[hyper-VTEC]

Keep the Vento.

I was in the market for a second car, and started looking for a small hatchback. Checked out the Tiago and Altroz. While the Tiago was not that exciting, I wanted the turbo Altroz. But seems Tata has too many buyers and not interested to sell unless you pester them for TD. It's been 2 weeks and 2 Tata dealers are yet to get back to me for a TD.

Went to the VW showroom to check if Polo TSI is available. Walked out booking a Vento TSI. I know the current quality of VW is not what it used to be few years back, but still better than others. This is my opinion. And i do not care about features like auto headlamp, wireless charger etc.

[Hashtag]

Greetings!
We've been scouting the market for the last 5 months to replace our aging Hyundai Eon which is in its 10th year now. Preferred to take a bigger/taller car this time, around the compact SUV space. After a lot of research and discussions(and a ton of trips to various showrooms), we finally narrowed the competition to Venue S+ 1.2 MT, Kiger RXZ 1.0 AMT, Triber RXZ 1.0 AMT.

We've checked out the service centers for the latter cars and found good confidence in them. Did hear some horror stories about a relay problem that stops the engine from starting mid-road in the Triber in 2019, but haven't heard that since. Do note that we've taken TDs in all three vehicles and our observations are as follows:

Venue:
Pros - Buttersmooth gear shifts, zero engine noise, an ultralight clutch, build quality gives confidence, not much sheet metal flex, and the after-sales service if Hyundai is 10/10
Cons - Gets no functional roof rails, no 60:40 split rear seats, no rear seat armrest, no rear wiper + washer, and lesser boot space than the Renaults (also misses a lot of other bells and whistles, but these are the ones that matter a lot) and a missing NCAP rating even after 4 years of running in the market.

Triber:
Pros - Superior versatility in seating, can recline middle row seats(ideal for sleeping/resting in long journeys), almost no engine noise in the middle row, the suspension makes you feel like you're floating over various road conditions; and a 4-star safety rating by NCAP!
Cons - Engine starts getting audible above 50kmph, reverse gear shudders horribly and made us feel as if the machine was coming apart. Vibrations are not so well contained at speeds above ~45kmph, and no armrests in the car. Lastly, the MT is very hard to move around and slot in the gears, and the lack of proper clutch footrest area doesn't make it any better.

Kiger:
Pros - The headlights and their coverage for all OEM components are easily the best among the other two. Although the Venue provides cornering lamps, we didn't feel a need for the same in the Kiger. A 7" MID and 8" infotainment system provide a sci-fi look in the cabin and the center console (gearbox area between the driver and front passenger) together gives a sense of premium and sturdy-feeling in the car. Same suspension quality as the Triber and the engine noise/vibrations are very well contained, almost as if it were a 4 cylinder unit. Loaded with all the features we missed in the Venue.
Cons - Solid paints like the white are prone to get scratches easier than their metallic counterparts, or so I heard (can someone confirm, please?) and a pending NCAP rating for the car. Rear seat comfort could've been better, after reclining in the Triber, this feels too upright. Same hard MT as the Triber, so shifting to AMT. Overall, can't think of anything to complain much about this car.

Finally, confused about the three cars. Each one of them is wonderful in their own rights, but can't really make up the mind for any one of them, hence I decided to post here and take advice from Team-BHP. Thank you!

P.S.: I'm new to the community, so please point out any grammar errors/typos or if I should have made the info clearer/formatted it better.

[quantobigboot]

Hey Hashtag, you haven't listed your requirements specifically, but you seem to be impressed by the Kiger. Between these 3 options it is the better option, but I would recommend a change in the variant.
Based on a quick search, the RXT Turbo comes @ 9.6L and RXZ Turbo @ 10.6L (Both manual spec). Please take a TD of the Turbo manual variants and decide if the MT is liveable or not. Because the upgrade to the Turbo variants will be worth it.
If you still decide on the AMT, Kiger > Triber unless you need the 7 seats.

[VBHYD]

Hello Hashtag,

Apart from the options listed above you can consider Brezza MT VXI as well if you are not averse to owning a Maruti and donot care about features like Sunroof, Ventillated seats etc.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Hashtag

Same hard MT as the Triber, so shifting to AMT. Overall, can't think of anything to complain much about this car.

Moving to the AMT because the MT isn't good doesn't make sense IMHO but if you've taken extended TDs over varying roads and find it apt then it ok.

Its a difficult choice, the Venue is more refined in powertrain but loses out on features while the Kiger is the exact opposite.
I would take the better powertrain on the Venue.

In your 5 months of research I am sure you haven't missed anything but will just list a few which fall your price range, do TD if you haven't:
- Punch Creative MT
- Brezza VXi : wait for the updated version

Personally, if GC wasn't a big concern and I had a hard limit of 10 lakhs I would get a hatch like the i20/Altroz/Baleno. IMO they are more FTD and comfortable than the stiffly sprung CSUVs but that's a personal choice

[ron178]

Originally Posted by Hashtag

a pending NCAP rating for the car.

The next round of Global NCAP India results should be out somewhere in the first half of 2022 but I can't give you a more precise timeline than that. They were supposed to be out in January but they weren't and depending on the reason for it, publication could be vastly delayed. What I know is that they either have tested or plan to test a number of cars, and I personally think the Kiger is one of them (Autocar suggested it).

I would normally ask you to consider the Nissan Magnite because you're looking for safety and that model is one of the few in its segment that has ESC, but firstly, you're considering lower-spec variants, and secondly, the real 'Nissan Rogue' IMO is their Goa service centre. Priority, I hear, is better (at least for Skoda, surprisingly).

Originally Posted by Hashtag

build quality gives confidence, not much sheet metal flex

Best not to confuse the skin panels with the crashworthiness of the vehicle structure. Sheet metal on the outside of the doors is there to give you a premium feeling, just like soft-touch interior plastics or a stitched headliner. It might resist dents better (not sure). As far as crashworthiness is concerned the door skin is definitely not a load path for either front or side impact. You have cars like the (at least international) Honda Jazz/City/HR-V where there exists no load path through the door at all.

[AjinkyaP]

My vote goes to Triber for practicality and VFM quotient since quite a few owners of Kiger have reported inconsistent build quality in both exterior as well as interior.

Current Brezza VXI makes sense as well (Updated one will carry quit a bit of premium with respect to pricing)

[Livnletcarsliv]

You did not give your full requirements.

And you seem to be comfortable with the manual as well.
Given your budget of 10L, my recommendation is as follows

1. Kiger RXZ Turbo 1.0 MT (A turbo car is more fun to drive in this segment).
2. Magnite XV Premium Turbo (O) - (Same platform as Kiger, but a better-looking car in my personal opinion. Probably you can compare side by side and feature by feature to decide).
3. Punch Creative iRA MT (Newest of the lot, Fun to drive, and a capable car. Turbo petrol will be launched shortly).
4. Vitara Brezza ZXi/ZXi plus

Since you are in the market for 5 months, I am sure you have evaluated all these options as well. So what made you eliminate any of these options mentioned?

[prajwalmr62]

I own a Venue, but I would recommend you against it for 1.2l engine and lack of ESP.

Check out Magnite XL CVT and Kiger RXT Turbo CVT. Both are identical under the hood, but Magnite comes with few additional features and scored 4 star in ASEANCAP.

Also, CVT is much much better than MT or AMT.

[Venky03]

Originally Posted by Hashtag

We finally narrowed the competition to Venue S+ 1.2 MT, Kiger RXZ 1.0 AMT, Triber RXZ 1.0 AMT.

I own a Triber RXT AMT, and have recently driven Kiger Turbo Manual, Kiger Turbo CVT as well as Kiger NA AMT. There's a day and night difference between the NVH levels inside Kiger and Triber cabins, also the AMT box in Kiger is a bit faster with the shifts than the one in Triber. If you can afford the CVT definitely go for it, currently the only niggle with Kiger is the water and muck making their way from rear wheels to the gaps from rear tail lights. Also I found putting the seatbelt a bit troublesome due to the center console.

[Hashtag]

Originally Posted by quantobigboot

Hey Hashtag, you haven't listed your requirements specifically, but you seem to be impressed by the Kiger. Between these 3 options it is the better option, but I would recommend a change in the variant.
Based on a quick search, the RXT Turbo comes @ 9.6L and RXZ Turbo @ 10.6L (Both manual spec). Please take a TD of the Turbo manual variants and decide if the MT is liveable or not. Because the upgrade to the Turbo variants will be worth it.
If you still decide on the AMT, Kiger > Triber unless you need the 7 seats.

Thank you! I knew I had missed something there. Our requirements are:
1) Good ground clearance
2) Rear seats should be comfortable on long drives(we did TD the Aura as well, but low GC was a deal-breaker, otherwise, seat comfort is the best)
3) Engine shouldn't struggle to pull on inclines with A/C on
4) Decent road manners, NVH levels and suspension.
5) Decent safety rating

Coming to the Turbo, I didn't TD it because I'm not keen to take a turbo engine for a few reasons. I'd instead take more features at the same price!

Originally Posted by VBHYD

Hello Hashtag,

Apart from the options listed above you can consider Brezza MT VXI as well if you are not averse to owning a Maruti and donot care about features like Sunroof, Ventillated seats etc.

Thanks! A relative does have the Brezza, but the rear seats are too upright and contourless to our liking. If not, It'd be surely considered with its 4* safety rating as well!

Originally Posted by shancz

Moving to the AMT because the MT isn't good doesn't make sense IMHO but if you've taken extended TDs over varying roads and find it apt then it ok.

Its a difficult choice, the Venue is more refined in powertrain but loses out on features while the Kiger is the exact opposite.
I would take the better powertrain on the Venue.

In your 5 months of research I am sure you haven't missed anything but will just list a few which fall your price range, do TD if you haven't:
- Punch Creative MT
- Brezza VXi : wait for the updated version

Personally, if GC wasn't a big concern and I had a hard limit of 10 lakhs I would get a hatch like the i20/Altroz/Baleno. IMO they are more FTD and comfortable than the stiffly sprung CSUVs but that's a personal choice

Thank you! I did check out the Altroz with a TD and it was well to drive but the 1.2L engine had a few vibrations here and there in the cabin. Nothing significant, until later that day I realised the car had a GC of 165mm! That's even less than out current ride. Ruled out. Brezza rear seats are too upright and contourless to our liking, and the interior feels outdated, now that I've sat from the Nios to Kiger. Moreover, the updated version will surely hike the prices by at least 30k or so
Did a couple of TDs on the Punch, but the rear seats were missing something, I'm not sure if they were too upright or flat, but just didn't hold me as well as Hyundai seats hold you once seated.

Originally Posted by ron178

The next round of Global NCAP India results should be out somewhere in the first half of 2022 but I can't give you a more precise timeline than that. They were supposed to be out in January but they weren't and depending on the reason for it, publication could be vastly delayed. What I know is that they either have tested or plan to test a number of cars, and I personally think the Kiger is one of them (Autocar suggested it).

I would normally ask you to consider the Nissan Magnite because you're looking for safety and that model is one of the few in its segment that has ESC, but firstly, you're considering lower-spec variants, and secondly, the real 'Nissan Rogue' IMO is their Goa service centre. Priority, I hear, is better (at least for Skoda, surprisingly).

Best not to confuse the skin panels with the crashworthiness of the vehicle structure. Sheet metal on the outside of the doors is there to give you a premium feeling, just like soft-touch interior plastics or a stitched headliner. It might resist dents better (not sure). As far as crashworthiness is concerned the door skin is definitely not a load path for either front or side impact. You have cars like the (at least international) Honda Jazz/City/HR-V where there exists no load path through the door at all.

All well said! I'm not wanting to take a turbo pot, or else Magnite would've been my best bet. Additionally, the rear seats are too upright for my liking. Kiger has now got an even better score than the Magnite and Triber at NCAP! However, had to rule it out as the final TD car had a lot of road and tyre noise in the cabin(something the SC said was due to rough use these past days and lack of servicing in time), plus the rear seats were too upright, and the headrests made it worse and the rising window line gives a claustrophobic feeling.
And no, about the panels, I didn't mean that. I just provided my observation that the Venue has less flex than the other two, although they already got 4* in safety!

Originally Posted by AjinkyaP

My vote goes to Triber for practicality and VFM quotient since quite a few owners of Kiger have reported inconsistent build quality in both exterior as well as interior.

Current Brezza VXI makes sense as well (Updated one will carry quit a bit of premium with respect to pricing)

You are right! After a lot of head-scratching, we finally booked the Triber, mainly because you can recline the rear seats! Once you do that, you entire upper body weight is taken by the seat, and there is no need for further contours nor armrests.

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

You did not give your full requirements.

And you seem to be comfortable with the manual as well.
Given your budget of 10L, my recommendation is as follows

1. Kiger RXZ Turbo 1.0 MT (A turbo car is more fun to drive in this segment).
2. Magnite XV Premium Turbo (O) - (Same platform as Kiger, but a better-looking car in my personal opinion. Probably you can compare side by side and feature by feature to decide).
3. Punch Creative iRA MT (Newest of the lot, Fun to drive, and a capable car. Turbo petrol will be launched shortly).
4. Vitara Brezza ZXi/ZXi plus

Since you are in the market for 5 months, I am sure you have evaluated all these options as well. So what made you eliminate any of these options mentioned?

Thank you! I knew I had missed something there. Our requirements are:
1) Good ground clearance
2) Rear seats should be comfortable on long drives(we did TD the Aura as well, but low GC was a deal-breaker, otherwise, seat comfort is the best)
3) Engine shouldn't struggle to pull on inclines with A/C on
4) Decent road manners, NVH levels and suspension.
5) Decent safety rating
You are right, I did check out the other cars, but had to eliminate them because;
Nissans ASS does not give me confidence as of now. Hence, ruling out the Magnite hesitatingly. Also, the Punch, Kiger, Magnite and Brezza somehow all don't get the rear seats right. It's either too upright, or flat, or missing underthigh support or a combination of all. Finally had to take on Triber, as the reclining seatback solves almost all these issues.

Originally Posted by prajwalmr62

I own a Venue, but I would recommend you against it for 1.2l engine and lack of ESP.

Check out Magnite XL CVT and Kiger RXT Turbo CVT. Both are identical under the hood, but Magnite comes with few additional features and scored 4 star in ASEANCAP.

Also, CVT is much much better than MT or AMT.

Thank you for the advice! We checked out all three cars thoroughly (except Magnite, as Nissan's ASS is a big question mark in my state) and finally decided on the Triber for the 4* safety rating, and reclining rear seats, which make it so much more comfortable for the rear passengers. Do note that the light color tone also make the Triber feel much more airy than the Magnite or Kiger!

Originally Posted by Venky03

I own a Triber RXT AMT, and have recently driven Kiger Turbo Manual, Kiger Turbo CVT as well as Kiger NA AMT. There's a day and night difference between the NVH levels inside Kiger and Triber cabins, also the AMT box in Kiger is a bit faster with the shifts than the one in Triber. If you can afford the CVT definitely go for it, currently the only niggle with Kiger is the water and muck making their way from rear wheels to the gaps from rear tail lights. Also I found putting the seatbelt a bit troublesome due to the center console.

Thanks for the observations! I do think that the CVT is the best choice, but it comes with a turbo engine only, something I do not like. Also, we did a final TD of Triber and Kiger to decide, and the Kiger had a lot of road and tyre noise, something the SC said was due to lack of servicing in time and rough use in the past few days. However, the Triber actually felt better in NVH levels than the Triber, much to everyone's surprise!

[prajwalmr62]

Originally Posted by Hashtag

Thank you for the advice! We checked out all three cars thoroughly (except Magnite, as Nissan's ASS is a big question mark in my state) and finally decided on the Triber for the 4* safety rating, and reclining rear seats, which make it so much more comfortable for the rear passengers.

Congrats on selecting Triber! under 4m, Triber is more spacious than it looks. It is a well kitted, very practical car.

---

With recent events, I would suggest you to check out Kia Carens as well. Base NA petrol should be under 11L OTR, and is a decently kitted version. But it will have huge waiting period, if you can wait for 6 months or more, then it would make sense to check it out as well.

[sanspatil]

Originally Posted by Hashtag

After a lot of head-scratching, we finally booked the Triber, mainly because you can recline the rear seats! Once you do that, you entire upper body weight is taken by the seat, and there is no need for further contours nor armrests.

Congratulations on choosing your new ride! Keep us updated about your new Triber.

[Tgo]

A car that’s going to be driven by a newbie driver, will get smashed around a few times, needs to be ‘cheap to get it back in shape’.

In terms of cost of body repair, Maruti and Tata are quite inexpensive.

I would suggest:
-i10 Nios 1.0 Turbo (MT or AMT)
-why not a Swift 1.2 (MT) again?
-safer option would be a Tiago 1.2 (MT)

Some other points that cross my mind:

-Back seat of the Altroz is a little more upright than I would like. Otherwise a very competent car, I doubt you’ll stay under the 10L budget with the iTurbo MT. Considering only top end variants here.

-Also, depending on what you think about 2 vs 6 airbags. Something that’s going to become mandatory. Getting a 4/5 star rated car now when the cars are cheaper makes more sense.

-Kiger, being a Renault will win you over by its ride quality. Take a look before eliminating it altogether.

-If you’re considering lesser variants, Nexon has the most powerful engine starting from the base variant itself which is well under the price range.