[GTO]

Gosh, sure was tough choosing a car this year. I found myself stuck between the Compass, Hexa (most wicked car Tata ever made), Verna (what an all-rounded sedan) and Dzire (reinventing the segment by bringing some premium'ness & maturity).

But my head & heart kept going back to the Jeep Compass and this is my car of the year. The Compass is sexy, built like a tank, has a jewel of a 2.0L diesel, a typical European suspension & top notch safety (5 stars in the Euro NCAP). What's more, the EPS is surprisingly nice to use and it has a fairly competent AWD too.

I find the Compass immensely appealing. To look at. And to drive. Now, I don't need another car, but anytime that a sweet car is launched that I really like, I make someone close to me buy it (e.g. my brother & his 6-speed MT Jetta) so that I can take it when I want . Of late, I've been pushing a lot of people to buy the Compass, and a friend already got one (sadly, the Petrol DDCT variant).

The Compass is also important because it proves that - above all - the product is the most important. If a highly damaged company like FCA can sell a brilliant car, anyone can. For all the talent, capital, infrastructure, component suppliers, marketing, logistics, dealers etc. that go into making an automobile company, the most critical is the PRODUCT. This Jeep has brought FCA back from the graveyard.

As they say, there is no problem in the auto industry that a good car (err, SUV) can't solve .

[Sebring]

Nexon is the perfectly rounded product aimed at the aspiring middle class which is lapping it up. This was a ground-up greenfield project that ticks all the boxes. The styling is unique, interiors are luxurious & spacious and Tata has succeeded in developing such great engines, in both Diesel and Petrol. Gearing is excellent and the clutch is a joy to use. The infotainment is the best in the business. The specs, the tyre sizes, the plastics, the knobs, safety, steel thickness, colours everything is so ahead of the pack. My vote goes for NEXON.

[OSH]

Hmmm Tata's Hexa or Nexon ? It's the Tata Nexon for me. Simply because an COTY award has more relevance in Nexon's price range.

• A car that has solid built even though it undercuts it's competition in terms of pricing. Tata gave us what everyone wanted, more features than others for a price that is lower than the others.
• Current sales are ~4100 which shall increase with the launch of the AMT in the coming months. I find the sales quite good for a Tata considering the fact that it fights with the Brezza and Ecosport, both of which are indian favourites.
• Dealership experiences and aftersales is also sorted since the past few years.
• I feel it was one the most exciting launches of this year. The public was desperate to find out what this car was all about, remember the embargo breaking by Autocar, the whole fake comparo with the Brezza by Autoportal and not to forget the way we BHPians were waiting for the official review. This car surely did a superstar entry.
• Both the inhouse devoloped engines are slightly better than the rest.
• It has everything covered, class leading ICE system, no compromise on safety features/aspects, luxurious interiors, good boot space etc etc.

Ever since the Bolt/Zest days Tata is doing everything it can to improve it's image and at last they have got some people to start trusting them again. There were two areas where Tatas were criticized, poor quality of cars and bad aftersales. Going by the comments/reports/reviews of BHPians it looks like they have finally got over the said problems and the owners are very satisfied with their purchases.

My vote for the Nexon is also a way to appreciate the efforts of Tata.

[nmenon]

Voted for the Tata Hexa.

The reasoning is as below.
1. An Indian product that can actually claim to stand shoulder to shoulder with any international product.
2. The comfort and solidity and the relative ease of driving it. I test drove one was surprised that it was quite easy to drive compared to what I expected from such a big erm bus
3. That Stereo I know it's a small thing but not having to upgrade a stereo is in itself something great.
4. The Engine and Automatic gearbox combo. The Automatic is quite nice to drive.
5. Because I would not hesitate to buy it if I ever needed a comfortable 7 seater.

And Last and Most importantly because it was one of the leaders of Tata's comeback into the regular market.

[naveen.raju]

My vote goes to the Jeep Compass. That's one capable vehicle and a perfect upgrade for SUV enthusiasts who want a compact sized car. The sales thread does show how it's picking up and keeping the Fiat brand alive.

The new Verna will be my second choice considering how good an all rounder it is. It's definitely going to be the best seller in it's segment for sure.

I predict this will be a photo finish contest between the Nexon and Compass .

[OrangeCar]

Jeep Compass:

1. It has made a forgettable brand being noticed. Fiat. Introduced a new brand. Jeep.
2. At pricing of 20L+, it has given Hyundai (Creta), M&M (XUV500), Tata (Hexa), Renault (Duster/Captur), and many others jitters.
3. People seem to love it. (And are ready to get beaten for it too!).
4. Competent car - delivers almost on all fronts. Good P/D engines, transmissions, interior fit/finish.
5. Simply the most refreshing car among all the launches of the year.

[ptushar]

I was caught between Compass, Nexon and Hexa. And what really amazed me was that I had two Tata cars as the contenders. And now reading other comments, I see that many people have Tata cars in their final list. This itself is a great testament to the progress Tata have made in this field and so for the Indian Auto industry.

The choice was Tata Hexa for me. I am quite looking forward to the new Tata products on the horizon. Just that they need to be quick to launch rather than keeping the market waiting forever.

[Hickstead]

I do not find any other vehicle as compelling as compass in the list. I do not want to think about the ASS and dealerships as of now as we are voting for the vehicle here and not for the delivery & service experience. Compass has also proved that, it is the vehicle that has to attract the market but not the brand familiarity. My vote goes to 'Jeep Compass'.

[The Rationalist]

Jeep Compass without a second thought! Look at it and you can’t but like it! I haven’t driven it, but from what I gather its good to drive too. And it has single handedly given FCA a second or is it a third breath of life. It has clawed 1% market share. FCA has got the momentum to do something big and they better don’t squander this. With a couple more SUV’s and a Compact SUV, they can target 5 digit sales.

If it was another year, Nexon would have been the winner I feel. Too early to write off Nexon. But I feel Nexon lacks something which doesn’t make it special like the Compass.

[sharktale]

Voted for the Tata Nexon.

Reasoning : It's a braveheart attempt by the Indian manufacturer, and the car has been designed and packaged after listening to the consumers and following the popular trends. The turnaround definitely deserves a ThumbsUp from my end, as a consumer.
The car is fresh, modern and a looker. The power figures and initial reviews are also positive.

On reading the results, the Compass is trending at the moment. It's a great car nonetheless and a perfect entry strategy deployed by FCA. Hoping the service issues do not get carried forward. I didn't vote for the Compass because to me, the Nexon deserved this vote.

Cheers!

[TorqueyTechie]

Was confused between compass and Hexa but in the end voted for Tata Hexa. Why? Because :

1. A good VFM MUV from Tata which ticks all the safety boxes
2. Competes against innova and is equally good plus is priced cheaper.
3. Solid build , good quality interiors plus a good engine.

[centaur]

Originally Posted by GTO

Gosh, sure was tough choosing a car this year. I found myself stuck between the Compass, Hexa (most wicked car Tata ever made)

This was where I was stuck too but finally went ahead with the Compass. The reason - competitive pricing for an international product and it does look like and SUV unlike the Hexa. Again this was more like a mind vs heart thing but finally the mind did win!

[mrbaddy]

I did not vote yet as I have to decide between Compass (considered to splurge money for a while) , Hexa (almost zero'ed in) and Nexon (which I bought).

But I believe this year is not going to be of Tata even though they have three good cars for consideration. I think so because the votes will get split between Hexa and Nexon.

[Sacrosanct]

Split between Jeep Compass and Tata Hexa.

Finally voted for Hexa because it is an evolution for the Company and the product shows how far they have come in last 1year. Way to go Tata Motors

[The Brutailer]

Definitely Jeep Compass.

Why? Well, it proved, yet again a simple formula : Build a quality car and sales will follow sooner or later. I like the car because a legendary company like Jeep gave utter importance to a market in which it’s parent company is next to nothing. Unlike Chevrolet, they persisted and now they are cherishing the new found success which they deserve.

Let’s face it, Jeep is a company which is in the league of Mercedes Benz and likes. Yet, they diluted their brand image and bought an amazing car for the masses at a VFM price.

Compass is surely an brilliant car and the likes of XUV and such surely have to gonna pull their socks up. Hell, if not for the size, it even makes the likes of Fortuner obsolete.

Definitely on top of the list of my next car.