Team-BHP - Features comparison of Crossovers under Rs 10 lakhs

Features comparison of Crossovers under Rs 10 lakhs

This comparison is part of my comparison series. URL for last comparison which was for select vehicles in the Rs 6-8 lakh price range
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...akh-range.html

The earlier comparisons were of hatchbacks, sedans, MUVs, SUVs, soft-roaders. Now a new segment has emerged that of crossovers. Crossovers basically represent a class of vehicles (usual hatchbacks, sedan or soft-roaders which have a higher ground clearance and some body kit and/or rear mounted spare wheel to give them a semi-SUV look. Crossovers are generally targetted at the urban populace and the vehicles in their lifetime will atmost climb a kerb or two or visit the farmhouse or do some mild off-roading in hill-stations. They as such have no serious off-roading credentials (Duster & Aria AWD are exceptions, but then they are priced well over Rs 10 lakhs and in that price range one can buy full-fledged SUVs also).

The Crossover segment was actually started off by FIAT with its Palio Adventure model, way back in 2003. Ford with its Fusion was another early player (2004). Both the vehicles were indeed ahead of their times in terms of their image and utility. Now after almost 10 years, with the launch of the Duster, EcoSport, Etios Cross, Cross Polo & FIAT Avventura; the segment has seen a revival. People are looking for vehicles with SUVish looks, but without the hassles of owning a bigger vehicle viz. space taken on road / parking, manoeuvrability, maintenance, etc.

It is very difficult to delineate crossovers form the hatchbacks, sedan, soft roaders and MUVs, but the comparison here is as per my personal preference. In fact the Cross Polo and Etios Cross don't even cut the mustard in terms of ground clearance (some hatchbacks & sedan have a better ground clearance)- they are just the normal versions with some body kit added on and different fog lamps. In the comparison, have included the Tata Aria as well, since it is also a full blooded crossover. Though it is built on a ladder frame chassis and weighs almost 2 tonnes - a good 700+ kgs more than the other vehicles in the comparison - all weighing in at around 1150-1250 kgs, with the exception of the lighter Etios (950-1050 Kgs). The Aria in that sense is not a city friendly car, but is the only crossover option with seating for 7 passengers and that also with a starting price of just a shade under Rs 10 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi)

The term SUV stands for Sports Utility Vehicle and it represents a lifestyle segment for those who are interested in touring or going off the beaten track. Though technically speaking SUVs were earlier defined as generally off-road vehicles with 4WD/AWD capability as a prerequisite. But the automobile market worldwide is witnessing a trend towards 2WD & lighter vehicles which has rendered the description of the SUV less exacting and the emergence of new segments / marketing jargon such as ‘crossovers’ & ‘soft roaders’.

Models and their variant that have been compared in this comparison:

1) FIAT Avventura (Active) – 1.4 P / 1.3 D
2) Toyota Etios Cross (G / GD) – 1.2 P / 1.4 D
3) Ford EcoSport (Ambiente) – 1.5 P / 1.5 D
4) Toyota Etios Cross (V / VD) – 1.5 P / 1.4 D
5) FIAT Avventura (Dynamic) – 1.4 P / 1.3 D
6) VW Cross Polo – 1.5 D
7) Ford EcoSport (Trend) – 1.5 P / 1.5 D
8) FIAT Avventura (Emotion) – 1.4 P / 1.3 D
9) Ford EcoSport (Titatnium / O) – 1.5 P / 1.0 TP / 1.5 D
10) Renault Duster (RXE) / Nissan Terrano (XE) – 1.5 D (85 PS)
11) Renault Duster (RXL/Plus) – 1.5 D (85 PS)
12) Tata Aria (Pure LX) – 2.2 D only

I have considered variants as per my personal criteria. Have added a few technical parameters and features in this comparison in addition to the hatchback and sedan comparisons I had done earlier. These are:

- BHP & Torque per tonne: Power to weight ratio for acceleration
- Ground clearance
- Skid plates
- Side cladding / Rub rails
- Roof rails
- Spoiler with High Mounted Stop Lamp (HMSL)
- Spare wheel placement

I have made 4 broad sub-groups depending upon price - Rs 6-7, 7-8, 8-9 & 9-10 lakhs approx. I’ve also colour-coded Unique features (purple), some Delight(ful) features (yellow) that tend to enhance the ownership experience to a heart-warming extent. This highlighting is all relative to the immediate competition in the price range. Have also mentioned Glaring omissions (orange), which are features not present in one model but is there in all or most of the other models being compared in the same segment or across segments or a feature not available even on the top-end variant, or is a sort of cost-cutting measure in a certain way.

Following are some of the Features common across all the car variants considered in this comparison

Day/Night IRVM
Digital clock
Low fuel warning lamp
Internal boot release (except EcoSport & Cross Polo – only push release)
Front & rear seatbelts (lap belt for middle passenger)
Storage pocket in front doors
Height adjustable front headrest
Folding rear seats
Child lock on rear doors
Headlight beam adjuster (required by the law)
High mounted stop lamp (required by the law)

Points to Note:

- Cross Polo & Etios Cross are not crossovers in a true sense, as they have only some additional body kit. There is little change in ground clearance in case of Etios Cross and none whatsoever in Cross Polo, which is infact lower than some other hatchbacks and sedans in general

- The Avventura is a step up with quite high ground clearance, rear mounted spare wheel, plus addition of trail / terrain gauges (Digital compass, inclinometer and tilt meter) in the dash. Also the aluminium roof rails are sturdy and of utility rather than a cosmetic addition

- The EcoSport is a crossover from the ground up and not a modified hatchback. Its size and practicality is suited to urban driving conditions and the sales have been fairly robust since launch, marred only by capacity constraints and misplaced priorities of the Ford w.r.t. to the Indian market with a bias towards exports

- Duster & Terrano are a size larger than the EcoSport and their humble origins as Dacia’s are not apparent in its sales, even with ever increasing prices. Three variant options available under Rs 10 lakhs (Ex-showroom Delhi) for Duster (RXE, RXL & RXL Plus) and one variant for the Terrano (XE)

- Tata’s Aria was conceptualised and launched as a crossover, but it hasn’t gone down very well with the people. Neither a SUV nor a practical MUV; the Aria is an under-rated vehicle because of its identity crisis. It is the largest, most spacious & heaviest crossover in this comparison and the only one with rear-wheel drive

Most of the information has been collated from the manufacturers’ website for their respective cars and their brochures (so it is liable to change anytime at manufacturer’s discretion). Inclusion of some models & exclusion of others are solely on my personal criteria for comparison.

P.S. There are some blanks (“?” in the sheet) which need to be filled – so if owners of those vehicles can pitch-in, it would be great. Please report to me any anomalies in the analysis, as owners of these models would have a better idea and even the manufacturers also sometimes inadvertently don’t give the complete information or the details are mentioned incorrectly in their communication (online / brochure). I have tried to cover all possible features, but if any have been left out owners can point it out, preferably with supporting pictures (and remember they should be of same variant compared here). Please note that we are considering only the latest variants of the respective cars, say 2014 model and not the earlier ones or the ones that are no longer produced