea, which appears to be based on some arbitrary assumptions. However, nothing was reformed, thus paving the path for the status quo, forever.

Product Innovation

Hatchbacks sold in India were already shorter than 4 m, so they became more affordable because of lower excise duty. In some cases manufacturers just have to shrink engine size (1200cc for petrol and 1500cc for diesel).

The Indian market was never ready for hatchback products longer than 4m, as the majority tended to look forward to sedans in that case, for a status symbol (emotional need) in those days. Chevrolet's attempt with the 4.3m long and ambitiously priced SRV bombed in the Indian market.

Since 2006, manufacturers in India have become innovative to fit sedans and crossovers (with SUV silhouette) body styles within the constraints laid down by the small car policy to fulfil the emotional needs of customers.

Sub 4m sedan

The very first non-hatchback product to take advantage of the lower excise duty was the Tata Indigo CS. Basically, it was a truncated boot version of Indigo already on sale. The Indigo was derived from the Indica hatchback by the integration of the boot to make a 3-box structure. The hatchback to sedan development concept was seen earlier in India by FIAT (Palio hatchback/Siena sedan) and Opel (Corsa sail hatchback/Corsa sedan).

Looking at the success of this approach, every other manufacturer since then has used their hatchback as a donor platform (Maruti Swift-Dzire, Honda Brio-Amaze, Hundai Grand i10-Xcent, Tata Bolt-Zest, Ford Figo-Aspire, Volkswagen Polo-Ameo and Tata Tiago-Tigor) and integrated boot along with complete re-engineering of the body behind the B-pillar. Maruti turned out to be the most successful player in this segment, and Volkswagen the least.

Sub 4m SUV/Crossover (Monocoque chassis)

To gain a better understanding of the strategic marketing concept behind the sub-4m crossover, here is a quick apples-to-apples comparison of sub-4m hatchback and sub-4m crossover products from the same stable.

• Sub 4m hatchbacks and SUVs offer similar functional benefits i.e. similar in-cabin and boot space
• SUVs do offer better ground clearance, and that's an additional functional benefit as road infrastructure is still not very good in India
• SUVs offer a commanding seating position (emotional benefit)
• SUVs have a much higher perceived aspirational value as lifestyle products (emotional benefit) than hatchbacks
• This leads to a higher customer’s willingness to pay
• Manufacturers have better pricing opportunities and may lead to better profitability

Product development strategy

Manufacturers in this category have tried different product development strategy.

Approach 1: Rebadged CKD product

The first sub-4-meter crossover was the Rio (rebadged Chinese Zotye T200) from Premier Auto Limited (PAL), launched in 2009. It was assembled at PAL’s Pune plant from imported CKD kits produced in China, and had 3 engine options-1.2L petrol, 1.5L Peugeot TUD5 diesel, and later 1.25L FCA diesel. The product has gone unnoticed, and sold somewhere around 2,000 units from 2009 to 2012.

Approach 2: Grounds up body shell development

The Ecosport was developed in Brazil under the ‘One Ford’ strategy for global markets, has actually kick started an all new segment in India – sub 4m monocoque crossover (SUV). It was a grounds up body shell and later many other manufacturers followed the same strategy – Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, KIA Sonet, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.

Approach 3: Repurpose existing product

Honda took their Jazz hatchback, raised the height, changed some exterior body panels and called it WRV to fit into the crossover definition. Mahindra picked Tivoli from its international subsidiary SsangYong’s portfolio, re-engineered the vehicle and truncated the rear part to fit in the sub-4m category. Response from market was lukewarm for both these products, as visually WRV leans toward hatchback and XUV 300 lacks boot space, besides ambitious pricing at the time of launch.

The success rate for approach 2 was very high. Approach 3 has more cost synergy, but is more constrained to delivering the right value.

Sub 4m SUV (Ladder chassis)

Except for ladder frame specialist Mahindra, nobody else tried their luck in this category.

Quanto: In its first attempt, Mahindra simply tried to shrink Xylo and came up with an even uglier product. Failed!

TUV 300: Mahidra developed a new product from the ground up. Failed again!

NuvoSport: Unashamed Mahindra tried to revive Quanto with a new look and a new nameplate. Failed again!

Bolero power+: When nothing else worked, they simply shaved off the front and rear bumpers of the Bolero to fit the 4m length criteria, deployed the 1.5L D70 diesel engine, and got a lower GST benefit. Mission accomplished with old wine in slightly smaller bottle!

Thar: Always has a length of less than four meters but has never qualified for a lower tax bracket due to the engines size

Sub 4m MUV

Approach 1: Repurpose existing product

Datsun GO+: Take a cheap Datsun GO, stretch its rear part till it starts looking like a station wagon, and then add third row seats with no leg space. Dreadful recipe, dreadful outcome!

Approach 2: Grounds up development

Renault Triber: Developed from the ground up, with brilliant packaging and a usable third row, and the result is decent. If Renault has added an optional turbo petrol engine (current 1L naturally aspirated petrol engine seems underpowered) and started selling it from Maruti’s dealership network, then it has the potential to cross the 10,000 mark monthly.

Myth around Maruti?

There were always some rumours that Maruti lobbied hard for the small vehicle tax system, and kept nursing the idea. A look at the product launch chronology says otherwise, as Maruti was never the first one to get the advantage.

2012 Dzire (sub 4m): Launched 6 years after policy enactment; Tata (Indigo CS) was the first mover

2015 Baleno: Launched 9 years after policy enactment; Skoda (Fabia) was the first mover

2016 Brezza: Launched almost 10 years after policy enactment and lost the advantage by 2020; Ford (Ecosport) was the first mover

They never developed a purpose-built MUV for family oriented buyers to take advantage of lower tax slab

Body style: Sub 4m category

• Sedan products came first and enjoyed a good share in the first half of the last decade
• Later came the crossovers and became the new favourite of Indians
• Crossovers now started challenging the dominance of hatchbacks
• The MUV segment is kept alive by vans from Maruti’s stable – Ecco and the discontinued Omni

Manufacturer in sub 4m category

Maruti, Hyundai, and Tata together have dominated the sub-4m segment with nearly 80% market share over the last decade.

That also means that other manufacturers have little or no space to take a breath. Some of them (Fiat, Ford, and Chevrolet) were very promising in the beginning and gained over 4% share in this tough war, but later could not sustain it and eventually had to exit this space. Mahindra and Honda are still trying hard—will they succeed? Only time will tell.

Fuel preference in sub-4m category

Since its inception, petrol engines have dominated the segment. Manufacturers also tried with small diesel engines (Maruti, Hyundai, Tata and Chevrolet), but success was quite limited. FIAT’s 1.25L diesel was most successful, because Maruti deployed it across many high volume products, Hyundai and KIA comes next.

• 2012-2019: diesel engine demand was shrinking due to the low fuel price differential
• 2020: The discontinuation of Maruti's diesel products in the BS6 era, combined with Ford's demise, reduces the diesel mix to 10%
• 2022: CNG push from Maruti (expansion of CNG filling station network across India) has resulted in a 13% mix

2022 Manufacturer’s portfolio

• Renault’s entire portfolio is composed of India-specific sub-4m products. That has positioned Renault as a budget brand in India
• Nissan’s lone sub-4-meter crossover has brought the brand back from its near grave experience
• Tata’s current portfolio is sub-4-m heavy, which limits its higher average revenue earning potential per car sale
• Maruti tried hard to sell large vehicles but achieved the most success only with the Ertiga
• Mahindra's sub-4-m share is driven largely by Bolero
• The 2nd generation Amaze is doing pretty well for Honda
• Toyota’s entire sub-4m share comes from rebadged Maruti products
• KIA’s sub-4m plunge is limited to Sonet, and the rest of the portfolio is composed of large products
• Volkswagen, Skoda, Jeep, and MG don’t have any sub-4-meter offerings as of now

Graphical representation of the sub-4m journey of manufacturers in the last two decades

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Today on the smooth ECR I felt this same issue again for a fraction of a second. It felt like the engine was choking, post that I floored the car and it behaved normally.

BHPian Shanksta recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Guys I faced a weird issue in my EcoSport twice, once last Saturday on my way to Hyderabad and the same issue today while on a drive to Mahabalipuram.

The issue:

At roughly about 85-100kmph there was a heavy shudder while I was accelerating. This happened for hardly a second. When this happened for the first time last week (continuosly for about 3 accelerator inputs all for a second) about 100kms into my trip. The entire car vibrated with the front wheels feeling like they were bouncing.

When this happened for the first time both my dad and me thought it might be the road as we were crossing a part of the NH that was patched up(even though I felt the engine not accelerating despite me flooring it). Post that my car performed flawlessly for the entire trip ~1457kms. Post my return I covered about another 200kms in city traffic.

Today on the smooth ECR I felt this same issue again for a fraction of a second. It felt like the engine was choking, post that I floored the car and it behaved normally. No error codes on the MID. This time the feeling of vibration was less intense than the first time.

My 2021(March) EcoSport has run 26,250kms in 15 months. The Odo was 24.7k kms when I felt this first. No issues and no DPF warnings also till now. *Touchwood*

Update:

Took my car to Dhruvan Ford yesterday, they connected the laptop and checked for error codes which were none. They then checked the DPF and it had a soot level of 68%. They attributed this could be the cause for the issue I experienced and ran the DPF regen process via OBD port. Additionally there was also a software update which they updated.

All of this took about 3 hours and I got my car back at 12PM with everything billed free of cost. I need to use it again and see if I face the issue again. So as per the current design and working of the DPF Ford wants their BS6 diesel customers to take the car for a highway run every week .

*Fingers crossed* I don't face any issue again. I really love my EcoSport and don't want this DPF to be the reason I sell her earlier than intended.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Since I would be driving on the highway, would like to opt for a safe car with at least 4 star rating. It should be niggle free and overall give me a good mileage.

BHPian sunbaj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello Bhpians.

Looking for some recommendations and suggestions on buying a new car. I am sure many are in the same dilemma as I currently am because of the numerous launches in the market along with new technology like mild hybrid, strong hybrid and EVs and God knows what more will follow in the near future.

As for my current ride, I own a Swift Dzire ZDi 2012 and will be completing 10 years by December. I am currently based out of Delhi NCR and with the absurd ruling of NGT will have to part ways with my perfectly running and extremely well maintained car. The car was so well maintained that I have till date only used Mobil Delvac 5W40 engine oil, would clean up the intercooler every 20K irrespective of if it was required or not. The car has been driven 85K and I on an average have extracted 23KM/Liter from the car. Overall extremely satisfied with the performance of the car but as fate has it will have to part with the car.

To give some personal background about me, I am in my mid 40's and regularly drive between Delhi NCR and Chandigarh which was not the case earlier as things have changed on the personal front. Most likely would be having one to two trips a month between Delhi NCR and Chandigarh which is like 270 Km one way and my daily office run would be approx. 40 Km to & fro.

With the above said, I am on the lookout for a new car. Since I would be driving on the highway, would like to opt in for a safe car with at least 4* rating. Also would be preferring a car which should be niggle free and overall give me a good mileage. Would not prefer a big car and most likely be inclined to a sub 4mt SUV and even open to buying a hatchback as status symbol or going in for a upgrade from what I currently drive is of least important to me as I am more of a practical person and take decision not by heart but by practical usability.

As a no brainer, I should have gone with a Brezza or a Nexon but what confuses me is with the new innovations and development happening in the car industry I believe that in 5 to 6 years the petrol and diesel guzzlers would be out of market and there would hardly be any takers for the same. So I am double minded as to whether I should invest 9 to 11 lakhs in a sub SUV or buy a hatchback costing around 6 to 8 lakhs and then go for an EV. I believe that in 4 to 5 years the EV market would mature and we would have lot many options than what we currently have.

Do let me know of your thoughts and recommendations.

PS: I till now have not done any test drive of any vehicle. Even when I bought the Swift Dzire I had not even gone for a test drive. I was hell bent on buying a Maruti as I had owned a Zen and it was a niggle free ownership experience then and so has been the case with Swift Dzire.

Here's what BHPian shashi792 had to say on the matter:

I would suggest a Hybrid (Strong vs. Mild is based on the usage pattern). With the NGT ban, diesel might not make sense for you. Petrol (petrol price vs. mileage perspective) alone also does not makes sense with the market these days being filled up with lots of options:

• My pick would be Toyota Hyryder or Vitara.
• My second option would be Tata Nexon EV Max if the commute is majorly in the city.

Both these vehicles have their own advantages. Nexon EV is a tried and tested vehicle. On the other hand, Toyota/Maruti have their reliability and service center access as advantages.

Here's what BHPian GreasyCarb55 had to say on the matter:

If it wasn't for the bi-monthly 500km+ Delhi->Chandigarh run the Nexon EV or Nexon EV Max would've been the perfect choice but since that's out of the picture let's look at the other options.

If you want a smaller car and later upgrade to an EV in 4-5 years I would look at one of these 3 cars:

• Citroen C3 Turbo - Mechanically it's the best car here, there's no doubt about that, it does lack a few features like a tachometer, climate control, adjustable headrests etc but if you want a fun to drive petrol car before going electric then I'd go for the baby Citroen with the 1.2L 110hp firecracker Inline 3 under the hood. Mileage is about 19-20kmpl, this car is manual only (6 Speed).
• Tata Punch - The Tata Punch is a proven car in terms of comfort, features and practicality but the bad part is the lethargic 84hp 1.2L NA petrol engine and the equally incompetent AMT gearbox. Mileage is about 16.5kmpl (AMT) and 17kmpl (Manual).
• Tata Altroz Diesel or Turbo Petrol - As I've said the Tata 1.2L NA Petrol engine is lethargic and if you like driving I'd avoid it but unlike the Punch you have engine options with the Altroz. A 110hp 1.2L Turbo petrol and a 90hp 1.5L Turbo Diesel. Both of them are good engines but the Diesel is a little more fuel efficient. Mileage is about 18kmpl (Turbo Petrol) and 20-21kmpl (Turbo Diesel), both of these engines are manual only (5 Speed). There is a Tata dual clutch automatic available but that is only available with the 1.2L NA Petrol.

The on-road Delhi prices for the top models of all cars here are as follows:

• Tata Punch - 9.5-10.5 Lakh (depending on if you opt for the IRA pack, Kaziranga edition, AMT etc)
• Citroen C3 Turbo - 9.1 Lakh (C3 Feel 1.2 Turbo Vibe pack)
• Tata Altroz - 10.4 Lakh (I-Turbo XZ Plus) or 11.3 Lakh (Turbo Diesel XZ Plus) add 30k-40k if you want to go for the Dark edition cars.

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

Diesel has no future in Delhi NCR, especially with the advent of strong hybrids. Your usage pattern makes a very good case for them. Unfortunately, the City hybrid is 20L+, and the upcoming Toyota Hyryder hybrid is also expected to be 20+.

Unless you are willing to spend that kind of money, just go for a turbo petrol. Tata Altroz iTurbo is a very good car. The base Honda City is priced only a little more, and is an excellent car for its price. Should be your top choice.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Coming from the humble 1st gen Creta (currently on 225/55/R17 wheels), I find the Sonet's suspension a bit stiff to my liking.

BHPian ashvek3141 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Sonet HTX D AT, 1000 kms ownership experience and 1st service update:

The 1 month / 1000 kms + ownership has been pretty good and overall I'm am satisfied with the car. I shall jot down a few pointers with regards to my ownership so far.

Please note that I shall draw some comparisons with my secondary ride , 1st gen Creta P MT and also my earlier ride, 2nd gen Swift ZDi. I know it might sound like comparing apples to oranges here; but these are just for referencing purpose:

Engine:

• The 1.5L CRDi is a gem of a motor. Absolutely silent at idle, one would be hard pressed to tell if this a diesel motor. Some of my friends / colleagues were taken a back when I mentioned that mine is a Diesel Sonet. But the same folks criticized about the engine noise inside when on the move I too completely agree to this, the car is dead silent on idle; however, as the revs start to climb it gets pretty audible inside the cabin.
• The noise is kinda acceptable upto 2.3 - 2.5k rpm, but beyond that is gets very much intrusive. Don't get me wrong, I have owned diesel cars in the past and I know that diesel in general is a noisy engine, but Hyundai / Kia cars are know for the stupendous NVH which somehow I found to be lagging in the Sonet.
• Apart from the noise part, this motor is just fab. The pull from the ~1800 rpm is clean and at times also gives you a push-in-the-seat kinda feel. Again, it all depends on how the TC gearbox is shifting to the throttle inputs(I'll come to that later).

In general, there is no lag to speak of and the gearbox does help to mask this effect. The pull any gear especially between 2nd to even 5th is clean and there is no hint of any resistance as such. Only in the 6th gear there is a bit of time taken to pull if the speeds are dropped say below 60-65 kmph.

Driving Modes:

• NORMAL : This is a default mode when the car is started no matter in which mode the car was turned off. This is a very balanced mode and I use it almost 90% of the time. I find this to satisfy almost all your driving needs and patterns. I don't have a thorough idea as to how much BHP / Torque is generated by the engine in this mode, but I read somewhere that this kinda limits the Power to ~100 bhp. I don't' have any idea how that's done.
• ECO: As the name suggests, this one's for the mileage conscious folks and I'm not much keen of using this. In the entire ownership of 1 month, I have used used it once to only check how it performs. The gearbox shifts pretty quick in this mode and the speed build-up is linear. apart from this ther is nothing much to speak of here.
• SPORT: Ahh! Now we're talking!! The BEST mode of all. Needless to say as the name suggest, pure enthu-orientated mode there. The moment you switch to SPORT mode especially while keeping the A pedal pressed, there is a slightly push to the car and the rpm pumps up by a few notches. The engine growls a bit more and the A pedal gets extremely sensitive. there is absolutely zero lag to the throttle inputs in this mode. Pedal to throttle matching is perfect in here and the cars just keeps pulling as your continue throttling it. Some say that even the steering weighs up a bit; but personally I didn't quite feel that. May I shall pay some more attention next time.

Having said all of this, this mode is purely for the open roads. Period. you really needs those pen highways for this. try this mode in the city with some traffic and it's gets jerky. The car keeps shifting gears to keep the engine on the boil and that after some point gets a bit annoying. Hence, keep the sport mode for those highway runs and see yourself grinning!

Gearbox:

• Coming to the next big thing of this car, the flawless TC unit. As I mentioned earlier, the TC unit does a good job of asking the low-end turbo lag and makes the start ups pretty smooth in majority of the traffic conditions.
• This is our very first automatic car and hence probably it comes with a small learning curve. By this I don't intend to discourage any perspective AT buyers, but there is sometime needed to get used to the shifting manners of the TC unit, especially if one has been driving a manual for all these years.
• I find the gearbox to be holding the 2nd and sometimes even the 3rd gear a bit too long for my liking. I had initially thought that this is tuned intentionally to minimize the DPF clogging, but BHPian shrk_18 cleared this doubt saying that this is an inherent nature of a TC unit. I don't quite like this behavior coz the revs keep building up even upto 3k rpm at times and that only increase the engine noise which I mentioned about earlier.
• I hardly find myself needing to use the paddle shifters because the gearbox is never in the wrong gear, I really mean this. There will be just about 1-2% cases where I thought that the car was in a higher gear; but apart from that, this one just nails it, everytime.
• The only gripe I have is that the instrument cluster doesn't show the current 'drive' gear. It just shows as 'D' unlike in the DCT wherein it shows the current gear selection. I know it doesn't impact much, but it just feels good to have that information. However, in Manual mode it does show the current gear.
• Also, majority of the times I find it a bit hard to shift the car out of 'P'. So much so that the car even jerks a bit sometimes. I enquired about this with the service guys and they mentioned that this a normal TC behavior. I however follow the steps mentioned in the manual before parking i.e. Brakes --> Shift to 'P' --> Hand brake --> Ignition off.

Ride and Handling:

• Coming from the humble 1st gen Creta (currently on 225/55/R17 wheels), I find the Sonet's suspension a bit stiff to my liking; my Dad too has a similar complaint. It's not unbearable to say, but a slightly softer tune would have been great IMHO.
• Take those speed breakers or bumps with a slightly higher speed than and you will feel that the car just drops with a 'thud' noise. I even got this checked with service folks / WA and telegram Sonet groups and they all mentioned that this is how the suspension is.
• One can feel the road underneath, especially when driving on slightly irregular / unfinished roads. This drawback is that it brings in unnecessary squeaks inside the cabin.
• Handling in general is acceptable and nothing remarkable to speak of. The car holds the line and inspires confidence when driven under say 100 - 110 kmph. Beyond that , not so much.
• I also had this issue with the steering alignment right from the day 1, which still isn't completely fixed to my satisfaction.

Air conditioning:

• The AC in this car is a chiller! Primarily this is due to the vents being placed close to the occupants is what I feel. But overall too, I find that Ac does a good job of cooling the cabin.
• A very annoying point that I would like to mention is that, during idling the compressor cut off is very much appreciable. I had noticed this in the DCT but thought that it is expected since that being a 3-cylinder 1 L unit; but a similar behavior with the 4-cylinder 1.5 L diesel unit kind got my hear scratching. Heck, even my humble Swift with 1.3L engine was calmer during the compressor switching.
• I usually maintain the AC on AUTO between 24-25 C.

Music System:

• The 8" Arkamys tuned music system has an acceptable sound quality and will satisfy the masses. I am not an audiophile and hence completely satisfied with the sound output. I usually stream music from gaana or amazon music maintaining the volume levels at 10 - 14.

• The only annoyance is the erratic behavior of the system when playing music through BT. I have noticed that the music stops playing and at times even the phone gets disconnected in the middle of a playback. This looks mostly like a software glitch and can be fixed with an update. I am using iPhone 7 / 12 Pro.
• Wireless Carplay is a boon and is working flawlessly so far; However, it drains the phone's battery at a much faster rate.
• This system is devoid of SAT-NAV and hence one has to rely on Google Maps.

Fuel Efficiency:

The average displayed on the MID is somewhere between 18 - 19 kmpl. Max I have seen is 19.2 kmpl. Now this is the cumulative 'fuel economy' that is displayed and not pertaining to a specific trip.

• For a trip of approx. 50 kms with 70% on highway, the max mileage displayed is 28 kmpl. I find these figures a bit optimistic and to good to be true for a engine of this size coupled with a TC AT.
• Below is the tank-to-tank mileage derived from the fuelio app. For sure, there is a 1.5 - 2 kmpl difference between the actual and the MID displayed mileage figures. I presume the system will sort of calibrate after running for approx. 5k - 6k kms and may indicate the near-actual mileage in future.

Other points:

• I find the overall quality of the Sonet a notch below when compared to my Creta. Let me mention that this is not only for the Kia Sonet; I have extensively checked the 2nd gen Creta and I find it similar in that too. Right from the plastics on the dash to those on the door, the windows switches; the seat belt thickness, everything feels a grade lower. The Koreans have surely gone in for profits since the launch of the 1st gen Creta.
• 7 years and nearly 70k KMS on the odo, there is not a SINGLE rattle or a squeaks in my Creta *touchwood*. However, in the Sonet, I can already hear mild squeaks coming in from the AVN unit, the doors when playing music with slightly higher bass, centre console randomly, etc.
• The overall quality of the plastics used say for the height adjuster / recline lever, power windows switches, etc. feels a bit lower than my Creta. The ones in the 1st gen Creta feel so polished, even today.

Loose height adjuster lever:

• The HTX variant comes with the lighter interiors and with the introduction of 4 airbags, there is not way to put seat covers which bring another problem to the table. The white seats are P-A-I-N to maintain. I don't know how am I going to manage this. Surely they look good but are equally painful to maintain.

• Brakes of this car are pretty good and do a good job of bringing the car to stop in time.
• I find the front seats to be a size smaller for my liking. I am 6 feet tall with a average build and I find the side bolsters a bit intrusive. A slightly wider seat would have helped I feel. I am not quite able to find a 'comfortable' driving position yet.
• I don't know the logical working of the TPMS system, but I need to 'set' a pressure of 37 psi at the fuel bunk to get a display of approx. 33-34 psi on the TPMS. Sometimes it even goes to 35 psi. These are all cold tire pressure readings. I am still experimenting on this and will confirm once I get to know the exact pressure that needs to be maintain t display 33 psi on the MID. for now, I am sticking to only on air filling station.
• Not having rear wash wipe is annoying as hell!! I thing enough has been said on this. Kia, please wake up and get the basics right, please.

1st Service:

Completed 950 kms on the 20th of this month and following day got the 1st service done at ADC Kia, Goa.

This was just a general check-up and not a service per se. Had 2 issues to fix as below:

Steering alignment : As mentioned earlier the alignment was a bit off right from Day-1; got this checked during the 1st service. The SA got the calibration done, didn't help. Later did the alignment, took the trial and told me it was done. I didn't have time for another trial as I was already running late for the day and had to rush to office. While driving back, though it had improved it was still kinda off. I didn't have any more patience or time to get back and do this again.

Called the CRM the following day and narrated this to him. He requested to get the car again for a check. Went the following day, was assigned another SA. He took the TD and mentioned that the 'steering calibration' was a bit off. Came back, re-done the calibration. Again, minor improvement but not 100%. I gave up! I have said this before and I shall say it again, somehow the Koreans cannot get their steering systems right!

Alignment being carried out. Excuse the pic quality as I clicked it from the lounge:

Horn shrill : This issue is primarily seen when the horn is pressed for more than 1 sec. Though it is an intermittent issue, it still is annoying. However, the technicians there couldn't reproduce this issue and hence no solution for now. They requested to record a video next time this issue occurs.

Poor fitting of plastic cover near the windscreen: This issue too was there right from Day-1. When I brought this to the notice of the SA, he mentioned that there is no warranty on plastic / rubber parts!! I wonder if they weigh in the cost of this small piece of plastic and the experience that the customer takes back home?

They took a good 4 hours for this general check-up and to check on the 2 niggles that I mentioned, albeit without a proper fix.

The annoying part comes at the end when they come chasing you for the ratings!! I don't know how the heck this thing works, but for sure this is not so happy experience for the customers. Give then anything below 9/10 or 4/5 and you'll be killed with questions!

Since I didn't have much time and had to rush, I just gave them a 5* and closed the mater.

Overall, an average 1st service experience in my books.

ADC Kia, Goa workshop:

So, that was a small update on the 1k kms & 1st Service ownership experience. As I write this, the odo stands at 1600 kms.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

We were impressed by the smooth gear shifts and ride quality of the Sonet 7DCT. It was agreed that spending another 80k for this variant was worth it and overall it did look VFM.

BHPian Sudhindra recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi all,

I have booked a Kia Sonet HTX 7DCT on 27th June and the tentative waiting period is 40 weeks. Went for turbo petrol as now our monthly average does not cross beyond 1000Kms and also that I have been driving diesels since last 15 years. For Office commute, I use my bike.

To brief, I currently own a Fiat Punto Evo 1.3MJD 2016 model remapped. Having owned Fiats since 2009, the Punto has served me well so far with its brilliant handling, driving dynamics and solid build. All was well till beginning of this year when there were clutch issues, front suspension(strut mounts) and needed replacement. None of the Fiat ASC here had the parts available on time and was cheated by a multi brand service center, but maintains Fiat spares. It began to worsen, when one after another, several other parts begin to fail gradually. Spare parts unavailability, ASC who charge unnecessarily, delay in delivery of OEM spares when ordered online (sometimes with bad packaging and like used part) as such were bothering us. I deliberated and arrived at the following reasons to change the car for good:

• That now its the right time to sell our Punto go before it becomes too late as there is no resale value.(we had never considered selling at the time of purchase). Now, It can cover the down payment atleast.
• The nearest Fiat ASC`s is a good 25kms away from my home and both are lousy.(Earlier with TATA and FIAT co-existence, it was somewhat better and nearby to my home)
• My wife somewhat used to struggle driving punto inside City limits because of clutch reach and Punto steering being heavy.
• Age factor, I am in my late 30s and off-late feeling tired after driving Punto (not a good ergonomic car though) and also started developing knee and back pains.

However, my wife not willing to let the Punto go, and suggested that we take a look at any mid sized automatic hatch/sedan for city purpose and keep the Punto for highway use. Parking is not a concern as we have ample space available.

We considered both the options i.e. used cars and new ones strictly under following conditions:

• The nearest ASC should be less than 10Kms from home. Service, spares & fuss free ownership are the top most priority.
• Should not be a discontinued car.
• Should be a proper automatic such as CVT, TC, DCT/ DSG.
• Should have sold in good numbers.
• In case of a used car, the budget should not exceed 7 lakhs. In case of a new car, around 10 lakhs & that we have to sell off the Punto.
• Should be good in performance, safety & build quality.
• Should be petrol. EV can be considered as well.

Option 1- Used car:

Zeroed in on Honda stables i.e. City/Jazz. Either, but we didn't find any good examples of CVT/AT in Honda or the ones that were good were beyond our budget. My wife is suggested the Polo TSI and Skoda Rapid and she even found a couple of good ones, I rejected them since its discontinued and did not want to go through the pain again. We gradually started deviating from the conditions set and were randomly looking at all cars ranging from Tatas, Hyundais all the way to Innova, XUV 500 etc. both online as well as at used car dealerships. Eventually we began to lose interest in our search.

Option 2- New car:

I began to spend time in going through various new car reviews in Team BHP and understand what is happening with new car markets and keenly followed when the news about new Citroen C3 started making rounds. Just like that we went to one of the nearby Citroen showrooms to enquire, but the dealership said that the C3 will be available for display only from 1st July. Finally when the initial review and tech specs were revealed, non-availability of automatic in C3 and unknown dealership experience was enough to strike this car off the list. For some reasons known or unknown, we were never interested in cars from Maruti, Tata (except EV), Mahindra stables.

Dealership centers for most of the major car brands are nearby my home within 5 kms of distance except FCA. I took help of Team BHP to go through the review of several cars and the Kia Sonet caught my interest. I regularly pass by the  Kia Showroom and had never bothered to look at their products before. I compared the Sonet vs other similar cars and found that the Sonet 1.0 7DCT HTX ticked all the boxes provided I increase my budget from 10 lakhs to 15 lakhs. Kept Tata Nexon EV(base model) as an option as well( just for Tax savings benefits). Presented these two options to my wife and she got thrilled at my renewed interest. Next the question was what to do with Punto as the budget is increased approximately by 5 lakhs for both, the Sonet ant Tata EV and also that we have to go for a car loan. It was decided to have a look at the Kia Sonet first and then take a call.

Test Drive on 26th June:

On the way home after buying groceries, out of the blue we just thought of having a look at the Kia dealership, wherein there were several customers either for enquiries or delivery. We were dressed in our casual daily wear, nonetheless we entered inside and were greeted well by SA and were made comfortable. Meanwhile, my wife checked the display cars and was bowled over by the interiors, fit & finish and she immediately said yes without even taking a TD. Though we found the rear bench space is limited in comparison to the Punto, its not a deal breaker. Otherwise, everything else seemed good. The SA briefed about the pricing, booking process, waiting period etc in detail. I informed SA regarding about my interest in Sonet 7DCT, but he focused more on the benefits of iMT and even before we could asked, a TD of the iMT GTX was arranged. The SA drove the TD car first to demonstrate the ease of driving and then I took my turn. I found the power delivery was very good but left me confused at times. Having driven manual transmission for a long period of time (almost 15 years) and my TD was focused mostly on changing gears. My wife took a TD as well & she struggled even more to sort gears. The iMT gave us a mixed feeling and we returned back home stating that we will take a call. Later that day, we discussed in detail and came to a conclusion not to go with partial auto box like iMT as it still requires changing gears manually. We informed the same to SA and he agreed to our observation and that a TD for 7DCT shall be arranged.

The Tata Nexon EV was discarded due to range limitations. Our home town is approx. 350kms and it will not be suitable for us.

Booking experience on 27th June:

We informed the SA to arrange a Sonet 7DCT and we reached the dealership at the stipulated time. TD was immediately arranged. We were impressed by the smooth gear shifts and ride quality. It was agreed that spending another 80k for this variant was worth it and overall it did look VFM. Decided to sell the Punto in exchange or sell for a good value once the SA confirms the availability.

Did not bother to check the Tata Nexon EV as their ASC is not that improved.

Without wasting time, paid the booking amount and the SA completed the booking process. He told us that the waiting period is roughly around 3-4 months and for HTX AE version, it could be even earlier by 2 months. We are open to opt for both the variants whichever is available for delivery at the earliest.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.