[jessie007]

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

[jessie007]

Features comparison of Crossovers under Rs 10 lakhs

Click on any sheet to expand / zoom-in

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing.

[ottocycle]

Great. I was looking forward for this. Looks like of all these cars only Avventura, Duster and Torreno have 205 mm of ground clearance. Even Aria has only 200mm of ground clearance. This puts up a very strong case for Avventura. Hope it succeeds in the market.

[wilful]

Nice thread this one. I really think this category has explosive potential. Pity we are not seeing the likes of Nissan Juke and Renault Captur in the fray. I think the Ecosport would have had a tough time against these true compact crossovers and the customer would have been a winner.

[vibbs]

Nice comparison. However, I personally believe that Cross Polo, Etios Cross and Aventurra should not be compared alongside the other three. Because even though they can be termed as crossovers, they defenitely donot belong to the same segment as Aria and Duster.

Just how it is not apt to compare Ciaz and Superb since they belong to different segments.

[TheLizardKing]

Are you sure the auto-down windows on the Cross Polo are available only on the driver's side? That would be strange because the regular Polo has them on the front passenger's side as well. And unlike other makes, the auto-down on the driver's side is available for all four windows, and not just the driver's side window.

And against "Boot open with remote", what does "Only unlock" mean? The boot locks when you close it, at least on the Polo (I don't know about the other makes). So I would have just put a "Y" against it. Less confusion that way don't you think?

[msdivy]

Great comparison. Good to see Aria & Duster in the mix. Note that top end crossovers are priced in C2 segment, though they are still B2 cars in terms of space.

[jessie007]

Originally Posted by TheLizardKing

Are you sure the auto-down windows on the Cross Polo are available only on the driver's side? That would be strange because the regular Polo has them on the front passenger's side as well. And unlike other makes, the auto-down on the driver's side is available for all four windows, and not just the driver's side window.

And against "Boot open with remote", what does "Only unlock" mean? The boot locks when you close it, at least on the Polo (I don't know about the other makes). So I would have just put a "Y" against it. Less confusion that way don't you think?

You are right. Since Cross Polo is basically the Highline variant with some cosmetic changes, it will have Auto Down as well as Auto Up on all windows, plus anti-pinch also on all windows. Will correct the same in due course.

Regarding the boot, the button on the remote only unlocks, but doesn't open it. One has to push the VW logo to open the boot, which is not a big issue, but technically the bootlid is still latched. This is not the case in say the Figo, wherein the boot lid unlocks and is ajar, though one still has to lift the lid.

[extreme_torque]

Good one. Even the base model of the Avventura seems loaded with essentials like alloy wheels with wider tyres(all five!), front power windows and trip and fuel efficiency computers. I did not know it came with all five alloy wheels as standard. Great pricing by Fiat.

[rahul412]

But my grouse with Fiat is that it has decided to skip the essential safety equipments like ABS & Airbag on the lower & mid variants. I would any day prefer airbags over normal steel wheels.

[acidkill]

Nice analysis. But in all finality, Which vehicle are you recommending??

[fine69]

Originally Posted by jessie007

Features comparison of Crossovers under Rs 10 lakhs

Thanks! If you attach the excel sheet too it'd make the information far more easy to navigate across.

[ved]

Originally Posted by fine69

Thanks! If you attach the excel sheet too it'd make the information far more easy to navigate across.

+1, excel sheet would help immensely