Great poll, customers are really spoilt for choice in the 15-20 lakh SUV & Crossover segment now.

BHPian Ripcord09 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Tata Curvv

What you'll like:

• Coupe SUV styling is unique & a great differentiator. Grabs attention on the road
• A good overall package that’s priced competitively against rivals like the Creta, Seltos, Kushaq, Taigun, Hyryder and Grand Vitara
• 123 BHP GDI turbo-petrol and 116 BHP diesel, both, offer satisfactory performance
• Multiple engine + gearbox options = there’s something for everyone.
• All 3 engines are offered with a dual-clutch automatic too! The DCT is far, far smoother than the AMTs
• Sorted road manners & high speed stability
• 500-litre boot is accommodating enough for family holiday luggage
• Long list of features includes flush door handles, powered tailgate with gesture activation, 9-speaker JBL audio system (sounds really nice!), panoramic sunroof, recline adjustment for rear seats and more
• Loaded with safety tech like level 2 ADAS, 6 airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, ESP, front parking sensors, 360-degree view camera, TPMS, hill hold assist & hill descent control

What you won't:

• Suspension has a firm edge to it due to 18-inch wheels (top variant). Ride is liveable, but you do feel the bad roads underneath you. 17” wheel lower variants could ride better
• While the engines offer good performance, the manual and DCT AT gearboxes aren't tuned for enthusiastic driving
• Backseat is suitable for 2 adults and not 3. Headroom is limited (due to the coupe styling)
• Build quality and fit & finish – while being satisfactory - have room for improvement
• Rearward visibility is poor, as is the case with most Coupe-SUVs
• A few missing features like telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, cupholders for front passengers, a rear sunshade…
• Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• It's a brand-new Tata launch, so the probability of niggles is high, especially in the initial batches

Tata Curvv Review Link

Citroen Basalt

What you'll like:

• Good road presence and unique SUV Coupe styling make the Basalt stand out from the crowd
• Nice-looking cabin that's spacious & practical. Plenty of storage spaces
• Peppy 1.2L turbo-petrol mated to the 6-speed MT (great to use!) or AT is fun-to-drive
• Sorted suspension offers an excellent ride & handling package. Again, a great driver's car!
• 470-litre boot can accommodate a healthy amount of luggage
• Features like the 10.2-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, connected car tech, 7-inch digital instrument cluster, rear seats with adjustable under-thigh support, soft & bolstered headrests and more
• Safety features such as 6 airbags, ESP, hill-hold, TPMS, 3-point seatbelts + reminders for all 5 occupants, ISOFIX, etc.

What you won't:

• SUV Coupe styling can polarise opinions; this body style is not for everyone
• Missing plenty of features - sunroof, ventilated seats, keyless entry & go, 360-degree camera, cruise control, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming IRVM...
• Only petrol powertrains on offer. No Hybrid, diesel or EV options
• Quality of cabin materials doesn't feel great; cost-cutting is pretty evident in certain areas
• As is typical of SUV Coupes, rearward visibility is poor
• Long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are big unknowns; dealer network is small. Example, a metropolitan city like Mumbai has just 2 outlets in the far suburbs, while Bangalore has 1

Citroen Basalt Review Link

Hyundai Creta

2024 Facelift Review Link

First Review Link

Kia Seltos

2023 Facelift Review Link

First Review

Honda Elevate

What you'll like:

• Smart styling with the right amount of muscle and clean lines
• Reliable and proven 1.5L i-VTEC engine is rev-happy & delivers adequate performance
• Pick between a slick 6-speed MT for some engagement or a super-smooth CVT Automatic for effortless urban commuting
• Superbly tuned suspension! Comfortable ride quality with sorted handling
• Clean interior design with good cabin space. Has a big 458L boot too
• Honda's proven reliability and after-sales service should ensure a fuss-free ownership experience
• Safety features include ADAS Level 2 tech, 6 airbags, hill start assist, lane watch assist, ISOFIX and ESP

What you won't:

• 1.5L NA offers satisfactory performance, but the competition offers way more powerful turbo-petrols and faster dual-clutch automatics
• CVT is great for urban commuting but out on the open roads, it's more suited to a sedate driving style
• No diesel or hybrid powertrains on offer. Competition offers both for those with high-running. We can't figure out why the City's wonderful Hybrid system wasn't adapted for the Elevate
• Lots of missing features by current standards. You don't get auto wipers, ICE with a subwoofer, a 360-degree camera, a powered driver seat, ambient lighting and more
• Lacks the feeling of "contemporariness" or the "wow" factor, be it in styling, powertrain, features & technology
• Honda Sensing ADAS system is intrusive at times on the highway; requires the driver to adapt to it and be comfortable using it

Review Link

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

What you'll like:

• A competent hybrid car for the mass market
• 20+ km/l FE in city driving conditions makes the Grand Vitara cheaper to run than a diesel!
• Lower emissions will appeal to environmentally-conscious buyers. And those who aren’t ready for an EV yet
• Toyota’s reliability & expertise in hybrid systems is very reassuring in the Maruti
• Seamless Hybrid system that makes driving a breeze. A car you will enjoy driving in traffic
• Maruti's AWD system provides impressive soft-roading capabilities. Can get you out of tricky situations when touring
• Compliant ride quality coupled with balanced driving dynamics
• Well-equipped with features such as driving modes, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, wireless smartphone charging, connected car features, wireless Android Auto + Apple CarPlay and more
• Maruti’s excellent after-sales service, wide dealer network & fuss-free ownership experiences
• Does most things well, but doesn’t excel in any particular area (other than fuel economy)

What you won't:

• Practicality is compromised due to reduced boot space in the full-hybrid variant
• Interior quality and fit & finish are underwhelming at this price point
• AllGrip AWD is only available in a single MT trim. Missed opportunity to market a USP
• Interior is narrow and doesn't feel as roomy as some competitors. Rear seat is best for 2 adults
• Lacks the outright performance of the competition. Runs out of steam above 110 km/h
• Not as engaging to drive as the German competitors, or the Creta / Seltos turbo-petrols
• NVH levels from the drivetrain are surprisingly poor for a hybrid. Sounds from the 3-cylinder engine, electric motor and brake vacuum pump filter into the cabin
• The Honda City’s Hybrid system is smoother, more sophisticated & more refined
• Missing features such as rain-sensing wipers, premium audio + subwoofer, electric seats, electric parking brake, LED interior lighting, etc.
• Does most things well, but doesn’t excel in any particular area (other than fuel economy)

Review Link

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

What you'll like:

• Very good attempt at making a mass-market hybrid car
• 20+ kmpl FE in city driving conditions makes the Hyryder cheaper to run than a diesel!
• Seamless hybrid system that makes driving a breeze. A car you will enjoy driving in the city
• Lower emissions will appeal to environmentally-conscious buyers. And those who aren’t ready for an EV yet
• Toyota’s reliability & expertise in hybrid systems is very reassuring
• Compliant ride quality coupled with balanced driving dynamics
• Well-equipped with features such as driving modes, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, wireless smartphone charging, connected car features, wireless Android Auto + Apple Carplay and more
• Only Crossover in this segment to provide AWD capability
• Toyota’s after-sales quality is usually regarded as top-notch by owners
• Does most things well, but doesn’t excel in any particular area (other than fuel economy)

What you won't:

• Practicality is compromised due to reduced boot space in the full-hybrid variant
• Quality of interior plastics feels more “Maruti” than Toyota. Frankly, the S-Cross cabin feels better in quality
• Interior is narrow and doesn't feel as roomy as some competitors. Rear seat is best for 2 adults
• Missing features such as rain-sensing wipers, premium audio + subwoofer, electric seats, electric parking brake, LED interior lighting, etc.
• Lacks the outright performance of the competition. Runs out of steam above 110 kmph
• Not as engaging to drive as the German competitors, or the Creta / Seltos turbo-petrols
• NVH levels from the drivetrain are surprisingly poor for a hybrid. Sounds from the 3-cylinder engine, electric motor and brake vacuum pump filter into the cabin
• AWD available only on the MT (not the AT) and the mild-hybrid (not full-hybrid)
• The Honda City’s Hybrid system is smoother, more sophisticated & more refined
• Does most things well, but doesn’t excel in any particular area (other than fuel economy)

Review Link

Skoda Kushaq

What you'll like:

• A breath of fresh (European) air in a sea of Korean, Chinese & Indian SUVs
• Classy exterior & interior styling matched with solid European build quality
• Cabin has good legroom to offer, supportive seats, perfect ergonomics & lots of storage
• 148 BHP engine makes the Kushaq one of the most fun-to-drive crossovers in the segment
• Sporty 1.0L & 1.5L turbo-petrols are mated to slick 6-speed MTs & smooth ATs
• Sorted suspension offers a balanced ride & handling package
• Safety features include 6 airbags, ESC (all variants), 3-point seatbelts for all, electronic differential lock, brake disc wiping, multi-collision brake and more
• 6-year extended warranty & 4-year all inclusive service packages available
• Features like active cylinder tech, ventilated seats, sunroof, wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, audio system with a punchy subwoofer, auto headlamps & wipers etc.
• 5-star GNCAP safety rating - full details here!

What you won't:

• No 1.5L diesel is a major disadvantage in a world where petrol costs over 100 bucks / litre
• DQ200 DSG transmission has a history of poor reliability & breakdowns in India
• Narrow width makes a 5th adult completely unwelcome. Best for 4 onboard
• Lovely 1.5L TSI is only available on the top variant
• At 385 litres, boot space is lesser than its direct rivals (Creta & Seltos = 433L)
• Sure lacks the street cred / presence offered by some competitors
• Skoda’s notorious dealerships & after-sales horror stories
• Missing some now expected features [b]such as driving modes, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera & regular USB ports
• Turbo-petrols are very sensitive to driving style. FE will drop drastically when you drive hard

Review Link

Volkswagen Taigun

What you'll like:

• Has its own fresh, European character and complements its cousin (the recently launched Skoda Kushaq) nicely in a segment dominated by Indian, Korean and Chinese SUVs
• Unmistakably VW styling matched with solid European build quality
• Cabin has good legroom to offer, supportive seats, perfect ergonomics & lots of storage
• 148 BHP engine makes the Taigun one of the most fun-to-drive crossovers in the segment!
• Sporty 1.0L & 1.5L turbo-petrols are mated to slick 6-speed MTs & smooth ATs
• Sorted suspension offers a balanced ride & handling package
• Safety features include up to 6 airbags, ESC (all variants), 3-point seatbelts for all, electronic differential lock, brake disc wiping, multi-collision brake and more
• Features like active cylinder tech, ventilated seats, sunroof, 10-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, auto headlamps & wipers etc.
• Advantages over the Kushaq = a top AT variant with 6 airbags, design that stands out more, cabin 'feels' better, fabric seats are executed in a nicer manner...
• 5-star GNCAP safety rating - full details here!

What you won't:

• No 1.5L diesel is a major disadvantage in a world where petrol costs over 100 bucks/litre
• GT customers will need to choose between the rock (potential DQ200 transmission problems) and a hard place (GT manual variant misses out on many top-end features)
• Narrow cabin width makes a 5th adult completely unwelcome. Best for 4 onboard
• Interior colour scheme and quality don't feel up to traditional VW standards. Some polarising details too (chrome outside, painted plastics inside...)
• Sure lacks the street cred / presence offered by some competitors
• VW’s after-sales service can be a hit or miss. Many VW owners find it expensive too
• Missing some now-expected features such as driving modes, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, electric driver's seat adjustment & rear window blinds
• Turbo-petrols are very sensitive to driving style. FE will drop drastically when you drive hard
• Kushaq's 'clever' touches are missing = no spot on top of the dashboard to place a deity, no smartphone holders on the front seatbacks, no ticket clip on the windshield, no elastic band in the doorpad to keep items in place, or even something as simple as the small reflective tapes on the doorpads

Review Link

Citroen C3 Aircross

What you'll like:

• Well-sized crossover with a funky yet likeable design
• Offers the practicality of a 5+2 seater. Many families will like having that option
• Good-looking cabin that's practical too. Plenty of storage spaces
• Quick 1.2L turbo-petrol mated to the 6-speed MT is fun-to-drive
• Sorted suspension offers a very good ride & handling package
• Massive 511-litre boot that can be expanded to 839 litres. Flexible cargo and seating options are available
• Features like a 10.2-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, connected car features, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, indirect TPMS, and a rear parking camera with sensors
• Lots of customization options and accessories to make your car truly unique

What you won't:

• Missing plenty of features = side & curtain airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors, sunroof, climate control, wireless charging, cruise control, rear AC vents, auto headlamps and more
• Single powertrain on offer. No Hybrid or diesel engine options
• Quality of cabin materials doesn't feel great; cost-cutting is pretty evident in certain areas
• Third row of seats is best for kids / children only
• Cabin width makes the middle row seat suitable for 2 adults, not 3
• Very sad audio. 4 speakers + 2 tweeter system feels very basic
• Long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are big unknowns; dealer network is tiny

Review Link

MG Astor

Review Link

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

Great poll, customers are really spoilt for choice in the 15-20 lakh SUV & Crossover segment now.

But for a change, I have voted for "other" . My pick would be:

Love the styling & character of the Thar Roxx. Would get the Diesel AT 4x4 (unless Mahindra offers a Petrol AT 4x4 which will be my top pick) in Red or Black. And then, modify the hell out of it to make it truly unique .

Second choice is also "other", the Tata Curvv EV. It has really left an impression on me:

From the poll options, I'd get the Kia Seltos 1.5L Turbo-Petrol because I love how it looks & drives. But it's a proper 3rd behind the Thar Roxx & Curvv EV.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

Voted: Others.

If I was buying a car in this segment, it is very likely my second car and not my primary or only car. With that in mind, I would have only two options in mind in this broad price bracket:

1. Thar Roxx petrol A/T (bummed it doesn’t come with 4x4 but it’s still not reason enough to push me to the diesel); and

2. Carens / Alcazar petrol DCT, if I wanted a comfortable MUV with captains chair without having to stretch to 38 lakh for the Hycross.

None of the other options listed excite me at any level.

Today, when I think of what vehicle might replace my 3GT whenever it is time to let it go, I have only two vehicles on my shortlist: the head picks the Hycross ZX (O) and the heart picks the Thar Roxx. My primary peeve with the Roxx would be the abysmal tank range and the frequent fill up logistics that it results in. And the primary pull to the Hycross is the UBER luxury 2nd row experience it offers, combined with stupendous practicality in terms of FE, passenger with luggage space, silent and sophisticated drive experience etc. But of course the latter is a different price bracket altogether. In the sub 25 lakh, its only the above two (three) listed vehicles that cut it for me.

Here's what BHPian Deamon0508 had to say on the matter:

Voted for the Hyryder

• Why I wouldn't go for the Creta or Seltos is probably because how good they are in their universal appeal. They are just too common on the road.
• Wouldn't want to go for Curvv because I still don't trust Tata for peace of mind
• Elevate seems too vanilla, it feels like Honda held back
• MG Astor is a bit of a coin toss, since there's a new one due
• As much as I love the VW twins, owning them is a gamble in terms of creaks, general niggles and post-purchase experience
• Citroens are a bit too adventurous for me, with the brand being in its nascent stage, and the dealerships being far and few between
• (Hybrid, non-mild) Vitara and the Hyryder seem the most future proof in terms of drivetrains, since I'm usually a sedate driver, the lack of a pushback on throttle doesn't matter, I am a Tetris Pro when it comes to packing bags and boot, so a bit of a hit in luggage space doesn't matter. The panaromic sunroof is an issue though, and I'd much rather not have it on the top spec hybrid. I'm not sure if that's even possible.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Trying to imagine a similar situation but on a busier road, this would have been a nightmare.

BHPian omranga98 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

17,000 KM update!

So 811 days or 2 years, 2 months and 19 days or (if you fancy this) about 70 million seconds into owning the Taigun, the battery goes dead.

No warnings and no signs. One evening, the car started just fine, took it out of the garage, parked it outside while i locked the garage door, the car battery breathed its last.

Now i have an awkwardly parked Taigun which is barely leaving enough space on the street for other cars to passby and everytime i hit the start/stop button, the headlights are flashing like fancy cop cars abroad, the sound system is making weird noises and the virtual cockpit is going WILD by throwing all sorts of errors: The entire screen lit up with warnings and random messages. Here is a picture from that exact moment:

Also notice how the virtual cockpit says SAFE on the top left side of the screen.

Anywho, a quick call to VWs RSA and they arranged a guy who came rather quickly with a jumper cable, a battery and a rapid urge to quickly start the car. Once the car started, he wanted me to drive the car for about 20 mins to check if the battery would sustain power.

Nice of him to chill at my garage while i took the car for a little spin because once i drove back to him and tried starting the car again, the car was back to being dead.

As the service center was already closed for the day, it made not sense to take the car and leave it for the night in their yard. So i decided to do this the following day.

Oh and apparently you cannot get the battery replaced from outside because that would void your warranty.

I called my SA early and got a confirmation that they had a battery in stock and would be a quick job once i get there. So I arranged a jumped start and drove to the service center which is about 20 kms from where i lived.

Once i get there, it was a good hour long wait, followed by 45 mins of more waiting and then the SA comes up to me and tells me how the battery that they had in stock was damaged and i would have to leave the car with them for about 4 days till they got their new stock of batteries.

The 4 days wait would turn into 25 days of car sitting at VW as i was going out of town the next day.

A little annoyed, i asked the manager to manage out a solution for the battery situation as leaving the car at their yard was out of question. So the manager managed to fish out a loaner battery for the moment while i travelled across the ocean.

30 mins later, they take the dead battery out which looked like this:

and then popped in a loaner battery which before popping in, looked like this:

Fast forward a couple of weeks, I get a call from the SA who now tells me that they have a battery in stock and after the call, sends a picture of a freshly cooked/baked battery as a proof this time.

Re-visit to the SC, the battery change took 3.5 hours! That is how slow things move at VW SC. The key fob battery was replaced too.

Total damage to the wallet: About 14k.

The VW app has information on the battery voltage but it never alerted of low battery or gave any alert. Trying to imagine a similar situation but on a busier road, this would have been a nightmare.

Here is a parting shot:

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Coming to the fuel efficiency, I have got cylinder deactivation coming to the rescue quite often.

BHPian Nm1z recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

2500km Update

The ownership has been smooth until now (fingers crossed). Wanted to share few observations and updates I have made.

Performance

Had a trip to Mysore, and multiple runs to different parts of Bangalore, as well as several short trips since the car touched down in Bangalore.

I can say the car is great out on the open highways but ever since the run-in period is over, I've only managed to (try to) wring out the TSI once or twice. All I can say is that this thing is scary fast when given the full beans on open roads or while overtaking long lorries in the city.

Efficiency

Coming to the fuel efficiency, I have got cylinder deactivation comes to the rescue quite often. I've seen it enabling at as low as under 30kph (2nd gear) and as high as 95kph (6th gear, slight decline) and once activated, it consistently stays on until you keep a light foot or the road starts climbing. One thing I've noticed with this is that if I'm cruising with a light foot at around, say 2000rpm (i know, I should ideally upshift, but sometimes it doesn't make sense, for eg. if you see an oncoming intersection), and let go of the throttle, the car tends to keep ACT enabled and that seems to reduce engine braking drastically. Once I tap the brakes, it generally disables ACT and the proper engine braking is felt. This is however not entirely reliable and I rely on brakes in this case.

Coding tweaks

So, I managed to source an OBD11 device from Germany with the help of a friend. I did not have contacts currently in US, and VCDS in Germany was not cheap. The OBD11 Costed me around 8k for the device with the basic plan including shipping.

I combed through TBHP VCDS threads, along with multiple other forums and have made the following changes to the car -

• Added RPM gauge to the info view in cluster - As mentioned, much needed. Have not gone back to other display modes after this
• Enabled steering angle display in cluster - Good to have while Parking
• Enabled Refuel quantity - Not very useful, haven't checked its accuracy yet. Does serve to give a rough idea of the fuel required.
• AC tuning for better cooling - Felt a genuine difference. Have not had to tweak the AC at all after this.
• Enabled AC control from infotainment - Underrated feature in my opinion. This feels much better as compared to the touch controls below. Especially while driving, I feel it is much safer to see and interact with the display as compared to looking down and trying to figure out the tiny buttons and the dim temperature display.
• Improved throttle response - Immediate difference in the way RPM rises/falls while shifting. No more RPM 'hangs' which caused jerks if I weren't careful and waited for the RPM to get to the correct point, hence making the ride smoother.
• Improved steering feedback - I feel a minor difference in the feedback curve, but doesn't alter the driving feel considerably
• Window roll up/down via remote - More of a party trick than a useful feature, since only driver window can be operated.
• Window auto roll up when locking - This I feel is much more useful. Came across this on another forum and it worked like a charm.
• Offroad and sports displays in the Infotainment - Good to know the Turbo boost pressure, and maybe the altitude while in hilly areas, I guess. Have not used it properly since the screen is mostly occupied with maps while driving.
• Changed sound signature to Dynaudio - Felt a noticeable positive difference in the sound signature of the system.

Along with these, I plan on playing around with several other options I found interesting while browsing the control modules in the app but haven't been able to tweak many things since my parking has absolutely no network coverage and the OBD11 app needs a network connection to connect for the first time. I got it to somehow connect a couple of times but is too much of a hassle and I haven't got the time yet to take it out of the parking and try out those things.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

At the time of posting this, the car has run around 1300 km, including a recent ~300km trip with light luggage and just two people onboard.

BHPian N1m1z recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I finally dropped a booking for the Taigun GT+ MT in Candy White on 31st of May in my hometown.

For the next 10 days, I had a trip planned with my in-laws. I was to reach my hometown on 11th June and the expected delivery date was given to the showroom as 12th June.

I got the on road price quoted at 18.3L with the BH series registration, including the additional total discounts of around 1.5L (1.04L cash discount + 15k corporate + 20k exchange bonus + 23k insurance discount)

Now, once I reached home the shenanigans began.

On enquiring about the status of the vehicle, we were told that they will be able to make the delivery by 14th; alright, couple of days delay is fine, we thought. We coordinated with the bank and completed the loan formalities in the meanwhile. Now here is where things started turning a bit fishy.

On the 13th, the SA started insisting us to clear the down payment since the delivery date is close, and upon enquiring about a PDI we were slowly told that the car is just now about to ship from the factory(!). To their credit, the SA also shared the VIN number (It translated to Feb 2024 manufacturing, which was fine by me). So, yeah, the car wasn't even in the dealer's possession yet and they started asking for the complete payment. On the other hand, our bank had the condition that they'll disburse the loan amount only after we've made the rest of the payment and the dealer shares the receipt for it; and the dealer management was not ready to give any sort of receipt until the entire payment was completed. This caused a deadlock situation for all of us. The bank rep told us that other dealers would generally share a temp receipt with the bank on trust basis regularly, but unfortunately this wasn't the case here. Since the delays until now had not inspired confidence in the dealer's methods, I and dad were now reluctant in giving the entire payment without even seeing the car once. There could be manufacturing issues with the car, or it could even get damaged in shipping, for what it's worth. The bank guy also mentioned that the dealer caused issues the last time they financed a VW, but we thought it's a new dealer and they would've learnt the norm by now - we were clearly wrong.

Anyways, since I was out of options and had pretty much made up my mind for the Taigun, I crossed my fingers and paid about 40% of the due amount to comfort them that I actually intended to take delivery of the car, and they'll not have dead stock in their hands (dad being in the same line of work, we kind of sided with the point without them even mentioning, that the top-end stuff doesn't really fly off the shelves in smaller cities where people often prefer middle-of-the-road options). Turns out it was still a mistake. We were now locked into the dealer and the car, unless I was ready to go fight and argue with them to get my hard earned savings back in case anything turned out to be wrong with the car which, mind you, WASN'T EVEN NEAR U.P. at that time .

I prefer to be cautious with my finances, and this decision seemed too impulsive for my comfort in retrospective.

Going through all this, dad was ultimately furious. Being in the same field for so many years, he gave an earful to the SA about their practices in dealing with their customers. Had they had doubts despite us paying the full booking amount well in advance, they could atleast have been clear about it.

Once I had done the payment, the next afternoon we were told that the vehicle had finally shipped. God! However, the timing of all this also sounded like the dealer was waiting for our funds to pay the company for the stock, and since the SA had mentioned earlier they had only sold about 10 odd cars in the 3 months of their existence, all this did not sit well with dad at all. He finally started questioning my decision to go with VW and started pushing me to go for a more 'dependable' and 'established' brand instead. I somehow managed to stand my ground, but if I had plans to live in my hometown, I would have dropped my plans then and there, and would have gone for a KIA or Hyundai instead. I knew I didn't have to deal with these morons after buying the car, and that is what gave me the strength to hold on. God knows how much delays they'll cause for service and spare parts if this was the situation in buying a new car off of them.

I hope I've made the right decision here. Only time will tell though!

Anyway, we were told the car had shipped from Pune, and it will take 3 to 4 and "at most 5 days" to get here. Based on this, 18th was decided as the preferred day of delivery since it was my sister's birthday and is also my birth date. SA convinced us that he will make the delivery this time.

Then on 16th, SA informed us that the truck had reached MP and should be there on time. Now, on the same evening, SA dropped a message saying that they are not able to reach the truck driver but they will try their best to make the delivery. 17th came and apparently there was still no contact with the driver. He had apparently gone AWOL for Eid. This time, the SA visited our home along with his supervisor and a box of sweets trying to calm us down and convince us not to change our decision (dad had given them several earfuls beforehand, and even threatened them to cancel the purchase by now) they also promised to make the delivery by 19th for sure. Alright, we thought again, it's a 7 hour drive according to Google, so it'll reach tomorrow for sure.Next contact with the truck driver happened on the 18th evening, when we were told that he was still in the same place in MP.

Then, the next day, we found out that the driver, in his infinite wisdom, instead of taking the shorter, direct route, entered UP via Jhansi, nearly doubling the ETA. Again, to the SA's credit, he had even shared the driver's contact with us and we did confirm that he had indeed reached Jhansi.
Another day then it was of waiting..

Incidentally, the next morning, dad got a call from the driver at 5AM, with the driver mistaking dad as the Skoda representative from his call logs, telling that he had dropped off the VW load and asking for directions to their stockyard (apparently Skoda and VW cars ship together too.. )

Finally! My GT was in town!

The SA shared pictures of my car from the stockyard at 7:30 AM and then of it being washed around 9:30. We reached the dealership around 12:30 and the car was parked upfront, in prisine condition albeit with some water stains. Those were taken care of swiftly and without mentioning. It was pretty much smooth sailing then on, except the fact that we managed to have them throw in a dual channel Blaupunkt dashcam worth 10k for free along with the other (paid) accessories as a consolation for all the troubles and frustration caused. I got the base accessories pack which included -

1. 3D mats
2. Magnetic rear sun Blinds
3. Mud flaps
4. Elastic net for the boot
5. USB charger and type c cable (Blaupunkt)
6. Garbage bin (bag) with extra linings
7. Pair of VW branded cushions

Despite the fact that the loan amount was to be disbursed to them only the next day, Dad, being pissed off and cautious, coincidentally managed to get a hold of the owner himself and convince him and the accounts guy to release the car the same day. Well, all the delay was clearly because of them and nowhere because of us, right? Had they managed their orders with the company better, they would have been paid much earlier. We were ready to pay up, they just failed to earn our trust in time.

Anyway, all's well that ends well, I guess?

I must say, in all this, the SA (and the other staff) did go above and beyond wherever they could, but the dealer management - they need to learn a thing or two about their processes if they want to survive long term in their new venture. I'd bet dad gave the owner some 'friendly advice' on this in his office, but he surely isn't going to accept!

Signing off with some pictures from the day of delivery. Also, the 1000km update is coming really soon!

Getting ready for the unveil

One with the family.

Baby's finally home! I love the blacked out roof.

My thoughts after a 900km road trip

Since the car got delivered, after visiting a temple I got busy with my work and in the meanwhile made plans to visit the Dudhwa National park the following weekend, as news had come that they had extended the closing date by 10 days.

Mind you, by the end it was no regular road trip and turned out to be a true test of the car; we had full passengers onboard, with the boot chock full of luggage and it was in the peak summer heat and involved broken roads, parts of expressways and a bunch of narrow twisty rural roads as well.

The Average FE according to the MID for this entire trip was around 11.4kmpl.

Here are my observations about the car after 1000km of running -

The Good

• Amazing performance. It can overtake rapidly at any speed, and pretty much in any gear out on the highway. Mind you, this was tested with 5 healthy people on board and a packed boot of luggage.
• Suspension is just perfect. Out of the 5 onboard, 3 generally suffer from motion sickness. None of them felt uneasy throughout the long trip, which even involved driving on a single lane highway that is under construction, hence also involved hard braking and off-roading occasionally. Also in the city, it absorbs potholes with minimal issues.
• Speaking of braking - Brakes are perfectly tuned and offer awesome stopping power.
• Ventilated seats are a boon in the scorching heat to cool down quickly
• Boot space looks smaller but can gobble up luggage like anything, if you know how to fit things.
• Build quality is great, especially coming from Tata and Maruti. Also miles ahead of Hyundai IMO.
• The ICE sounds great with a very balanced output. I recently travelled in my relative's Alcazar with the Bose sound system, and I found that to be way too bassy by default.
• The looks - I can't help but smile every time I see it. I love 'sleeper' cars and this fits the bill perfectly. There are no tacky bits, just subtle hints like the red brake callipers.

The Bad

• The rear seat space. People in the rear felt crammed.
• The shape of the rear seat is great if there are 4 people on board, but when there are five, the sides of the seats start digging into your back and the middle passenger is miserable due to the big hump in the seat.
• The Air conditioner - This was the major pain point in the heat for all of us. The 'Auto' mode is practically useless in this case. Our Swift's CC is always kept in Auto with the temp set to 25 and cools rapidly and keeps us comfortable. In the Taigun, I needed to keep it at 23 degrees and keep fiddling with the fan speed to maintain cooling. Also, for some strange reason, turning on the auto mode also turns on the fresh air mode which breaks the cooling and tends to bring in occasional odours from outside.
• Adding insult to injury, the AC touch controls are garbage. Even hovering the fingers near it seemed to change settings while shifting gears, often turning off the AC or dropping it back into Auto mode causing a rain of complaints from everyone. I swear sometimes I didnt even go close to the controls but found settings changed, but I'll give it the benefit of doubt.
• There is no RPM display in all but one view mode in the cluster even for the manual variant. I had to stay in the RPM view for the most part in the city since I'm still new to the car, and hence missed out on the driving info screen. I have seen some shots of cars with a tacho on the top of the screen which would be great. Is it something we can enable manually, or is it done only via coding? I couldn't find the option yet.
• The car is extremely sensitive to the style of driving, the load and the conditions. If we turn on the current FE display, I see at half throttle even in the 6th gear drops the figure to single digits. I guess it is my first experience with a turbo petrol.

The 'Meh'

• Coming from the Swift, the gear shifts and the clutch felt 'meh', it isn't bad at all, but I'm just used to better, I guess? The clutch felt harder in comparison. Gearshifts got stuck a couple times I did not slot in perfectly, but that only happened initially and it feels smoother now (I could have gotten used to it)
• The fuel efficiency

Despite the above cons, I'm not worried. Let me explain.

For 1 and 2, we will only be two people mostly, with some friends occasionally hitching a ride. An occupancy of 5 should be rare.

For 3 and 4, Bangalore is nowhere close to the heat in UP. Hoping the AC will work better here. If not, I'll take this up with the service center.

The 5th point is what I'm still looking for a solution for.

The 6th one needs a change on my end, I guess.

At the time of posting this, the car has run around 1300 km, including a recent ~300km trip with light luggage and just two people onboard. I managed a FE of 16kmpl this time, as it was primarily on 6-lane highways and I drove at, or just above, 100kmph for the most part of it, with gradual acceleration (mostly ).

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Tharu XR is based on the MQB A0 platform, shared with the Taigun, Virtus, Kushaq and Slavia.

Volkswagen has unveiled a new compact SUV for the Chinese market called the Tharu XR. It is a slightly longer version of the Taigun sold in India.

The Tharu XR is based on the MQB A0 platform, shared with the Taigun and Kushaq. While the wheelbase is identical, the overall length has been extended by 134 mm. 

The exterior design of the Tharu XR looks similar to the Taigun. The front features sleek LED headlamps with an LED light bar. Thanks to the stretched rear overhang, the Tharu XR looks more pleasing to the eye than the Taigun.

The rear features smoked LED taillights connected by a transparent trim and a different rear bumper with contrasting silver trim. VW has yet to reveal the interior of the car, though.

Volkswagen will offer the Tharu XR with a range of 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engines. 

Average fuel economy using tankful is about 12.8 kmpl. This is from 100% city driving, mostly sedate.

BHPian omranga98 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took delivery of my Taigun GT+ 1.5 DSG in silver yesterday. Have driven about 400 kms till now and it's lovely!

Was pleasantly surprised during the delivery to see:

• Updated and improved headliner! It was one of the sore points for me. Now it's 10 times better IMO.
• Now only the red exterior in GT model comes with red interior inserts. Earlier, both red and silver had red inserts which i did not like.
• ORVM folding is back again!

During the test drive, i found the horn to be lame. I don't know why would they fit Taigun with a horn that sounds like you're choking a duck. So i got it swapped with the Tiguan's unit and boy oh boy, it's the best 1.5k addon i've spent on any car

Just a quick update on my 1.5 DSG.

It's about 3 months old and has clocked 2100 kms.

Average fuel economy using tankful is about 12.8 kmpl. This is from 100% city driving, mostly sedated.

Car has been pretty lovely generally. Don't want to go through this since the pros have been covered many times here.

The couple of issues i am facing are:

1. Driver side window which has auto up/down feature will stop going up mid way and roll back down. It's very annoying sometimes. The fix for this is to do a soft reset by holding the window switch down for 10 seconds and up for 10 seconds. This fixes it for sometime, but the issue crops back. I have read somewhere that the service guys will replace the window winder(?) don't have the time right now for this but will get it checked and update here.
2. The rear left door's hinge is creeking when we open or close it. This seems like a simple fix. Just a little lubrication and done.
3. Rear right side door rubber beading has come loose from one socket. It's not causing any issues when the operation but just noticed this. Will get it fixed during the next visit.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The driver side window one side up/down has gone kaput again.

BHPian drive.helios recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Time for a small update as mentioned

I just got back from a ~750km round trip. Here are the mileage figures.

Onward Journey Mileage (All readings from the Cluster)

• Total Distance Travelled: 412 kms
• Kodathi/Sarjapur Road to Manipal Hospital Mysore: 17 kmpl (Included a 10 km detour from the expressway due to a faulty air pressure alarm) Moderate use of cruise control
• Manipal Hospital Mysore to Hotel Coorg Gate (Makkuttam Ghat descent starting point): 15.5 kmpl
• Makuttam Ghat section to Home: 15 kmpl
• Home to Ancestral Home and Back: 14.7 kmpl
• Average kmpl on MID: 14.8

Return Journey Mileage (All readings from the Cluster)

• Total Distance Travelled: 330 kms
• Home to Makkuttam Base: 16.5 kmpl ( Moderate use of cruise control)
• Makkuttam Base to Hotel Coorg Gate (Makkuttam Ghat Descent starting point): 13 kmpl
• Hotel Coorg Gate to Poojari Fish Land Mysore: 14.2 kmpl
• Poojari Fish Land to Kodathi/Sarjapur Road: 15.2 kmpl ( covered mys blr express way using cruise control set at 100kmph and occasional bouts of 120s to overtake)
• Average kmpl on MID: 15.1

This is the only time I have driven conscious of the Mileage or the speed. We normally follow the herd and don't track the details extensively. The drop in mileage seems to be only a "when driven in city" experience from the look of it.

Few other things came out during the drive and the wheel balancing/alignment that I got done.

1. The driver side window one side up/down has gone kaput again
2. The winding motors for all the windows will need to be checked. They are all noisier than the noisy.
3. The suspension mounts need to be looked into / replaced as per the FNG mechanic.
4. Brakepads are wearing out faster. Likely has life for another 3k kms. (21.5k kms as of today)
5. The LED DRLs seem to be yellowing. Will wait until July to see if it really is the case.

Still confused if I should think of an upgrade or lateral shift next year.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Taigun GT Line and GT Plus Sport are now part of the new Sport line trim.

Volkswagen has launched the Taigun GT Line and GT Plus Sport in India with prices starting at Rs 14.08 lakh (ex-showroom). Both variants are part of the new Sport line trim.

The Taigun GT Line and GT Plus Sport get several cosmetic enhancements on the outside. These include black exterior trim, a new grille flanked by smoked LED headlamps, black bumper inserts and black 17-inch alloy wheels with red brake calipers.

Inside, the new variants get black leatherette upholstery with red stitching, gloss black dashboard trim, a black headliner and GT badging on the front headrests. The SUV also gets a Sport steering wheel with red stitching, aluminium pedals, black sun visors, grab handles and roof lamp housing.

The Taigun GT Line will be available with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 113 BHP and 178 Nm, while the GT Plus Sport gets the larger 1.5-litre turbo-petrol unit that makes 148 BHP and 250 Nm. Both engines get a 6-speed manual as standard. The 1.0 TSI unit gets a 6-speed automatic option, while the 1.5 TSI gets a 7-speed DSG.

Volkswagen Taigun Sport line ex-showroom prices:

• GT Line 1.0L MT – Rs 14,08,400
• GT Line 1.0L AT – Rs 15,63,400
• GT Plus Sport 1.5L MT – Rs 18,53,900
• GT Plus Sport 1.5L DSG – Rs 19,73,900

Is your weekend car running more than your daily drive vehicle? Continue reading this story about a Volkswagen Taigun

BHPian omranga98 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Being a car that is mostly driven on weekends, it is still 1000 km ahead of my daily (IGNIS )

Mostly last few months have been uneventful, Just a few pointer:

a) Fuel Economy has been consistent at about 10-12 in city, 16-18 on the expressway. 

b) The interior creeks for the first 2-3 bumps but then it is silent. I have mentioned this before as well. It is like, the plastic parts expand and need a bump or two to settle down (?). 

c) Calcutta is a land of unmarked random bumpers, few weeks back, out on a midnight drive, I was driving at 70 ish kmph and BOOM, 8-10 inch high unmarked bumper. Spotted it too late, the car most definitely got some air time. It was a pretty hard one. Luckily no visible damage to the tyres or any visible damage to the under body. Got the tyre inspected the next morning, got a green light here.

d) Door rubber makes squeeky noises. This is a known issue and VW had applied some sort of tape to fix it but it is back again, will be addressed in the next SC visit. 

e) The driver side power window switch console creeks and the window, when open makes rattling sound. I suspect this was caused when they fixed the power window motor issue 6-7 months back. 

f) I replaced the wipers to frameless wipers. They look better but i suspect they cause a lot of wind noise at speeds north of 140. Not like it matters in day to day conditions anyway.

g) The paint has a lot of swirl marks, need to get the car detailed soon!

h) DSG has been working alright till now.

Click here for more BHPian comments & insights.

It competes with cars like the 2023 Kia Seltos, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and Mahindra XUV700.

BHPian Ripcord09 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hyundai Creta N-Line

What you'll like:

• Distinct N-Line touches set it apart from the regular Creta
• Punchy 158 BHP, 1.5L turbo-petrol motor mated to a 6-speed MT or 7-speed DCT
• Firmer suspension coupled with weighted steering make the Creta N-Line fun to drive
• Tasteful N Line-exclusive steering wheel, gear selector, red accents, etc. liven up the interior
• Feature-rich equipment list includes LED headlamps & tail-lamps, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, ventilated seats, 360-degree camera & more
• Price premium over the regular Creta is justified by the additions & improvements
• Safety kit = ADAS Level 2, 6 airbags, TPMS, hill assist, dashcam (only N8 variant), auto headlamps etc.

What you won't:

• Without a power bump, it feels more like an additional variant rather than a performance-oriented model of the Creta. Hyundai should've tuned the N-Line engine for some more power
• N-Line specific design changes may not be to everyone’s liking
• Although well-priced in relation to the SX(O) variant, it is still an expensive crossover
• Firmer suspension means bad roads & bumps are felt more than in the regular Creta
• 6-speed MT should've had shorter throws & clutch travel should have been shorter in the N-Line variant
• Some misses (no auto wipers, illuminated window buttons, full-size spare tyre on top trim)
• Back seat's width makes it better for 2 adults and a kid, rather than 3 adults

Pre-facelift Review

Facelift Review

N-Line Review

Kia Seltos

What you'll like:

• A superbly engineered all-rounder that delivers a premium experience
• Handsome, contemporary styling. Looks very sharp
• We find the Seltos to be well-priced for what it offers
• Nice, user-friendly interiors with sufficient space & good quality
• Loved the punchy 1.5L turbo-petrol
• Mature on-road behavior, including at highway speeds. A+ brakes as well
• Unusually wide variant offering. Seems there is something for everyone
• Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, blind spot monitor, TPMS etc.

What you won't:

• Back seat's width makes it better for 2 adults and a kid, rather than 3 adults
• Dual-clutch ATs (like the Petrol DCT) have a history of poor reliability in India
• Extremely confusing & complicated variant spread
• You get bigger SUVs & Crossovers for the same money (e.g. Hector, Harrier, XUV700)

2023 Facelift Review Link

First Review

Volkswagen Taigun

What you'll like:

• Has its own fresh, European character in a segment dominated by Indian, Korean and Chinese SUVs
• Unmistakably VW styling matched with solid European build quality
• Cabin has good legroom to offer, supportive seats, perfect ergonomics & lots of storage
• 148 BHP engine makes the Taigun one of the most fun-to-drive crossovers in the segment!
• Sporty 1.0L & 1.5L turbo-petrols are mated to slick 6-speed MTs & smooth ATs
• Sorted suspension offers a balanced ride & handling package
• Safety features include up to 6 airbags, ESC, 3-point seatbelts for all, electronic differential lock, brake disc wiping, multi-collision brake and more
• Features like active cylinder tech, ventilated seats, sunroof, 10-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, auto headlamps & wipers etc.
• 5-star GNCAP safety rating - full details here!

What you won't:

• DQ200 DSG transmission has a history of poor reliability & breakdowns in India
• Narrow cabin width makes a 5th adult completely unwelcome. Best for 4 onboard
• Interior colour scheme and quality don't feel up to traditional VW standards. Some polarising details too (chrome outside, painted plastics inside...)
• Sure lacks the street cred / presence offered by some competitors
• VW’s after-sales service can be a hit or miss. Many VW owners find it expensive too
• Turbo-petrols are very sensitive to driving style. FE will drop drastically when you drive hard

Review Link

Skoda Kushaq

What you'll like:

• A breath of fresh (European) air in a sea of Korean, Chinese & Indian SUVs
• Classy exterior & interior styling matched with solid European build quality
• Cabin has good legroom to offer, supportive seats, perfect ergonomics & lots of storage
• 148 BHP engine makes the Kushaq one of the most fun-to-drive crossovers in the segment
• Sporty 1.5L turbo-petrol is mated to slick 6-speed MTs & smooth ATs
• Sorted suspension offers a balanced ride & handling package
• Safety features include 6 airbags, ESC, 3-point seatbelts for all, electronic differential lock, brake disc wiping, multi-collision brake and more
• 6-year extended warranty & 4-year all-inclusive service packages available
• Features like active cylinder tech, ventilated seats, sunroof, wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, audio system with a punchy subwoofer, auto headlamps & wipers etc.
• 5-star GNCAP safety rating - full details here!

What you won't:

• DQ200 DSG transmission has a history of poor reliability & breakdowns in India
• Narrow width makes a 5th adult completely unwelcome. Best for 4 onboard
• At 385 litres, boot space is lesser than its direct rivals (Creta & Seltos = 433L)
• Sure lacks the street cred / presence offered by some competitors
• Skoda’s notorious dealerships & after-sales horror stories
• Turbo-petrols are very sensitive to driving style. FE will drop drastically when you drive hard

Review Link

Mahindra XUV700

What you'll like:

• Handsome styling matched to solid build quality. Has street presence, feels robust
• Very spacious interiors with comfy seats and sorted ergonomics. 6-footer passengers welcome!
• 197 BHP turbo-petrol mated to a smooth 6-speed torque converter
• Sorted suspension with good road manners & high-speed stability
• AWD available for the adventurous, unlike most FWD crossovers in the segment
• Loaded with features like radar-based driver assistance system, pop-out door handles, panoramic sunroof, driver memory seat, 360-degree camera, 10.25" infotainment & instrument cluster etc.
• 12-speaker Sony audio system is fantastic! You'll enjoy its sound quality
• Safety features include 7 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, hill hold, hill descent control, driver drowsiness detection, TPMS, ISOFIX...

What you won't:

• Petrol AT is thirsty due to its hefty weight, 197 BHP & torque-converter AT
• Some cabin plastics & a few rough areas don't feel premium in an otherwise loaded SUV
• Missing features such as an auto-dimming IRVM, paddle shifters, full-size spare wheel, ambient lighting, rear sunblinds...
• Concerns over niggles & bugs in a freshly baked, complex Mahindra
• Mahindra's after-sales service is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• AWD is not available with the petrol motor

Review Link

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

Damn good time to be in the market for a 20-25 lakh crossover! Those are some seriously competent turbo-petrols. The new Seltos looks deadly, the Creta N-Line is nice (both offer 158 horses!), the VW & Skoda siblings are a pure driving delight with their 1.5L turbo-petrol DSGs and of course, there is the 200 BHP XUV700. Although, as great as the XUV700 is, it cannot match the other 4 in terms of sheer driving pleasure.

Between the Creta N-Line & Seltos, I'd still go for the latter in the deadly matte grey.

Between the Taigun & Kushaq, I'd pick the Skoda.

But really, this is one tough poll. If it came to putting my money down, it would be the Seltos 1.5L Turbo-Petrol. 2nd choice XUV700 only if I needed a bigger SUV.

Here's what BHPian tp_dominator had to say about the matter:

Voted for the Seltos X - line here as barring XUV700 and considering the other crossovers on the list, it comes out much better in every sense. Ride quality might be a little bumpy with the 18 inchers, but I had the Ford Ecosport with the low-profile 17-inch tyres as standard and compared to that, it's way better.

I feel glad to be owning both the cars - XUV700 and Seltos in their respective top trims in diesel AT guises and our de facto choice for family road trips is always XUV700. Over longer journeys, it has proved to be more comfortable than the Seltos and has ample space and power too. While driving solo too, I have extracted 18-19 kmpl from the XUV700 sometimes and it is as fuel efficient as the Seltos as driving XUV700 at 110-115 kmph delivers the same mileage as driving the Seltos at 100-105 kmph. However, if highway drives are out of the picture and it's going to be occasional, Seltos is better at performing city duties. Just the right size to park in congested areas and overall a better and refined experience than XUV700. For instance, the Auto hold function on the XUV700 doesn't release the brakes as smoothly as the Seltos does and multiple other things including the Auto Start-Stop logic which makes Seltos an overall better city commuter.

Also, the cost of upkeep is going to be lower on the Seltos than the XUV700 as we have the MCP package and regular services are covered till 50k kms in it. But if it has to be a one-car garage, XUV700 will be better.

Here's what BHPian Jaguar had to say about the matter:

Voted with my wallet

After using a Verna for 10 years, the Creta N-Line felt like a natural progression. The electrically adjustable under-thigh support and the beautiful N-Line steering were the biggest attractions for me. It does feel well-built as well.

I had explored all the cars on the poll list except the Seltos. The VAG twins don't hold a candle to the older VAG cars and the cost-cutting is evident on all fronts except the engine. The XUV 700 was too big for my needs and the diesel engine of the XUV felt coarse compared to the one in my Thar.

Here's what BHPian B58lover had to say about the matter:

My pick would be the XUV700, a safe-fast-tech loaded & reliable.

One thing I wanted to ask, is why Creta and Seltos' poor safety rating and unstable structure are not mentioned in the ''What you won't like section''?

Here's what BHPian vattyboy had to say about the matter:

All of the cars mentioned here are equally good, so a buyer cannot go wrong with any of them.

Ultimately, it's just a matter of the buyer's personal preference, especially regarding the appearance of the cars and which brand they prefer.

My personal favourite from this selection is the Creta N line.

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

Choice of fast crossover comes down to the XUV700 petrol and the Taigun/Kushaq 1.5 GT twins. The Creta N Line and Seltos X line will not even be in contention.

If I am looking for a vehicle for purely personal use, then I will get one of the Germans with my eyes closed. Driving pleasure is unmatched. I’ll go for the Kushaq, I prefer its interior ambiance over that of the Taigun.

But if there is an angle of practicality or family usage involved, which is invariably the case for most buyers, I’ll have to go for Mahindra. The much larger cabin and boot space of the XUV700 cannot be matched by the smaller VW/Skoda. It also helps that the 2.0 mStallion is by far the best engine of this lot, and the rest of the car is pretty darn competent as well. The superbly priced and well kitted AX5 variant of the XUV700 is the single most VFM car that can be bought for 20 odd lakh rupees today, while the AX7L is about as loaded as it gets.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.