[vamsi.vadrevu]

I would recommend Punch, Nexon or XUV 300 as they have the best safety ratings (5 star) and are practical and popular.

Next are Maruti Brezza, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger. They get proper automatics if you don't like AMT. They get 4 star safety rating. Please note that Nissan and Renault do not have service centers everywhere. (I personally own a Nissan Magnite because a service center is less than 10 minutes away for me)

Then you have the Honda City (sedans are difficult to drive over large speed bumps and unpaved Indian roads). If your regular routes do not have any such surprises, sedans are the best!

Test drive all the vehicles you're considering. Good luck!

[shancz]

Originally Posted by DiptiSrivastava

1. "Is there any other hatchback that I will not regret buying if not wagon R". ?

Welcome to TBHP.

1. You can try the Ignis, Fronx, i20 IVT, Altroz DCA but I would suggest you read further on

Having driven every generation of the wagonR and currently driving a 2016 model, some points to consider:
- The first thing to be adapted is the width as almost every car is wider now and the second is the length like the City you drove.
None of these are very challenging but just need some adjustments and estimations.
The City is an excellent car and if you want it, get it.

13 years with the wagonR deserves an upgrade
I would recommend not to compromise on the following features :

- auto folding and powered mirrors
- auto AC
- good Infotainment
- larger wheels and tyres
- significantly better suspension
- AT : if you're not a fan of the manual transmission but only consider a proper AT

Which cars suit this is upto you, I am listing some which come to mind, not in order :
- Ignis : is a worthy replacement but not an upgrade and doesn't have a proper AT
- Exter/Punch : different, slight upgrade, better ambience but no proper AT
- Brezza : the driving position is better and has proper AT

If you're not wowed by any of them or their likes, get the City.


PS : We have issues with garage width and of late the only wildcard to have gained some interest is the Jimny, primarily for its width and smaller doors but I am not very optimistic about it. Although an unexpected transition and over budget but give it a shot nonetheless.

[thebonedoc]

Originally Posted by DiptiSrivastava

"Is there any other hatchback that I will not regret buying if not wagon R".

From your words, it looks like you truly is a VFM person.
Actually, there is no car in the hatchback segment that can beat a Wagon R in terms of reliability, mileage, roomy cabin, high driving position, and a useful boot.
I would suggest to seriously give a thought to the 2022 Wagon R 1.2 L AMT.
Of course, only if you have not bought one till now

[thecapri]

i have a similar situation in my house for my dad.

He is currently having a WagonR and wants to "upgrade". Considering his age ( >75) and his careful driving habits I tried to convince him to either go for an Alto K10 or Hyundai Santro.

But he insists on a "better" car. Budget ~10L. Manual only.

Any recommendations ? Driving is strictly basic, all we needs is AC, Radio, Power Steering, Power Windows, Airbags. He will probably use it for 250 Km per month.

In my head i was thinking Baleno, Swift, Espresso, Ignis --- The first 2 i think are too much for him. Espresso has extremely poor safety rating.

I am tending towards Ignis.

Please let me know if there are eye openers for me.

Cheers,
TheCapri

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by thecapri

Considering his age ( >75) and his careful driving habits I tried to convince him to either go for an Alto K10 or Hyundai Santro.

But he insists on a "better" car. Budget ~10L. Manual only.

Since he is driving a Wagon R, he is better used to tall boy cars than the Alto or new Santro or Baleno.

My best bet is the Ignis. Do take him for a test drive, let him decide.

[thecapri]

Update -

He has decided to go with WagonR - VXI-Manual.
He somehow did not feel comfortable with Ignis though it was my recommendation.

We added Alloy Wheels , Touch Screen and Parking sensors to the car. Due to year end we have got a good deal. The buy back offer on his existing WagonR was pretty good. We got 3L. I was expecting max 2L given the condition it was in and how old it was (7 years).

I will do the antirust and lamination from outside. The dealer is charging me 6.5K for that. I think thats a tad costly.

Dad Happy, I am Happy

Cheers,
TheCapri

[freakmuzik]

I'm hijacking this thread as my query is exactly the same coming off from a Wagon-R K10 2010 VXI+.

So, this car is used by my mother and father, primarily by my mother. She's super used to its comfort, height and the extreme convenience. The car has run 96,000 kms in 14 years and has started showing its age as well. So, we are looking to change it and my parents are really inclined to the new Wagon-R.

So, we went for a test-drive and man, that car is the practicality KING! I can literally walk into the car, acres of legroom, headroom, amazing boot space, sufficiently decent feature list and a good 1.2 L engine with a very manageable AMT. The manual gear stick is super slick too! To add to it, the peace of mind of being a Maruti is next to none. Worried about the build quality and safety, I have been pushing them away from the W-R, but after the test drive, I can see why this car works so much, esp for the elderly.

We're going to try out the Punch tomorrow and though my mother hates the shape of the Ignis, I might get her to try that too. With our budget being 10 L on-road, are there any other worthy options for my mother coming from this crazy practical Wagon-R?

Thank you!

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

I'm hijacking this thread as my query is exactly the same coming off from a Wagon-R K10 2010 VXI+.

We're going to try out the Punch tomorrow and though my mother hates the shape of the Ignis, I might get her to try that too. With our budget being 10 L on-road, are there any other worthy options for my mother coming from this crazy practical Wagon-R?

Hard to beat a WagonR in terms of practicality. If they are fine with the size of a Brezza, the base variant offers great bang for the buck. Also, the overall package makes it a natural upgrade for someone coming from a WagonR.

If automatic is a non-negotiable requirement, Hyundai Exter can be considered apart from Punch and Ignis.

[condor]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

...that car is the practicality KING! I can literally walk into the car, acres of legroom, headroom, amazing boot space, sufficiently decent feature list and a good 1.2 L engine with a very manageable AMT.

In a not-too-different situation where we are replacing my wife's A-Star AT after about 9 years of peaceful usage. I had initially thought of the W-R, but a back-to-back TD of the W-R and Ignis Zeta AMT, the initial thoughts went out of the window. It took us about a minute to drop the W-R and decide on the Ignis.

Maruti, yes. Same AMT. The tune of 1.2 in the Ignis felt than that of the W-R. Boot space is lesser, but for our intended use in city, this is not an issue. Being of normal build, the head/leg room in the Ignis isnt an issue again. Wider tyres in stock config also help - though you can always change this in the Wagon-R.

Do check it out. Even the top-end Alpha AGS will be within your budget. Suggesting this also because of your comfort with the brand.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by self_driven

Hard to beat a WagonR in terms of practicality. If they are fine with the size of a Brezza, the base variant offers great bang for the buck. Also, the overall package makes it a natural upgrade for someone coming from a WagonR.

If automatic is a non-negotiable requirement, Hyundai Exter can be considered apart from Punch and Ignis.

We briefly checked the Brezza and yes, the ingress is super easy! I'll check that out too. Thank you!

I'm not a huge fan of Exter and I'm sure my mother would feel that car to be a 'sit-in' kind. Once spoilt to the walk-in entry of the W-R and it's flat floor, all I hear is complaints about every other car in the regard

Originally Posted by condor

In a not-too-different situation where we are replacing my wife's A-Star AT after about 9 years of peaceful usage. I had initially thought of the W-R, but a back-to-back TD of the W-R and Ignis Zeta AMT, the initial thoughts went out of the window. It took us about a minute to drop the W-R and decide on the Ignis.

Maruti, yes. Same AMT. The tune of 1.2 in the Ignis felt than that of the W-R. Boot space is lesser, but for our intended use in city, this is not an issue. Being of normal build, the head/leg room in the Ignis isnt an issue again. Wider tyres in stock config also help - though you can always change this in the Wagon-R.

Do check it out. Even the top-end Alpha AGS will be within your budget. Suggesting this also because of your comfort with the brand.

Sounds great!! I read about the Ignis suggestion in this thread and it makes so much sense. For sure will check it out.

Looking forward to update regarding these cars in a day or two. Thank you!

[freakmuzik]

Test drove the Punch AMT & Citreon C3 & Punch EV.

Punch AMT

Likes

• Very well appointed interiors
• Great view from driver's seat
• NVH was pretty good
• Very comfortable seats for 4 adults with good under-thigh support and decent legroom
• Decent boot
• Easy ingress and egress
• Brilliant ride and felt rock solid on the road
  

Dislikes

• AMT was a little slower to respond than W-R
• AC took a bit of time to cool the cabin (The TD vehicle was 25k run though)
• Power, though totally sufficient, wasn't amazing
• Biggest con is the lack of Hill Hold
• Horn position is the most impractical

Citreon C3 (1.2 NA)

Likes

• Very mature Ride and Handling
• Amazing AC
• Very good under-thigh support esp for front seats

Dislikes

• NVH was extremely poor with road noise and engine noise coming in
• Only Manual
• Interiors were super plasticky
• Lack of features
• The driver info display was super basic and looked very very poor
• The whole car felt like a Maruti it terms of flimsiness
• Non-adjustable rear headrests

Punch EV

Likes

• Amazing power with well laid out drive modes
• One pedal driving is super easy with the right regen
• Seat comfort and sufficient space
• Feature rich
• Ride quality and stability + All other pros of the petrol

Dislikes

• AC felt weak (TD car was again nearly 20k run and sun was crazy today)
• Slightly raised floor made seating position a little less comfortable than the petrol

We checked out Altroz. Though my mother and father loved the car in all terms, the driving position did not suit her.

Mother feels Brezza is too big for her. One thing I realised is for some, size is not about numbers. It's just a feeling. So yes, Brezza is out of contention. Ignis will be available for test drive later today or tomorrow. Will update about that tomorrow

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

We checked out Altroz. Though my mother and father loved the car in all terms, the driving position did not suit her.

Mother feels Brezza is too big for her. One thing I realised is for some, size is not about numbers. It's just a feeling. So yes, Brezza is out of contention. Ignis will be available for test drive later today or tomorrow. Will update about that tomorrow

Your observations are on-point. Take a thorough test drive of the Ignis in normal traffic conditions. When I drove these cars back to back in 2021, the WagonR just sailed through tricky spots with its slab-sided profile. One has to be a bit more careful with the Ignis. It has a squatted stance with flared fenders and much wider track as compared to the cabin. Elderly people might not like that. On the plus side, the cabin feel of higher variants is easily a few notches above the WagonR. Keep us posted on how it goes.

[freakmuzik]

Today's update includes Hyundai Exter and Maruti Ignis.

As I kept reading about safety and how ambiguous sometimes the ratings felt, I thought of giving the Exter a chance with its 6 airbags and all. Also, I saw an image of an Exter crash where the cabin looked intact. Though I do know such secondary means of analysis mean nothing, it helped my mind take a direction.

Hyundai Exter

Likes

• Extremely roomy interiors
• Plethora of features
• Featherlight steering wheel
• One of the better digital displays
• Humungous boot space
• AMT was pretty well tuned
• Amazing air-con

Dislikes

• Rear seats were extremely low compared to front, making the rear passengers feel very weird. Even the bolstering of the front seats did not work for me
• Driving experience was very toy-car like: Dead and too light a steering, whole car felt a bit floaty
• Interiors of the TD car had some faded plastics which was surprising
• Ride comfort was neither there nor here
• There was something about the car that felt like it lacked cohesion as a product and experience
• Engine felt average for some reason
• Finally, the looks didn't work for me at all

Must say, the Hyundai sales team were amazing!


Maruti Ignis

Likes

• Incredible view from the drivers seat makes the car feel so small and chuckable
• Love the engine tone and the power and its note
• AMT was really good. Did not feel like an AMT many a times
• Ride was very mature and the car felt planted till the 90 kmph I tried
• Sufficiently well kitted
• Front seats were very supportive
• Overall build felt way better than all entry level Maruti's
• I loved the MID controls placed outside - super mature
• Amazing air-con

Dislikes

• Rubbery steering with no-real feel and typical Maruti's lack of return-to-centre action
• Rear seats are slightly claustrophobic compared to the rest
• Shape of the rear
• The fact that the car is nearly 7 years old

Overall analysis

View from Driver's seat - Ignis>Wagon-R=C3=Punch=Exter
Ride Comfort - C3=Punch>Ignis>Exter=Wagon-R
Perceived Quality - Punch>Exter>Ignis>Wagon-R=C3
Front Seating comfort - Punch>Ignis>C3>Exter>Wagon-R
Rear Seating comfort - Punch>Exter>C3>Ignis>Wagon-R
Boot Space - Exter>Wagon-R>Punch>C3>Ignis
Engine+AMT - Ignis>Wagon-R>Punch>Exter
NVH - Punch>Exter>Ignis>Wagon-R=C3


Regarding the pricing,

Wagon R ZXI+ DT AGS- Rs. 8.30 L
Ignis Alpha AGS - Rs. 9.02 L
Hyundai Exter SX(O) AMT - Rs. 11.20 L
Tata Punch Creative AMT - Approx Rs. 11 L (from carwale)
Citreon C3 Shine NA Manual - Approx Rs. 9.3 L (from carwale)

But I must say - Tata Punch is such an incredible product by all means! It felt so solid, it felt the best to drive on the Highway, seats were amazing, the whole car felt rock solid and the only thing that felt decent might be the engine (improved over the launch version) and lack of Hill Hold. In the 8 to 11 L segment, the Punch is surely one of the best, if not the best, if you ask me in terms of the overall feel. Incredible job by Tata.

We are going to take yet another test drive of the W-R tomorrow for the final verdict by my mother. She really liked driving the Ignis but was okayish about the back seat. She is not inclined towards the Punch only because of the lack of hill hold in any variants. Ignis seems the perfect option otherwise but, I'll wait for the final verdict

[condor]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Punch .. It felt so solid, it felt the best to drive on the Highway, seats were amazing, the whole car felt rock solid ..

Nice collation of your observations there. I guess the prices mentioned are without accessories ? Are discounts included ?

Couple of suggestions:
If the car will be mostly used in city, then suggest to keep aside the highway behaviour aside. Also, a little focus on features that will be used in driving - like Hill-hold for example: is hill-hold necessary in the places that the car will be used ? From my knowledge of Chennai, it will be helpful in bumper-to-bumper traffic when on a flyover up-ramp. Else Chennai is fairly flat, unlike Bangalore.

If required, short list from the above and have another round of TD's - with your mother driving the short-listed cars.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by condor

Nice collation of your observations there. I guess the prices mentioned are without accessories ? Are discounts included ?

Couple of suggestions:
If the car will be mostly used in city, then suggest to keep aside the highway behaviour aside. Also, a little focus on features that will be used in driving - like Hill-hold for example: is hill-hold necessary in the places that the car will be used ? From my knowledge of Chennai, it will be helpful in bumper-to-bumper traffic when on a flyover up-ramp. Else Chennai is fairly flat, unlike Bangalore.

If required, short list from the above and have another round of TD's - with your mother driving the short-listed cars.

Thanks for the very valid points.

For Ignis, Exter and Wagon-R, the prices are after discounts and was told that once we finalise the car, they can add in additional accessories into the deal. I have not included any exchange bonus in the discounts. For the Punch and C3, the pricing is just from Carwale without any discounts as I never got a price list after TD.

This car will be used in Trivandrum by my parents and very occasionally on the highway. We have decided Hill Hold to be a must-have feature as we will keep this car for very long and the convenience it gives my parents is the first priority. Roads in Trivandrum, other than the main ones, are all very narrow and surprise you with very steep inclines, off-late with a lot of traffic as well. Here's a short list of must have qualities & features.

• Easy Ingress/ Egress
• Sufficient power for being driven on weird Kerala inclines with the AC on
• Automatic
• Hill Hold
• Service availability
• Decent Boot Space
• Commanding driving position
• Rear Wash & Wipe
• Driver seat Height adjust

Punch is slowly fading away from our list as my father feels the service centres aren't proactive or very helpful (with our experience of having a Nano for nearly 14 years now). So it might be the Ignis or Wagon-R. We are having yet another test drive of the Wagon-R today.