also test drove the Seltos but it seemed unnecessarily big for my requirement. Also, my father rejected the Seltos ride quality when compared to the Sonet.

BHPian jasjotbains recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Being a member of Team BHP since 2016, I have always read the "New Car ownership" reports of our fellow members here with the excitement of a child going to a park. I have always dreamt of writing my own such post one day with a shiny new mean machine besides me. After much deliberations about staying in India or moving abroad, I finally made peace with the fact that home is where the heart is. And I needed a new love to keep my heart occupied.

Enter Kaleen Bhaiya, my Sonet GTX+ diesel AT.

The need:

I got married in 2018 and had to move to TN to join a bank famous for its never ending lunch breaks and passbook printing lines (P.S - There is/was no concept of "Lunch ke baad aana"). My i10 had been my sole companion since 2013 (before the Grand was launched) and I have had some memorable trips with it. However, driving on the national highways of TN (especially Krishnagiri-Hosur) made me realize that I was in need of a car with better pulling power, especially with the AC on.

I got transferred back to Punjab in 2021 and got posted some 140 kms from my home, which mandated bi-weekly trips on highways back home to Chandigarh. My i10 was not the safest bet while driving alongside heavy vehicles (0.5* rating) and the lack of modern tech was fast causing irritations for me. Being posted in the NRI belt of Punjab meant sooner or later you also bite the the "Kanedda dream". Reservations by the family and unending tensions later, I arrived at the conclusion that I needed a distraction to keep my heart occupied. What better than a brand new 4 wheel ride! And since my i10 was already 9 years old, convincing the family for a bigger car was not a big deal.

The choices:

It was pretty clear that I required a diesel. Even though my daily running of 25 odd kms and bi-weekly 300 km trips did not necessitate a diesel per-se, however it was pretty clear to me that I will not be compromising on pulling power. I like spirited driving, even though I keep my speeds to max of 100-110 kmph even on highways. Apart from a diesel, I wanted few creature comforts; an automatic (and a proper one while we are getting it), a smooth jerkless ride, good sound system, reliability and good enough space. I narrowed down to a few vehicles:

• Sonet diesel - The lovely TC box. My parents have an i10 AT and its a pleasure to drive. I expected similar driving experience from the Sonet. Also, it was loaded with tech. Creature comforts like ventilated seats, Bose sound system and prior experience Hyundai reliability (paint quality is another matter) put it high in the preference order. However, the safety aspect was a question mark here considering how the Seltos fared. But 6 airbags was an assurance.
• Nexon diesel - This was my first choice. However, I was only concerned about the AMT gearbox and its smoothness. As rightly guided by many forum members here, "drive both (Sonet and Nexon) and then decide".
• XUV 7OO/3OO / Thar - Boot space in the XUV was probably comparable to my Activa on a pro-rata basis. I believe a Thar, while being a great vehicle, is very impractical for a family if its going to be the only vehicle in the garage. Hence, both were rejected. Checked out the XUV 7OO too but the features at my price point were not much to count. The waiting period of 10 months made Mahindra a clear case of rejection.
• Venue diesel - Didn't excite me a bit even though I'm a Hyundai fanboy. Lack of AT in diesel was a let down.
• VW/Renault/Lesser sold brands - Being a banker and being subject to frequent transfers to Tier 2-3 cities, I needed a vehicle whose sales and service was readily available. Hence not considered. Also, I have had horrible experiences with VW service in Chandigarh so the options were not given an after-thought.
• Verna - Did give the Verna SX some thought but driving a sedan on potholed village roads is exactly the stuff nightmares are made of. Plus, the lower seating position was not to my liking. City was overlooked since Honda's future in the country seems uncertain.

Therefore, it was a battle between Nexon diesel and Sonet diesel. I drooled over the Nexon whereas mother and wife wanted my cheque book to be opened at Kia.

The selection:

Test driving both the vehicles was the first task. Called up Tata dealerships in Mohali and Chandigarh and NONE OF THEM had a diesel-AT test drive vehicle. This was across 3 different dealerships in a state capital. Tried searching Zoomcar and Revv but no luck. It was surprising considering Nexon was outselling Sonet over the past few months. TATA dealers - If you're selling a vehicle, please have atleast a TD vehicle for it.

Called up Joshi KIA in Mohali and they informed me that their Chandigarh dealership had a GTX+ test drive vehicle. I reached there with the entire family and was greeted by the KEC. He informed me that the vehicle was out on a TD and will be back in 20 minutes. He noted down my requirements in the meantime and after 20 minutes, the vehicle came and we went for a test drive. I thought that the car drove decently, only to be told by the KEC (Kia Experience Consultant) that I was caressing, not pressing, the accelerator. I pressed the pedal a bit further and within no time I was at 3 digit speeds! The vehicle just let out a meaty growl, nothing else. The KEC already knew I was sold. I also test drove the Seltos but it seemed unnecessarily big for my requirement. Also, my father rejected the Seltos ride quality when compared to the Sonet. I was clearly told by my KEC that the waiting period was 24-25 weeks but I can expect my vehicle by Feb end / March beginning. I went home (all the time expecting my parents' i10 to let out a meaty growl), discussed with the family and booked the Sonet 1.5 GTX+ D-AT in Glacier White for Rs. 25000 online. I shared the screenshot with my KEC and they shared the quotation on their letterhead via email. Then the wait began.

Delivery Experience:

I got a call around Jan 10 from my KEC that car is ready and they can allocate the VIN to me. My wife wanted delivery on Jan 21 (our anniversary) and I was informed by the dealership that it was possible. Got my loan sanctioned from the bank and transferred the money to the dealership. However, due to Covid affecting my colleagues, leave was not granted for 21st and I had to settle for 22nd as delivery date. Consulted a local dealer and parted ways with my i10 after 9 years together.

My KEC kept in regular touch with me and offered me a catalog of accessories provided by them for Sonet. I told him to consider my 50% NCB from my i10, which was accepted. Kudos to my previous dealership, Joshi Hyundai, for making the NCB process a smooth affair. No one tried to push for unnecessary stuff like under-body protection etc. I selected the accessories, informed them and was told that they will be installed by the time I reach.

I reached Joshi KIA Chandigarh on 22nd and was greeted by my KEC Mr Ravi Shankar. He also introduced me to ASM Mr Amit Sharma and we had a bit of a chat while my paperwork was being done. I wanted a particular number which was currently not available on the VAHAN portal. Mr Ravi Shankar guided me through the number selection process and meanwhile allocated me a temporary number. The paperwork was over in a jiffy and I finally laid my eyes on my decked up Sonet.

It was constantly raining throughout the day. However, the weather opened up a bit and we got the delivery ceremony underway. So many people clapping triggered my son who started clapping on his own . My family had purchased 4 Hyundai vehicles from Joshi Hyundai and we expected nothing less than stellar sales experience from Joshi KIA. As expected, the buying and delivery experience was top class.

Then we had a small cake cutting ceremony. I added a few more accessories at the last minute which were installed instantly by the team. We were provided a small plant, a bouquet and 5 litre fuel coupon. We were on our way then.

Mr Ravi Shankar KEC, Mr Amit Sharma ASM and yours truly!

We filled up from a nearby pump and took the Sonet to a Gurudwara first. The next day, we headed out on our first highway drive.

Initial impressions:

Coming from an i10, there is a big difference in driving experience and big-car experience:

Likes:

• The engine is smooth as silk. It feels as if one is gliding on the road. I am driving it in normal mode till the first service and keeping my speeds to below 80 kmph, which is very difficult. The engine is yawning at this speed at around 1500 rpm. The ride quality is good and you feel planted on the road.
• The sheer road presence you feel when driving it. The raised bonnet, the growl of the motor, all make you feel Bahubali-esque (from Mirzapur)
• The presence of a front defogger switch has saved much efforts in the cold wet weather over the past few days. A rear defogger and wiper have made driving easier.
• The real time FE is 21 kmpl the last time I checked. Many have claimed of getting higher FE as compared to ARAI rating. Anomalies? Will find out at the next tank fill up. Even after a week of driving in stop go traffic, the FE stands at 19.2 kmpl with almost 400 kms over.
• The LED lamps up front provide decent coverage of the road ahead even in rainy weather.
• The gearbox is smooth as a hot knife through melted butter! I am just waiting for the first service to be over before I plonk it into Sports mode and use all the horses on tap.
• The ventilated seats are going to be a boon hopefully in another 3 months when summer arrives.
• Being able to remotely turn on the engine is a boon especially when outside temperature is in single digits. Helps warm up the engine and bring the cabin to an acceptable temperature. Also, it helps to get in those 15-30 seconds of idling before moving.
• Plenty of boot space on offer. Can easily devour 3-4 of our bags. The spare wheel is neatly tucked so as to provide a flat boot.
• The music system is pretty good. Gives you decent thump without being loud. Android auto connects with a bit of difficulty but I believe its due to my lack of prior experience.
• The sunroof lets in just about enough sunlight to make the car feel airy.
• The beeping reminders when you left something ON helps prevent battery draining for people who are as forgetful like me. The car wont lock if you left something on.
• The front and rear parking sensors help park the car in tight spots. It also helps to park the car snugly especially when you cant see in front of the bonnet.

Dislikes:

• Would have appreciated Xenon projector lamps upfront instead of LEDs. The throw of projector lamps is much better IMHO.
• The front fog lamps are merely for show. Expected better light from them but they are surprisingly inefficient at it. Also, halogen projectors and LED main lamps are a bit of mismatch.
• The remote access/ KIA Connect works at its own sweet timing. A real time execution of commands would've been better.
• The ride quality at slow speeds is a bit of a bummer.
• Lack of backlit switches on a vehicle costing over 14 lacs is a disappointment. Good luck figuring out whose window you're moving or what button you are pressing on the driver side door. The disco lights are useless and backlit switches would've been more helpful.

Driving modes:

This is one of the best features in the Sonet. The three driving modes will alter the behavior of the engine and suspension to suit the need of the hour.

• ECO Mode - This is best for driving in congested areas and where FE matters the most. The engine will shift at around 1500 rpm and you can imagine the driving style to be like a turtle floating in water. However, the power is severely restricted so do not try anything adventurous.
• Normal Mode - This is selected by default everytime you switch ON the car. This is suitable for slightly open areas or for relaxed highway runs. Overtaking is easy and will fulfil your needs for approx 70% of the time. Consider it as if a horse is running in a grassland.
• Sport Mode - This is the business mode. You can well imagine it as if a hungry Doberman is on a leash. That's how the engine lurches forward even with a slight touch of your foot. The engine shifts at approx 3-3.5k rpm and triple digit speeds are easy to achieve. This is for spirited highway runs on roads like Yamuna expressway or the GT Road. The car pick speeds similar to a cheetah chasing its prey.

Milestone 1: 1000 kms / 1st service:

Completed the first 1000 kms in a month. I was eagerly waiting for it since I wanted to get the oil change done and then revv the car in Sports mode. I reached Joshi Kia without appointment (some like to live dangerously) and the work was over within 30- 40 minutes. The best part was they did not use polish on the dashboard, windscreen and rear view mirror!

I finally got a chance to read the User Manual and wanted to congratulate myself on being able to maintain good speeds and keep the engine docile. However, the User Manual recommended RPM to be kept between 2-4k rpm. My SA informed me there is no such advise of not using "Sports" mode during run-in. Needless to say, I immediately switched to Sports mode on my way back.

My current fuel economy is around 15.4 kmpl, considering my driving is mostly in a city. However, with more highway runs, it can go up to 17-18 kmpl max.

Overall, the Sonet is going to cost me approx 15 lacs on road, thanks to the low RTO charges of approx Rs 63000 in Chandigarh. I hope to have plenty of memorable trips with my Sonet. Will be updating this forum with more posts as and when I complete my milestones.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Initially, I wanted to look at sedans so decided to check out the Honda City and Hyundai Verna, but our garage size was too small to adjust these cars.

BHPian Harp recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone, this is my first post on the forum, and has the long term review of my Hyundai Venue iMT start from our buying process to the feedback to this date. Pardon me for the long post as I tried to squeeze a lot in here.

So a little background. We owned a 1999 model Maruti 800 which was going strong for the past several years without giving us any serious headaches with the performance.

So fast forward to 2020, with our Maruti showing its age and with my father's posting back to Ranchi, we decided it was time for a change. Initially, I wanted to look at sedans so decided to check out the Honda City and Hyundai Verna, but our garage size was too small to adjust these cars. Along with that, our new car would be used to go to our native place in Bihar where certain patches were not of good quality. So started to look at the CSUV segment with a budget of 10 lakhs on road. Decided our car would be a petrol as most of our running would be in the city and after many hours of grilling the forum and other resources on the web, we shortlisted 4 cars based on several parameters such as proximity to the service centre at home and native place, cost of ownership, design, etc.

• Tata Nexon.
• Hyundai Venue.
• Kia Sonet.
• Mahindra XUV 300.

So at first, arranged a test drive for the Nexon from the nearby showroom. The TD vehicle was an XZ+, and I  fell in love with the car at first instance. The 1.2l turbocharged engine producing 118 bhp gave a great sense of pleasure while my father took the test drive (I had a learner's license at that point so couldn't take the test drive). So I was at the back seat during the test drive, the leg and headroom were ample even for someone who was above 6ft. The suspension felt good for the segment. It was a totally different experience from what I had from the 800. Father drove in all the modes and loved them. Now the final garage test. I kept my finger's crossed but the Nexon could barely go inside after 15 tries. With a heavy heart had to reject it. And with this, the  XUV300 also got rejected.

Now the next day we got the Kia Sonet. We wanted to test drive the manual, but the salesperson insisted on trying the iMT variant, so the GTX+ turbo petrol iMT was parked at our apartment gates. The car looked stunning, but this time before taking the test drive we decided to first do the garage test. Luckily this time it only took 5 cuts to get inside and outside the garage, we could live with that. Now the test drive. For my father after a few moments of getting adjusted to the drive method, he felt it was flawless. There was almost no jerk felt while changing the gears, the back seats were slightly cramped than the Nexon's, but were good enough for me (I am 5'6). He loved this new form of clutchless manual and after coming home my father and I decided we can go with this mother wasn't happy with the budget, so we wanted to test drive the Hyundai Venue iMT.

So next day one of my father's colleagues who had an iMT SX gave us a full review of the car and also allowed him to drive for some distance. He found this drive to be comparable with the Sonet, with major changes only on the exterior and the infotainment system. That night we had a long discussion with mother and sister giving their nod and finally decided to book the venue SX over the Sonet for:

• Better service as kia was a relatively new brand with a smaller presence.
• The Venue was slightly cheaper than the comparable model of the Sonet.

Booking:

The next day we went to Republic Hyundai to book the Blue Denim Venue SX iMT. We started to negotiate for offers and discounts, but as there was a huge backlog, they didn't bulge from the quoted price, but we were able to negotiate a good price for our 800 which gave us a reasonable price along with add on accessories. We gave a token booking amount and were promised delivery by Durga Puja (this was during September). From here on our wait for the car started. Durga Puja came, there was no word on when our car would be delivered due to backlog orders and chip crisis( In the meantime I passed my driving test and got a driver's license). From there on, we used to call the sales representative every two weeks but to no avail, like this 2020 passed.

Then suddenly on 13th January got a call at 8.30 in the evening that the car has been allocated to us. Gave us the VIN and asked us to complete the formalities and pay the remainder as soon as possible. We didn't want to do that before the PDI, but later after a discussion, we completed the formalities on the 15th and were promised the date of 18th January. Did the PDI a day before.

Delivery day:

On the day of delivery, we went to the showroom at the allocated time and our Blue Denim was there standing, waiting for us to take it home. Added a few accessories some complimentary and some addons. Here we parted ways with our beloved 800 which gave us service for a good 21 years.

The registration couldn't go through that day as the series had just ended and we had to wait until Monday to get a registration number till then they gave us a temporary number.

So after taking delivery of our car, we went straight to the petrol pump and then to the Hanuman temple, but had to do the puja in a hush as one Netaji had to go the airport and the temple was in the way, so we had to move our car from the spot (great VIP culture).

Anyway, we went home and parked it there.

The next day we kept the car in the parking where I only did a slight front and reverse gear test as I was still afraid to take my car out from there.

Anyway, for the next 3 days, I and my sister took practice drives under the watchful eyes of driver uncle on open roads. After initial hiccups, I was able to adjust to the new driving mechanism and honestly loved it. This was a great exercise which helped us a lot to move from Maruti 800 to the Hyundai Venue and finally, I passed the garage test by putting the car in our cramped garage although it took a good 15 minutes( can do now in under 3).

Not later after that, it went on its maiden long trip to Ara, Bihar (our native place) a good 750 km up and down. It was driven by our driver uncle as it was a long distance journey, it passed gracefully through all the potholes, although the suspension felt a bit stiff, which was natural for a CSUV. The car felt stable at high speeds (we got to a max of 100 kmph) and the turbo engine felt very handy, especially while trying to overtake on highways. The turbo got activated after crossing 2000 rpm but mostly the drive was in a non-rash manner which helped us clock a tank to tank average of nearly 19 kmpl which was good enough. But that said, the boot space was a big boon for us as it easily accommodated 3 huge suitcases. Soon after that, got the car to its first service after 2000 km. The car was cleaned and nothing much was done, but we decided to get an underwater coating just to be on the safe side.

Then in the next 3 months, there were only city rides with the car.

Then we took it for the next long ride to our native, this time was also the same, but while on the return journey the car had to go off-roading due to unavoidable circumstances caused by heavy rains. An Omni 2 cars before us had got stuck in the mud and this being a 2WD I was genuinely afraid but following footsteps of the Safari before us, we were able to sail through despite the car being full to its capacity with 5 grown humans and 3 suitcases along with several small bags at the back.

After this, we took a few long drives in the vicinity of 300 km without any issues.

The likes:

• Left leg screams thank you while stuck in the traffic.
• Car does not stop if a braking makes the car go at lower speeds. Seamlessly got to 24 kmph at 6th gear just got a warning with a beep to pull down the gear to 2nd.
• No visible jerk while changing gears although felt slight jerk while going from 1st to 2nd.
• Turbo catches up quickly at lower gears.
• Got to 50 in 1st gear and 90 in 2nd gear.
• Sunroof is a bonus in the winter.
• NVH is good, the car has been driven at a max speed of 154 kmph and still the car was very stable.
• The chrome on the wheels look beautiful.
• SX model and upwards get instrument clusters which are clean when compared to lower variants.
• The controls on the steering wheel and physical buttons near the infotainment screen are easy to use and well-positioned.
• Extracted long drive mileage of ~19 kmpl great!!! but city mileage was usually ~12 kmpl.

The dislikes:

• No hill hold assist in SX. One has to use the hand brake and accelerator to make it work to not slide back.
• The plastics are slightly of inferior quality,  would have loved the plastics to be better on a car whose on-road price is over 10 lakhs.
• The back seat is slightly cramped, probably the legroom is smallest in the segment. In city rides it's not an issue but on long rides, it causes some discomfort.
• The turbo lag is visible in higher gears but seems every car in the segment suffers from it.
• The spare tyre is only 15" while the rest are 16".
• No wireless charger or Android Auto/ Apple Carplay although wired ones are available in the SX. Would have loved wireless ones though.
• Only 2 airbags in the SX, the SX(O) has 6, this should have been standard equipment across all segments.
• The headlights feel inadequate sometimes and there are no rear wipers.
• Although it was rare, but on 4 separate instances the reverse gear did not deploy on the first try. I had to switch to 1st and then it deployed again, but that accounts for less than 0.1%.

Who should buy this?

• Someone whose most driving is on city roads.
• Someone who mostly likes to drive in a normal fashion with some fun,  as the gear shifts are slightly slower than the manual counterparts at very high speeds.
• Someone who has budget constraints with automatic. This gives the comfort of an automatic while giving you feel of manual while saving around 2 lakhs on road.

Hope this would help!

Thanks.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

So basically, in my 32-years of driving, I have only been with very old Maruti vehicles. And I have never owned a car myself.

BHPian Aaditto recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello,

This is a humble appeal for help – to all you highly-informed experts at Team BHP.

But to begin with, thank you very much T-BHP moderators – for including me into this amazing community! I have been an avid reader of this forum for a number of years. And it feels great to be a part of it.

To introduce myself:

I hail from Kolkata, originally. I live and work in a remote rural area, in the district of Birbhum. And if I may quote my standard ‘social media’ introduction here, I am a wanderer, by nature an artist, by training a teacher & permaculturist, by profession.

This will be my first new thread here. Advance apologies for the lengthy post – I'll try and make it as detailed as possible, so that I can explain my situation better. In case you do not want to go through the whole post, here are the bullet points of my query :

Need help in deciding the best option for a new petrol MT Crossover/ CSUV / hatchback car within Rs. 10 lakh (On-Road price, Kolkata, West Bengal) – which can be stretched up a little, if justified.

• It will be used by my family of two adults and a 7-year old (with an occasional addition of 2 more family members).
• The car will work mostly in rural areas – with a monthly trip (or two) into the city, which is c. 200 kms away – travelling mostly over super-expressways (i.e. 400 kms to-and-from, on highways, each month).
• It will not have heavy commute on a daily basis, either in it’s usual rural surroundings, or during the occasional trip into Kolkata (one of the most congested cities – where I generally prefer public transport).
• During local commute, the car will often have to negotiate really bad dirt roods (village access roads in Bengal can be quite an off-road experience!).
• However, we hope to go for at least one yearly family vacation in it (petrol prices be damned!) – and our favourite haunt is usually the hills (Himalayan foothills) to the North East of our state.
• I am a careful driver – who also enjoys driving – and takes pride in optimized use of the right foot.

I do not race up to a red traffic-signal.

But neither do I believe in ‘carefully’ cruising at 80 kmph on a highway – where I regularly hit 100-110 kmph in my 29-year old Maruti 800 – taking on every ‘new-age’ vehicle, with a sloppy driver behind the wheel, who might block my path.

I need the car to have/ be:

• Reliable.
• Sturdy.
• Comfortable – from a suspension point of view.
• Good ground clearance – village roads worthy.
• Longevity – I won’t be changing it for a new one in the next hundred years.
• Decent mileage – my economic standing is strictly middle-class.
• Grounded – I enjoy cars with good traction.
• Good throttle response.

I don’t need the car to have/ be:

• Super-charged with ‘features’.
• Turbo charged engine – I prefer NA engines.
• Fitted with a sun-roof (in fact, I’d prefer if it does not have one).
• Any other ‘fringe benefit’ that does not affect the vehicle as such.

However, there is one specific ‘feature’ – which would be very helpful to have. That is a height adjustable driver's seat. I am just 5’6” tall  and most of the modern cars don’t seem to offer as clear a view of the left corner of the bonnet as the cars of old did!

My background:

I am 50 years old (though I often get confused, and believe that I am really 30!). I learnt driving at an young age – in a second-hand Standard 8 (a tiny, Morris Minor like car, which was discontinued in the late 1950’s) – by observing my father, an expert but rash driver – and my mother, an expert and copybook driver.

However, my whole family was a stickler for rules – as am I. Of course, my father refused to let me drive out in the roads without a license. So, for two years, I could only drive in my mind, sitting in the co-passenger’s seat. Once I turned 18, and got my license, I started driving my grandmother’s Maruti Suzuki 800 (Second Generation - 1993 registration) – which is the car I still drive.

For the past seventeen years, I have been living and working at our family-owned rural-action project – in a backward and rather wild area of West Bengal. This project owns a Maruti Suzuki Gypsy (“MG 410” – 1991) & also a Maruti Omni (2001 registration) – and, of course, I have been entrusted with maintaining – and driving – both these relics.

Old as they may be, all these three cars have performed beyond expectation, over the years.

The Maruti 800 (registered in my grandmother’s name) gives me an average of 15-18 kmpl and runs nonchalantly at 100-110 kmph speeds (the engine can still go up to 120 quite easily, it’s the suspension and breaks that I don’t trust anymore) – but its just too damned old now! The local PVD is not going to allow a change-of-name (I checked!). So, once the present ‘Fitness’ expires, in 2023, I will have no option but to ‘scrap’ that little darling of ours.

The Gypsy (owned by the Project I run) still pulls a quintal of logs over rough terrain, with disdain, and has actually pulled out a tractor once, which had broken down in mud.

Having been with these three Marutis for so long – and given their performance over the years – I have probably become a bit biased towards the company, when it comes to reliability.

However, I am not an ostrich. I know that many of the other companies around today would be just as reliable, or better even, when it comes to making a quality vehicle. But do they have a comparable service network/ low maintenance costs? I am not clear in that area yet.

So basically, in my 32-years of driving, I have only been with very old Maruti vehicles. And I have never owned a car myself. I do own a Suzuki Fiero 150cc motorcycle – which I bought in Delhi, 20+ years ago.

We are not an affluent family. In fact, we are a family of freaks, who have deliberately desisted from pursuing wealth, and chosen to spend our lives trying to work at the grassroots, alongside the really poor but amazing people of rural India – for the past 40 years or so.

However, I have suddenly come upon some ‘one-time-wealth’, by way of selling a small flat, after the demise of both my parents and my grandmother – over the past few years. So, that is how I have arrived at this point – where I have decided to ‘pamper’ myself, for once – and start owning a car – and a ‘proper’ one at that! But even if I have the ‘one-time-funds’ to start dreaming about a ‘good car’ – I have to bear in mind that my day-to-day economic position will not allow me the luxury of owning a high-maintenance vehicle, in the long run!

Was that too much detail to share on a public forum? I hope no one found it inappropriate – if you did, please accept my sincere apologies! The thing is, I believe that my background – in life, generally, as well as with cars – has a lot to do with the ‘right choice’ of a new car – that fits me.

What do I want from the vehicle – and why?

• A sturdy body: Not just in terms of tensile strength, durability is the greater requirement here. It needs to last long, without paint peeling off, rust forming under the hood, or plastic parts coming loose within a few years. I intend to live with the car for the rest of my driving-life – say a 10-15 year period.
• A responsive engine: Not the ‘turbo-charged’ variety. In fact, I would prefer a Naturally Aspirated engine. I don’t have any intention of drag-racing with it – but it needs to be responsive enough so that high speed overtakes don’t become a drag!

The way I understand it, the simpler the design is, the better a machine functions.

I can understand the requirement of turbo boost on the race track. But I really don’t see the point of it, in the given Indian road conditions. Also, the turbo mechanism is complicating the combustion that much more – and with the dusty as well as hot and humid conditions of our country, I think it is recipe for complications, over a longer period of time.

• Comfortable suspension & good ground clearance: The car will do quite a bit of dirt road travel. Also, the city as well as highway road conditions in our State are atrocious! I don’t like bumpy rides. Some of the CSUV’s that I have recently done TD with – such as the Hyundai Venue – have really hard suspension. While that is quite nice at high speeds, on our potholed village-roads, the ride was unbelievably jarring. The highway-connectors that I travel over regularly are dotted with ‘locally commissioned’ speed breakers – which we refer to as Himalayan ranges. They can be a serious challenge, as well as a hazard, for a car without sufficient ground clearance. The same goes for the dirt-roods in the rural areas where we live for more than 9-months in a year.

• Good traction: I don’t like light cars. I like cars that feel grounded. Even though it is very convenient to have a small turning radius, especially in our cities, I still prefer cars with longer wheel-base – simply because they feel comparatively more rooted.

Decent mileage: An average of 18 kmpl would be amazing – but I can live with 15 kmpl. Anything below that would be a strain.

Cars I have shortlisted – done TD with – awaiting TD.

Please see the attachment at the bottom.

My reactions to some of the TD’ed vehicles in the above list (added as attachment at the end) – the ones that impressed – in ascending order of liking:

Hyundai Venue:

Likes:

• Smooth engine & transmission.
• Responsiveness.
• Excellent ground clearance.
• Looks – especially the rear.
• Interiors & features.

Dislikes:

• Stiff suspension – extremely bumpy on potholed dirt-road.
• Lack of traction – at higher speeds on the highway.
• Too light steering.
• The odd bulge over the front mudguards – I think that mars the otherwise smart look of the car.
• The width (and ‘boxyness’) of the design[/indent].

Honda WR-V:

Likes:

• Excellent suspension.
• Smooth engine & transmission.
• Relatively narrower design – less of a boxy SUV, more a crossover.
• Nice traction.
• Plush interiors & features – love the driver’s cup holder on the dash![/indent].

Dislikes:

• Remarkable lack of responsiveness of the engine at the lower end.
• Design – especially the front view – with the slightly upturned extremities of the headlight – makes is a little too ‘fruity’ for my liking.
• Only two variants – so, the upper variant, which is much more plush, forces the sunroof – which I want to avoid.

Mahindra XUV300:

Likes:

• Excellent engine & transmission.
• Smooth suspension.
• Excellent ground clearance.
• 5-star NCAP rating.
• Nice traction.
• Plush interiors.

Dislikes:

• High price – only the base variant is within my budget – which leaves out the rear wiper.
• The width (and ‘boxyness’) of the design – too bulky for city traffic.
• The general design/ look – not very appealing to me.

Maruti Suzuki S-Cross:

Likes:

• Excellent suspension – butter smooth, even over potholed dirt roads, at a pretty high speed.
• First class traction – thanks to long wheelbase & vehicle weight.
• Great looks (exterior) – contrary to the popular dislike for its design, I actually like its looks the most, in its current avatar – among all the other SUVs / Crossovers..
• Smooth engine & transmission.
• Relatively narrower design – less of a boxy SUV, more a crossover.
• Disk breaks all around.
• Tilt and telescopic steering.
• Quite tall gearing – even when I tried 4th gear at 30 kmph / 5th gear at 40 kmph – the engine seemed to be totally composed.
• Plusher interiors & features – compared to other Marutis – thanks to the Nexa branding.

‘Maruti’ reliability.

Dislikes:

• Noticeably poor mid-range response of the engine – along with excessive engine noise at that slot. The car sails effortlessly from 0 – 60 kmph… again, after 80 kmph, the response is good enough. But it suffers quite evidently, if you try to pick up speed quickly, between 60 – 80 kmph.
• Turning radius of 5.5 mts is worrisome, especially in a congested city.
• Just a little too long for comfort, in cities. Would have been happier if it was actually a sub-4 mts vehicle.
• Interiors and features are not as refined as most of the other cars in the range.
• LED headlamps not available even in the Zeta variety – which is already just beyond my budget – and where the vital “Driver Seat Height Adjuster” feature starts
• The Alpha variety is too enticing, in terms of finish and features – but its too expensive.

Various quandaries:

I have a mechanic friend, who worked as a Grade-A mechanic at a Maruti Service Centre for many years, and then started a very successful local workshop of his own. He is a truly expert mechanic, with lots of experience and a very good sense.

When I asked for his advise, specifically about moving away from Maruti as a brand, he categorically mentioned that I should not venture into TATA & Renault vehicles – while the Mahindras, & Hyundais were fine. In his opinion – those two brands are not trustworthy in the long haul. But I see that the new TATA CSUV’s are amongst the highest rated and very popular vehicle in the market today!

So, should I disregard the warning of my mechanic friend?

How reliable – in terms of after-sales service/ service network/ reliability/ durability – are brands (Indian versions) such as:

• Nissan.
• Ford.
• Renault.
• Skoda.
• MG.
• Kia.

Should I be looking at – do TD’s – for some of the cars I have left out in my initial shortlist? Such as:

• Ford Eco Sport (the low mileage is a worry – and also that it is dated).Skoda Kushak (after sales / cost of parts / maintenance worries?).
• Hyundai Creta (I would only be able to afford the base variant).
• MG Astor (again, could afford only the base variant / also, service network and maintenance worries?).
• Kia Sonnet / Seltos (tried repeatedly for Sonnet TD – both with our local small-town dealer, as well as in Kolkata – they just couldn’t manage to organise a TD with a Petrol-MT variant! Also, do they have their act together with service networks?).
• Renault Kwid Climber (the Petrol - 1.0 MT DT engine?) ?).
• Mahindra KUV 100 (can’t say I am too happy with it’s look!).
• Even the Hyundai i10 Nios (which is actually one of my early favourites, from the new crop of cars – and I have left it out so far only because of it’s super-low ground clearance).

Given the serious requirement for ground clearance, with my high rate of village/ dirt road travel – should I just stick to the CSUV / Crossovers – or is it actually worth checking out some of the Premium Hatchbacks too?[/indent].

My ‘TOP CHOICE’, at the moment – and some trepidation around it:

Maruti Suzuki S-Cross.

• The “2022 upgrade” is around the corner. I DON’T like that look at all – since I really like the look of the present avatar. But once the NEW DESIGN arrives, will it become that much harder to find parts (body) for the older one?
• The 4300 mm length – how much of a bother will that be in the congested traffic of Kolkata? (Eagerly waiting to do the 2nd TD in the city).
• The ARAI rated mileage of 18.55 (MT) – is that going to be achievable in real life (of course, provided proper driving habits).

Once again, apologies for the extensive post. I guess it’s my middle-aged, middle-class panic at work! It’s a lot of money for us – the temporary riches notwithstanding! I desperately need to get the call absolutely right – since this will be the first as well as the last time I will be doing this. A wrong call now, and I’ll be cursing myself for the rest of my life.

Thanks in advance, for any and every help from all you experts out there!

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

If I were in your place, I'd go for the XUV300. A truly premium crossover (you'll love the interiors) with a fantastic engine + road manners + ground clearance that you need for rural areas. Mahindra has an excellent network in rural India too.

Here's what BHPian nik0502 had to say on the matter:

Hello Sir,

Your requirements scream a Bolero. It’s robust, built like a tank and will last as long as you want it to. It might not be as comfortable and refined as other cars you have listed but trust me it will be the right car for you. Yes it will be diesel but the maintenance is very low and the parts are inexpensive and easily available everywhere. Buy from Mahindra if you have money, or buy from local shops if you have less money otherwise buy from scrapyard if you are short of money. This is the first time I have advised someone a Bolero on the forum but I have my reasons. All modern cars that you have listed will not be very good on broken village roads over a period of 8-10 years. Plus the repairs are very expensive. A suspension job easily costs 40-50 K in modern cars which you will have to undertake in next 5-6 years and if you ignore these repairs car will start eating tyres which will also be expensive. Give it a try. Otherwise you should also consider the Bolero Neo (TUV).

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

You really need to give the TUV300, now sold as Bolero Neo, a long and hard look. This the the car that comes closest to meeting your requirements. It is tough as nails, spacious, comfortable at lower speeds and is super reliable and economical to own. This should be your first choice. I do not like the idea of buying a model that is about to be discontinued. You will be left with an ‘old model’ within 6 months of buying. Why do that? If you are keen on Maruti only, wait for a few months for the updated Brezza and S Cross.

Here's what BHPian Bibendum90949 had to say on the matter:

Welcome to the forum. All the requirements you've listed out may not be met in one vehicle. Compromises has to be made in one way or the other. One clear thing is none of the modern day cross-overs would stand the abuse the vehicle will be subjected to in your line of duty, especially when you're looking at very long term. Please do stay away from the Kigers, Magnites, Venues, Sonets et al.

The only car which may be an exception is the Renault Duster. It's got the credentials to withstand rough road usage a fair bit. You check it out and see if that works for you. RXS 1.5 Petrol MT variant would cost 11 lakhs OTR in Kolkata.

Thar AX four seater may well shoot past your budget, it'll be 14.xx lakhs on road in Kolkata.

Jimny may well be the car for you, but we all have been waiting for it since 3 years. It won't be under the 10 lakh mark. It would surely be 13-14 lakhs OTR even for the entry variant.

Else, as Shreyans suggested it has to be a Bolero or Bolero Neo. That's the closest car that you can buy new that suits your budget and requirements.

This is just another thought which may sound stupid and impractical but worth exploring. Pick up either a well maintained civilian Gypsy MGW 413(hard to find, but not impossible) or rebuild one with a 1.6 Baleno engine, fix an AC and upgrade the suspension. All would cost 7 lakhs at the maximum. Since you've a trusted and experienced Maruti mechanic with you, this would be a fairly easy affair. It's still one of the very very few vehicles in your budget which can handle your type of usage on a long term. And you very well know the mechanical simplicity of Gypsy and it's highly reliable nature. At some point later, you can switch to a new Jimny, if budget permits.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The car was delivered to me with almost zero washer fluid. On the highway, when dust settled on the windscreen, we tried using the washer fluid, but there was nothing coming out.

BHPian neutron recently recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear all,

With the support and guidance of all fellow BHPians, I was able to complete the process of vehicle purchase and got my vehicle ( Tata Nexon XMA petrol foliage) delivered on 14th Jan, 2022. As a first time car buyer, the forum was immensely helpful to me on each and every phase of this process. Yes, ever after so much support, i did some goof ups in this process but without fellow BHPians support, I would have failed miserably. Thank you once again.

Just trying to put a summary here:

The car was booked on 31st July,2021 and it was invoiced on 17th Dec, 2021 (while in transit) after multiple escalations with TML. Location - delhi. I later got to know that vehicle warranty starts from date of invoicing and not from date of delivery.

Overall sales experience from dealership was poor. Details of dealership experience may require more than 2-3 pages of text (some of which has already been captured in my previous posts) therefore not going into that part.

On the price protection part, I booked the car at Rs. 8,75,900/- (ex-showroom) and there were 2 price hikes 1) 8,89,400/- (hike of 13500/-) and 2) 8,94,900/- ( hike of 5500/-). Initially TML did not offer any price protection but on repeated escalations for the delay in communication from the dealership, they did offer a discount of 7500 on ex showroom price of 8,89,400/- (which was settled from dealership margins, but this might be my assumption as I do not know at what price car was billed to the dealership).

The car was bought as a company leased vehicle so insurance was taken from the lesser preferred insurer Reliance General. Cost of insurance with IDV of 8,50,155/- with zero dep, engine protect was around 29185/- (1 Yr OD, 3 Yr TP). Bought extended warranty of 3 years for 21,500/-.

FOC items from dealership was the basic accessory kit containing mud flaps, mats, idol and perfume. Other than that, the rear parcel tray was taken from the dealership.

Items bought till now - Jopasu duster and microfiber cloth.

The car has open parking, therefore still going through other Team BHP threads for car cleaning but not finalized on the items to be bought. Items on the radar Proklear raw extreme Cx waterless, Proklear windshield washer concentrate, Collinite 845. As of now, the car is being cleaned by the regular car cleaning guy who wipes off dust and then cleans it with normal water. I know many Team BHPians have mentioned that this will cause a lot of swirl marks in the long term and that's why I was looking for wax like Collinite 845 regular application of which may prevent those swirl marks. Looking for comments from fellow BHPians here.

As I am still a learner, I will not be able to provide much feedback on driving dynamics, but still sharing some of the feedback received while the car is being driven around in Uttarkhand hills and highways (around 700 km trip) by my BIL.

• The car was delivered to me with almost zero washer fluid. On the highway, when dust settled on the windscreen, we tried using the washer fluid. but there was nothing coming out. Once we thought it was a washer pump failure but as we put some water in the fluid tank, it started spraying water. So, dealership had again goofed up on this. On complaining to them, as usual there was no reply.
• I am told that on potholes, the brakes are not working properly and they are pushing back. Not sure if other people are also facing this issue.
• Once the car was placed with handbrake engaged for around a week and after that when it was run, the right side rear wheel emitted a bad burning smell like the rear parking brake was still applied while in actual it was not. Not sure what's the issue here.
• Boot lock - I am not sure where this is an issue or I am not pushing the boot correctly, but I feel that sometimes the boot does not lock and I need to push it again.
• Rear seat orientation - It seems there is a lot of difference in the height of the front and rear seat, and if you switch to rear seat after being seated in front seat for some time, you will feel that you have lost a lot of height. Rear seat orientation does not fit well. I understand that it was done due to reclining slope of the roof, but since the window glass ends over your shoulder, it feels claustrophobic. It was not too problematic for me, but it was for one of my close relatives who have history of giddiness while going through the circular roads in hills.
• Dent received - While reversing, my BIL failed to notice a tree behind and while the car was moving at a speed of around 3-4 km/hr, extreme left hand side of bumper took a hit. While there was no damage at the point which has taken the hit the bumper got displaced from left and the left quarter panel has bent. I am surprised with the kind of impact the vehicle took at this speed specially considering build quality of the Nexon. Also it seems for the extreme left of the vehicle, the sensor beeped quite late as by the time we heard the beep, there was a thud sound as well. Looking for feedback from fellow BHPians on the repairs part for the approximate cost of repairs. Is it wise to get it repaired from the Tata service centre or repairing from outside will be cheaper. As I am a complete novice on this part. any guidance would be appreciated.

Also, any recommendation for an FNG in East Delhi for repairing this. Attaching images:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Just today we came to know that one of our complex residents is traveling to Europe long term and needs to sell off his Nexon XZA+ S petrol within Feb'21.

BHPian soleinkol recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All,

A post after a long hiatus, though I have been lurking around as we are close to replacing our 11-yr old Alto LXI, our first car.

The choice for replacement is based on the following:

• Should be safe (NCAP 4 or better).
• Should give decent mileage, but not an EV (I am not sure about the EV yet, and I think it will take some more years to get the infrastructure ready).
• On road price around 8/8.5 Lakh INR, with some flexibility (about 15-20%).
• Prefer manual transmission - have a feeling that maintaining an automatic over 8-10 yrs period could be costlier than the MT (could be wrong - but MT would be safer choice).
• Running is not much - may be 6-7K KM per year with some occasional highway drive as I am now mostly WFH while my wife does drive to her client's location within or around Kolkata.
• Would like to have a car with rear wiper and defogger; do not prefer to have sunroof.

Based on the above, we are considering 3 cars:

• Tata Altroz NA petrol.
• Tata Altroz iTurbo petrol.
• Tata Nexon petrol.

Just today we came to know that one of our complex residents is traveling to Europe long term and needs to sell off his Nexon XZA+ S petrol within Feb'21.

On checking with him, he told that he is expecting a price around 10.8 lakh, while his purchase price was 11.83 OTR. It is 9 months old with just 2600 km on the odo. It seemed very good initially, and I told him I am interested but price seems a problem for me.

My thinking process is as below:

• If I exclude Sunroof and AMT, then the model would be Nexon XZ+.
• XZ+ Kolkata OTR 11.3 Lakh as per carwale, while I can utilize my 50% NCB on Alto, and no negotiations done with any dealership yet - which should also be something (given there could be pressure on FY end in March). So I presume the OTR for new XZ+ Petrol could be around 10.8-11 L.
• I do not need the car now, I can easily wait.

This used XZA+ car gives me:

• A 1 lakh discount when compared with 1st hand XZA+ S, but same price of new XZ+ OTR.
• Additional sunroof which I don't need/want.
• AMT is possibly costlier to maintain?
• ARAI FE for AMT is marginally less than MT, so long-term fuel consumption will be more with the used car.
• I will have the car right away - no waiting period (not a big deal for me).
• Ideally a 15% depreciation should be expected, which should take the used XZA+S price down to (11.83 L OTR x 85%) = 10.06 L.

I request your view about the asking price of this car. Also your view about the aspects I touched and I might have missed in the thought process explained above.

I would need to decide quickly - so request your advice here.

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

How long do you intend to keep this car? If I read it right - its 8 years or more under normal circumstances. In such a case - I strongly suggest you bump the budget/loan and buy the iTurbo or diesel Altroz. These engines do justice to what the car is capable of doing. You'll enjoy the car far longer and won't feel the need to change in those 8 years. Make a compromise on the engine and that itch may come far sooner.

If you are okay with the 1.2 NA petrol - save money and buy a Tiago/Tigor. They are excellent products for the sticker price. I don't see much of a reason to buy a 1.2 NA Altroz to be honest. The Punch is a good car individually as well, but if I were to walk into a showroom - I'd definitely buy a top trim Tiago over a Punch & a lot of petrol afterwards (For once, its good to see Tata offering cross-shopping options under one roof).

It may well be true that in the long run an AT/AMT car may be costlier than an AT (it obviously is, given the asking price itself starts around 60K higher). But then - in the balance is the convenience. If your usage pattern is anywhere over 60% in urbanized environment - the premium definitely is worth it in the long run, unless you are a die-hard MT fan. Don't opt for MT just because it appears cheaper than AT. You may regret it in the long run.

Here's what BHPian NovemberKing_91 had to say on the matter:

Hi,

For your requirements, I would suggest looking at the Altroz and Punch seriously. At around 8.5 OTR, a decent high end model of Altroz should be available, same with the Punch. If you are not planning for long trips or enthusiastic driving, the NA engine option is perfectly fine. The Altroz is spacious and smooth, while the Punch is the newest kid on the block. At 8.5 OTR, I believe the top end of Punch is within reach. For Nexon, in 8.5 lakhs, you will get the Nexon XM at best. It does not come with rear wiper and washer. I own one, and honestly, during the rainy season, I miss having the wiper. Alternatively, you can have a look at the Renault Kiger/Nissan Magnite too. They are lookers, quite loaded and have GNCAP 4 star ratings too.

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

I got a 2 month old 600 km run petrol XZA+S on December 2021 in Kerala for 10.85L . You can negotiate and bring the price down IMO.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The car is fun to drive, and the turbo lag is manageable in normal conditions.

BHPian prajnya recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Got home a pre-owned 2019 Ford Ecosport S 1.0 Ecoboost. Some initial observations:

• The odo reading was 12,700 kms when i picked up the car.
• The car is fun to drive, and the turbo lag is manageable in normal conditions.
• Smooth gear shifts, and steering has good feedback.
• Ride is so much more comfortable on horrible Bangalore roads when compared to the Polo running on 16" rims.
• Long list of features and goodies. (Some of which are not present / better than the ones in our Octavia).

Sharing a few pictures:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information

Initial driving experience was mixed as its our first automatic vehicle and its an AMT.

BHPian faithless_1984 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So we got the delivery of our Mahindra XUV300 W6 petrol AMT last weekend and here's a quick review.

We got the car within a month after booking it due to some contacts and the rest of the dealership experience was great. They delivered the car on the promised day with a small ceremony.

Initial driving experience was mixed as its our first automatic vehicle and its an AMT. However, both me and my wife got used to it in a couple of days and she really likes it now. The car is roomy and the interiors are functional yet modern. But Mahindra has removed the touchscreen unit and the armrest from the W6 model which is a big disappointment.

We got the optional alloys fitted from the showroom along with the spoiler and the fog lamps, and this totally changed the looks of the car! I have also ordered seat covers and 7D mats from my trusted accessories dealer, will post the pics after installation next week.

Some pics:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information

We had never before tinkered with our cars w.r.t. performance, but, this time around the situation was different.

BHPian GautamJ recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Sprucing my White Hippo aka Ford EcoSport S:

I will be dividing the write-up in three parts for ease of reference and acting as a shortcut to tastier content:

• Part A: Prelude on buying EcoSport.
• Part B: Fancy modifications (not aiding in performance).
• Part C: Performance modification.

White Hippo

Part A: Prelude on buying an Ecosport:

This car was a replacement for my never-ending niggle Tata Tiago and will be sharing the garage with a Skoda Rapid. The requirement was very straightforward:

• No TATA: We had enough experience from last two ownerships to conclude that a garage without the TATA badge will be peace of mind.
• No compromise on safety.
• Apple Carplay, not necessary but good to have.

• IIRC back in 2019, we had only 4 options in the crossover segment:
• MS Vitara Brezza: I did not like it after driving my uncle's Brezza, so ruled out.
• Tata Nexon: Badge was enough to strike off the name in our list.
• Ford EcoSport: Age old structure, but still drooling over the looks, shortlisted .
• M&M XUV3OO: Amazing car, really loved the overall package, but, being recently launched hence avoided.

Ford Ecosport too isn't flawless;

Cons:

• Horrible fit and finish.
• Gearbox isn't the best, it is notchy.
• No brand to take care of it anymore.
• Speakers are horrendous even for an average owner preference.
• Poor choice of tyre size (205/50 R17), though corrected later.

Pros:

• Reliable 1.5L TDCi.
• High speed stability is good.
• Cornering too is reasonably acceptable for a hatchback on stilts.
• Features, features and features, it's a long list.

Back in 2019, TATA was picking up pace even in the used market, the sole reason why SC Ford gave an unexpected deal which made us stick with our buying decision. The car was booked, there was no waiting, hence managed to get the car in a week's time. Dealer experience was B-A-D, but all in all we managed to get the best BS-4 diesel car in that specific price range. After two and a half years, we are still happy with the decision sans any regrets.

Part B: Fancy modifications:

ICE upgrade:

As I mentioned before, audio quality is horrible. Where competitors are giving JBL branded speakers, which may not be great, but I am sure it'll be way better than these Ford speakers. But, it isn't all that bad as the staging is good, my car has 5 speakers (4 on the doors and 1 centre speaker) and 2 tweeters.

I had few products from my earlier car, so the only additions to this Hippo was Sony 4-Channel Amplifier and a SoundStream 350W Sub.

Outcome? It's wonderful to my ears. Here's a small peek.

3000K LED bulbs:

This again was picked from another car, I thought it to be dead after an accident, but voila it worked. Honestly, this upgrade isn't much required as the OEM 19W Halogen bulbs are powerful enough. I had sourced it long time back from AliExpress as 3000K colour temperation was hard to source here in India.

FORScan coding:

For enthusiasts willing VCDS level of customisation, you'll be disappointed. Quite little I was able to do:

• Cornering fog lamps: Sadly, I did not want it to work with side indicators as they are in the same housing, but the same is not available as an option.
• Splash screen: Ditched the usual Ford splash screen for the ST Performance one.

ST Performance splash screen:

All the coding work was done at The Mechanix Automotive.

Roots Windtone horn:

Believe me when I say, this mod was unplanned. Ford ASC was acting up and driving without horn can be dangerous. A quick commerce mind calculation helped me to conclude on the cheapest aftermarket horn fitment. I am happy with the sound, but the connections are done by splicing wires which I am not happy with. Lately, after installing, I realized that the connectors can be bought from Amazon (link to purchase). I will be correcting this install soon in a correct plug and play way.

Tiny bits:

Added OEM TPMS for the fifth tyre, as my Hippo was a victim of Ford's cost cutting and TPMS was given a miss. Quite helpful during 5 tyre rotation.

Had also got DDPai Mini DashCam hardwired, tapped Fuse 6 (Parking sensor fuse).

Part 3: Performance Modifications:

Probably the tastiest content.

Brief:

We had never before tinkered with our cars w.r.t. performance, but, this time around the situation was different. My hippo's biological parent had left it alone in this country, and my experience serves me right, Ford has been stingy for warranty claims. A reliable engine and getting in-house funding, wanted to give my investors the best result. We decided to get the car Stage 2, as that's the max any tuner has done on the 8V SOHC engine. Stage 3 might be possible, but then investing cash and time on R&D wasn't my cup of tea.

Hard EGR delete:

Before starting off, let me apologize to the environment, EGR delete is said to increase emissions. Keeping the bitter con aside, it aids in performance, improves engine health and also the 'kitna deti hai' aspect. As per Mates and Mods, no CEL light came up after fitting plate for Hard EGR delete.

Full exhaust system:

Ideally for Stage 2, just getting a decat downpipe is more than sufficient, and the same was in my case. Also getting the sole downpipe is cheaper, and also prevents cops eyeballs. Going with full exhaust helps only with noise or sound, as one may describe, and top end maybe at max for diesel cars. For me, I prefer this sound and my sister shared the same taste, hence, it was a no brainer and we got a full exhaust set-up with dual exhaust tip. It is scary to say, but most likely Hippo won't be able to pass PUC Tests as the muffler and catback is missing.

Quad exhausts (dual tip each side) are what I would have gone with albeit having surplus Vitamin M, act of cost cutting prevailed and feared of being called an over-kill we chose dual tip on one side (right side) itself. Now comes the question of which exhaust tip to choose, our first choice was a spitfire exhaust tip, but, the same wasn’t available, hence settled for a basic dual tip.

We drove the car for a day or two with stock map, and happy to report there was no CEL Light. Honestly, it is quite normal for the CEL light to show up, it will disappear after remap has been flashed onto ECU.

Check these videos out:

Cold engine start on stock map.

Cold engine start after Stage 2 remap.

Some fun while passing through a tunnel (Note: I was within the speed limit).

Engine remap:

There are many tuners to choose from, and being totally a newbie in this, I chose the simple yet safest option, i.e. go with expert (a.k.a. BHPian Dr. Naren). I used to follow his thread on ECU remaps. Saw Doc recommending Wolf Moto for the 1.5L TDCi hence, it was clear. Although Code6 quotes higher gains, I was not only looking for gains, but also on driveability. After driving the car in the city, on the highways and twisty roads, I can vouch that the car is a hoot to drive. Some more details:

• Be it any gear, after 1600 rpm, the car pulls like a locomotive, simply insane.
• Turbo lag though present, is minimized and has usable power (doesn’t feel dead).
• During ghat section driving, I was able to drive in 2nd gear as against 1st in a complete stock car. By mistake, I took one section in third gear, it struggled a bit (but obvious) but managed to cross 75% of the steep uphill.
• FE dips when the mood is for fun (expected), but cruise with a balanced right foot and it rewards. Filled XtraGreen diesel, and FE for the Lonavala trip was 21 kmpl as against 16.4 kmpl I got earlier on the same route.
• After a week, the  sound has changed and it’s throaty and loud (not irritating by any way). The engine is still supremely refined, way more than stock map.
• Even without the intercooler upgrade, I saw engine temperature not exceeding the half mark (same as stock).

As per the Wolf Moto team, Hippo is pumping out 125-128 BHP and 260-270 NM. I will be writing a separate post on the dyno.

Bosch ECU had to be removed for flashing the tuned map:

Performance air filter:

Many tuners suggest to get a performance air ilter even with Stage 1. There are 3 brands I am aware of dealing with performance air filters, they are K&N, BMC and HPi. We were suggested K&N by Mates and Mods, hence decided on the same. Do note, that there is a slight difference in dimensions of Ecosport's air filter, so do a test fit before buying if possible, this was the reason why it was the last mod to complete Sthe tage 2 saga. After the K&N air filter, I did notice low end to improve slightly and exhaust note to be throaty.

K&N performance air filter:

Dyno: The result paper:

After being utterly disappointed with KS Motorsport, I directly drove to N1 Racing Autowerks. They were supremely quick even after giving them short notice before dropping in. Check out the dyno run video here.

Dyno Figures:

Power: 132 HP.

Torque: 301 Nm.

Reading dyno charts aren't my forte and hence dropping the charts below for ready reference. Hope BHPian Dr. Naren helps me with these charts.

Dyno chart after SAE correction and figures at crank:

 Figures measured at the wheel (difference is due to drivetrain loss):

Note: After a dyno run,  there can be the ABS malfunction light showing up on the IC, this should go away after a short run.

Contact details and helping enthusiasts:

Contact details:

As GTO says "A PM just help a few, but post helps many", with this view dropping in the contact details from where I have got my mods done and highly recommend. Do note, that I am nowhere connected to them commercially, but sharing as a satisfied customer:

• ICE upgrades - Reliable Radio Service.

Contact person - Amol Sali.

Contact number - +918369484281/+919821684884.

• Full exhaust system, Hard EGR Delete and K&N Performance air filter - Mates and Mods.

Contact person - Pawan Vig.

Contact number - +919833891051.

• Stage 2 ECU remap - Wolf Moto.

Contact person - Shreekanth.

Contact number - +918848751374.

Helping Enthusiasts:

BHPian Dr. Naren: His posts and tremendous efforts in collecting details helped us in preparing our Hippo.

Gino SirI pinged him late at night, yet he took out time to suggest me the way and connect me with Pawan (from Mates and Mods).

Conclusion:

By far, we are extremely satisfied with this project, and hope that we will be satisfied for few more years. As far as the cost involved is concerned, we just stopped calculating once the project started exceeding our estimated budget.

Will I recommend getting car Stage 2?

Confused, as these mods are illegal, and for most it may sound like we are paying for illegal stuff, which isn't entirely wrong, but then as an enthusiast, it is always a dream to prepare at least one project car. So, as an enthusiast, I will definitely say, if the dream can achieved then why wait, go ahead.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

One of the main reasons in buying this vehicle was to travel on all kinds of roads, something which I did quite a bit.

BHPian DuckDoc recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Update: 20000 km with a March '21 XUV300 W8 (O) Diesel MT:

It's a little over 10 months since I bought a BS6 XUV300 W8 (O) and I see the thread has gone quiet, so I am posting my experience of 10000-20000 kms with it.

Having sorted out my issue with the 3 point rear middle seat belt earlier, I thought I would be at peace, but there were 2 issues which kept bugging me till it was resolved almost at 20000 kms.

The first one was the stock MRF Ecotred tyres. Not only were they noisy, there was hardly any grip. Unfortunately, in a tier 2 city there were no takers in the tyre market early on as they was R17 rims. Besides, as I had to make multiple trips to Chennai on roads which were a disgrace to be called highways, I thought I would put up with it, as I presumed MRF would have less wear, until there was an excuse. Fortunately, lo and behold, after a 2000 km trip during the last week of '21, I found a nail embedded in the juxta side wall and changed 2 tyres to Conti, put them in front and got wheel balancing and alignment done. My plan is to change the other two also to Conti after another 5000 kms. The difference in noise and grip is phenomenal.

The other bug bear was the sound system, as highlighted by multiple users. It produced tinny, flat sound with no bass. I tried convincing myself that it was sufficient but honestly, it was pathetic. The last straw was when I was sitting as a passenger in my daughter's 3rd gen City bought in 2010 after a long time and listening to music, it sounded so much better and I could no longer live with this noise maker. I did read the following threads many times before deciding what to do:

• The downside of high end audio installs.
• Mahindra XUV300 ICE upgrade: Need help from the gurus.

I did come to a sort of compromise, not resort to a very high end install but nevertheless have a reasonably good one. After a lot of research, as the install had to be professional, I got it done at Museek in Trichy. These guys are passionate about their music and a pleasure to be with and so got it done last week, with Alpine R series speakers and DrArtex damping of the 4 doors. I never realized damping could make such a difference. To test their install, the first two tracks I played was 'Honky Tonk Women' and 'Stairway to Heaven' by the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin respectively, and I was blown away as it was the difference between night and day. They told me to try this for 6 months and then decide about a further upgrade with a DSP Amp and sub-woofer, if required.

As most of my trips late last year, especially to Chennai was in rainy weather and slush, the rear windshield was being spattered with mud and I made this mud flap extender inspired by this thread.

And I must thank @gmhossain for this which made a lot of difference.

I also got some mats for the boot and to protect the fabric on the back of the rear seat and a nice touch from Mahindra, 11 piece dash mats:

One of the main reasons in buying this vehicle was to travel on all kinds of roads, something which I did quite a bit. My first ghat road trip was to Kothagiri in October with 5 adults and luggage and it pulled uphill without any effort or need to downshift more than if I was the only occupant which was very impressive.

Views from Kodanad view point near Kotagiri.

These 10000 kms were mostly on roads which were bad, to put it politely. There was a trip to Chikmagalur dt. last month where the road had disappeared in some parts. I had to drive from Belhonnur back to a homestay near Mudigere late at night where guided by Google maps, was for sometime on mud tracks and for a large part being the only vehicle on the road. One of the problems of being in this forum is reading about instances of being stranded in the middle of nowhere. As this section was largely deserted and as there was no signal and in pitch darkness, the above thought was there at the back of my mind but fortunately there was no incident.

Coffee, coffee everywhere and kayaking at a homestay near Mudigere.

I had never visited the Koonthankullam bird sanctuary, so with a few relatives who are birding enthusiasts went there last month on a trip down south. Unfortunately, as there was not much water till the last year, there were few birds but we actually saw them closer on the fields nearby which entailed bad roads guided by Google maps but this is where the XUV came into its own as if looking forward to this.

Roads near Koonthankullam.

Black headed ibis.

Little cormorant.

Lesser black backed gull.

Grey heron.

Knob billed  duck.

Spot billed pelican.

Beach at Uvari near Koonthankullam.

Somewhere in south Tamil Nadu

The good thing is that closer to 20000 kms is when the XUV really gives you joy, the earlier addiction to the power and acceleration becoming stronger, the engine seems to have settled well, the FE has become better, the gear shifts smoother and the ride quality and suspension better than earlier. At least so far, the infamous Mahindra niggles which many had warned me about did not happen, touch wood.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

While the convenience and security features of iRA are good, it doesn't aid anything for the most used feature of navigation.

BHPian TurboOnTarmac recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

SMS spamming by Tata Motors for iRA renewal:

I own a Tata Nexon XZA(O), which came with the iRA subscription. Initially at that time of buying, no one was clear on how long this subscription is valid and what would be the recurring cost for continuing the same. Whatever the answers I got from the Tata dealership pointed to low estimates (<100 rupees per month) after may be 3 years of free service. Nothing is documented so I cant really prove these words. Note that I had paid 30k rupees more for this feature.

But after an year, I got the message that my free subscription expired and IRA facility is discontinued. Renewal options are expensive, as shown below:

While the convenience and security features of iRA are good, it doesn't aid anything for the most used feature of navigation. For that, I need to connect my phone or use phone separately. On one of my trips early in Jan 2021, my phone got damaged and the dealer said sometimes the constant charging even after full is not good. So after purchasing a new phone, I ended up having a separate phone stuck on the windshield to act as a navigation and music streaming device. Also converted the cigarette lighter to dual usb charger, so now I have the option to disconnect charging when phone is fully charged. Another thing about using primary phone is calls gets displayed on the  info screen in the car and gets connected to the car mic, which is a good feature. But sometimes we may not want this when people are around, but want to have navigation and music. Unfortunately, iRA doesn't come to help here.

Coming to the point. With the navigation gone, the only notable feature in iRA that I felt relevant is car location tracking and remote engine disabling in theft. I know its important, but considering the amount of the travel I am doing, the fact of spending 300 rupees per month for this feature, didn't really appeal to me. So I have not renewed it so far.

But Tata Motors persisted with sending SMS regularly, which I have ignored so far. But a couple of weeks ago they went on overdrive and bombarded me with over 100 messages in 24 hours. I thought it must be a mistake on their IT system and assumed they will correct it. As expected, the messages reduced to 2 to 4 a day from next day, which is bit tolerable. Again, since yesterday after 4:30 pm, they again went into overdrive and bombarded me with more than 120 messages in the last 20 hours and are still continuing to do so. I had put the notification sound to mute to avoid disturbance.

The messages come from 3 numbers/channels - VK-TACONN, VM-TACONN, QP-TACONN.

Does any one else also facing this issue?

Whom should I complain to?

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

As per regulations, these messages are about a "specific contract" between you and the service provider and therefore not spam. You can report them via the 1909 NDNC violation reporting framework but I suspect such reports will be ignored. Your best bet is to install SMS Organiser as your default SMS app and set it up to block TACONN sender ID.

Here's what BHPian abhishek46 had to say on the matter:

If you are not interested in receiving these messages any longer, why don't you simply 'block' the sender in the SMS/Messages App?

Of course, you can unblock them later too, if you suddenly feel the need for iRA again.

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

SMS spamming is really pathetic which wouldn’t be required if they priced it right.

But if you think of it, at least iRA has a useful geofencing feature. Most of the older navigation systems had outdated maps that needed to be downloaded every time there was an update which was only once or twice in the initial year or two that you got the service for free.

The packs are based on GB and duration, but I doubt they ever push large OTA updates that would consume so much data.

The other way to think of this INR 300 per month is:

INR 100 is the minimum recharge required to keep a SIM active. This car has 2. So INR 200 there, and then INR 100 for all the functionality this tech offers.

That being said, Tata should allow some flexible pay packages like:

• Geofencing pack.
• Remote vehicle function operation pack.
• Trip logger pack.
• Navigation pack.

and price them differently so that the customer has the choice of paying for what he likes rather than ending up generating no revenue by pricing them so steeply.

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

I had been spammed by Tata Motors until about a year back. After I sold my Hexa (about 3 years back), the local dealer from whom I bought the vehicle kept calling me for its service/service camps/updates and what not inspite of me telling them /writing to them on multiple occasions that the car is sold. Not only that, my phone number was illegally shared with multiple online aggregators who wanted to sell insurance renewals and other such things. I got this to stop only after I wrote to Tata Motors senior management that I would complain to the relevant authorities and publish on social media regarding their unethical tactics.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.