[agbenny]

Compass.

Jeep's bold move and the price to crack the segment is appreciable! What customers get is an all-in-one product, that is, a Car like SUV, Not too big, packed with features, option to choose the fuel type, 4 wheel drive and AT.

Though it is a micro-Jeep, is still has the bloodline of the brand. A clear winner that should make a loud entry, if they market it well. (Which is something Ford entirely missed out with Endy last year).

Not sure about the after-sale service though.

BTW - Why Ecosport 2017 missing on the list?

[C300]

Voted for Jeep Compass. Made in India for the world with a 5 star safety kit and a mass market appeal. Hopefully it changes the fortunes of FCA in India.

[Vik0728]

Looking forward to your votes, and also the reasoning behind your choice. Thanks!

Voted for the Jeep Compass

I am quite surprised I feel this way, but Jeep Compass is the first SUV that I have liked !! In fact I would only the RR Evoque or BMW X6 a second glance. But ever since I spotted the Compass, my views have slightly changed.

What makes the Compass truly special is the fact that it is here in almost its international form, basically a world product.

I have 2 more reasons for this vote though:

Originally Posted by agbenny

Compass.

BTW - Why Ecosport 2017 missing on the list?

I think you probably missed out the Bullet 2 from the GTO's list of qualifiers. I am assuming that the 2017 Ecosport falls into this category here.

[sandx]

Took some time to delve upon my choices before hitting the vote button. List was curtailed to the Dzire, Nexon and the Compass, finally opting for the Maruti. This is one transformation which has taken everyone by surprise and the manufacturer must have gauged the instant hit factor at the outset to break apart from the swift lineage. It is a great car indeed, the rear wheel hub recall nonetheless and something which is within the reach of many 4 wheeled aspirations.

Not surprised by the Jeep Compass leaning towards a win though at this stage. It is a capable and deserving vehicle as well and looks the part for sure.

[swiftdiesel]

The first and most likely the only voter for the Volvo XC60. For me a good looking car is half sold in my books and the Volvo has 'em by the truck load. The premium segment was getting a bit tired with the Germans and voila we have a Swedish contender and a worthy one at that. I love every Volvo in the current line up and the XC60 is gonna take the game further. For the asking price (estimated), I reckon it's one of the best mid-size luxury SUVs out there.

I'm actually eyeing the XC40 when it launches. Really looking forward to own a Volvo soon, perhaps the XC40 would be it.

[lamborghini]

Some tough choices out there - my personal shortlist:


1) Tata Tigor: Well priced and good quality giving cars a sub-segment higher a run for their money.

2) Maruti Swift Dzire: It's new, it's popular, and it has taken the game forward. However, giving it a miss because it hasn't really taken the game forward significantly as compared to competitors.

3) Tata Nexon: A tough one - this has the potential to really shake up some of the established competitors, especially with the new diesel engine. Would make it to the Top 5.

4) Hyundai Verna: This is one of the rare times I quite like a Hyundai. However, it really hasn't moved the segment ahead by much. However, would count it in my top 5.

5) Tata Hexa: This is my vote - unlike other Tata's that have taken the fight to Maruti & Ford, this has taken the fight straight up to the Innova - and that is a mean feat!

6) Jeep Compass: Attractive, well priced, would be my top 5.

7) Skoda Kodiaq: A proper luxurious SUV in a segment dominated by ladder on frame vehicles. With it's superior comfort and features - it is bound to move the segment forward.

8) Mercedes Benz E Class LWB: This is here just because the LWB has shaken up the segment, and it shows in it's fantastic sales. Heck - this is one car I wouldn't mind in the garage despite it's shortcomings (lack of a few important features such as real leather seats + premium sound system + nice alloys, will rattle because of sunroof design, no trunk space, average suspension ride quality). The Lexus is right up there in terms of comfort and makes a better argument to the head for the chauffeur driven - but this E Class balances the head and heart equally well. Top 5 for sure!

[ampere]

There are two contrasting thoughts that run through this theme.

1. Product(s) that are on the path to undo a brand perception and set it right. I refer to Tata. They released amazing products from their stable and each one better than the previous.

2. Product(s) which define the state of a brand to begin with and build an initial impression. Compass is what I refer to here.


Just for the product alone which makes your heart skip a beat its the Compass for me. Had it been the company of the year, that would be Tata.

[Strangerintown]

As others have pointed out, it is amazing that two of the top three so far are from the Tata stable. Who would have thought, a couple of years ago, that a company making boring (except the safari!) cars could capture mind space of auto enthusiasts in this manner. Great going!

As for the Compass, it surely has bought FCA back to life in India. The fact that they stuck to a new brand (in India) for their recovery of course helped to make a break from the past. But then the quality of vehicles (as opposed to quality control) was never FCAs problem. Here is to hoping that they manage to keep a good thing going.

[hemanth.anand]

I got the PM from GTO to vote for the TBHP Car of the year. Immediately the name that came to my mind was the Jeep Compass. Followed the link and went through the choices. I didn't look at the results before voting to avoid any influence it may have on my decision. The Hexa and the Tiguan came close but the Highest VFM or Bang for Buck was the deal breaker. Jeep Compass it was for me! No wonder 42% of the voters are with me

Originally Posted by GTO

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).

You sound like a fanboy!

[GypsyKing_775]

Voted for TATA Hexa for the following reasons (Purely my opinion)
A Spacious 7 Seater. Good looking as well
Solidly Built and excellent quality materials.
Value For money (Even the XE comes fairly loaded, but should have fog lights included)
Nicely integrated AMT.
400 NM Varicor Engine.

[R2D2]

As with GTO for me it was a tie between 2 SUVs; the Tata Hexa and Jeep Compass. I've seen them in the 'flesh' and while the Hexa is large and looks impressive, very JLR inspired but my vote goes to the glamourous new Jeep Compass. She's a real looker in red. But I've not driven either of them.

Other contenders:

Lux segment: the MB E (love the new MB shapes and styling), BMW 5 G30 & coming very close behind were the Lexus ES300H. Audi? Meh. Methinks they've lost their mojo.

D2 - VW Passat
D1 - As an aside, if it were listed, my choice would certainly be that smokin' HOTTTTT 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS. Wonder why wasn't it in the list/nominated for COTY. You don't get better price/performance IMO.

C2 - Hyundai Verna
C1 - Tata Tigor Yeah, the 2nd Tata to catch my eye, there I said it.

[saurabh2711]

Voted for Hexa.
I understand that Jeep Compass is leading the race for obvious reasons of its quality & performance.

However What made me more happy was the next two in line are cars from Tata; Hexa-60 Votes & Nexon 52 Votes. The Tigor does carries 9 votes till I type this - way behind. This makes total of 121 votes for Tata (cars in the list) against 142 of Jeep. Tata leads for me in terms of the Brand at least, if not with an individual product.

I know there is a flip side to this as well; i.e. it took three Tata cars to match what Jeep accomplished with one.

Anyways, happy for Tata

Edit: By the time I am done typing its (70+61+9 - Tata) against 145 - Jeep.

Regards,
Saurabh

[1.2TSI7DSG]

For me, it came to be a very close call between compass and captur. Both are capable cars in their own respect. But then captur was an upmarket duster while the compass was an all new thingy which proved to be a game changer in the 16-25 l segment

[MaheshY1]

I was split between Ignis, Dzire, Verna and Compass.

Ignis: Great car. Well priced lower variants. Standard safety. Quirky styling (I'm into that). Overpriced higher variants. Odd interiors of lower variants. Overpriced AMT.

Dzire: Wow. It's the best-looking 4m sedan. Design and features justify its price tag. There are 84 unique combinations on offer and that should be a logistical nightmare. Chances are, the color, engine, transmission, variant you buy will be unique in your friend circle.

Verna: A rare Hyundai that appears to be underpriced. Long list of features and a platform shared with the Elantra makes it an excellent choice. Not enough to shake up the competition, though.

Compass: The Creta is a disease. It's overpriced and has fewer features than the Verna and even the i20. But it's selling because it doesn't have real competition. While the Creta is overpriced for what it offers, the Compass is underpriced despite being more expensive.
Compass is also a 'luxury' vehicle even if it lacks a few features while Creta is just an expensive car from a mass-market carmaker. Compass hits the sweet spot. Hyundai, Mahindra, Tata, everyone is scared.

Voted For: Jeep Compass

[Reinhard]

Hmm...Looks like the Compass will take the crown with Hexa and Nexon distant runner ups. Not bad for Tata still!

My vote went to the Tata Nexon. The car gives everything one can expect in this segment. Makes a very practical proposition as a regular use car while still giving wonderful creature comforts & commanding driving position with a superb diesel engine + gearbox combination.
It also is the one that will appeal to a much larger customer base compared to the Compass considering the price brackets of the two cars.

Tata Nexon!

Also - what a LARGE list of options for the poll this time. Had even forgotten that some of these were launched just this year! So much churn in the car market. Nice to see as auto enthusiasts. Of course - this might be a sign of late fluttering and rush to make money on ICE cars before electric cars take the ramp to themselves...