[Jeevith]

Where are these vehicles being spotted during a lockdown!? I'm really confused.

These have to be some old pictures.

[Bibendum90949]

If I were to buy a car of this space and price, I would rather wait for compact suv like Kia Sonet. There would be overlap of prices I guess with the top spec i 30 and a car like Kia Sonet - more GC and hence more peace of mind. And it would be a better connected car too than i 30.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

And it would be a better connected car too than i 30.

This is perhaps, way too much belittling of the i30.

I've sat in the Seltos, trust me the interiors are not a patch on Hyundais, nor the build quality. My reference point is Elantra, which depending on variant, is either just about 1-2 lakhs more than Seltos (even less with discounts) or cheaper.

The i30 essentially, is a more practical Elantra, its underpinnings is that of a D Segment sedan, its space and ride quality will be the same. The weirdly proportioned Sonet stands no chance in my view

Though both are sister companies, and both extensively use each others R&D, worldwide it is Hyundai that is the more refined, more comfy car. If the i30 makes it here, I will be one of the first customers. I'll also gladly pay the cost difference in case it is CKD. We're essentially paying for a world class, 5 star safety rated, much praised vehicle.

[motorworks]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

This is perhaps, way too much belittling of the i30.



I've sat in the Seltos, trust me the interiors are not a patch on Hyundais, nor the build quality. My reference point is Elantra, which depending on variant, is either just about 1-2 lakhs more than Seltos (even less with discounts) or cheaper.



The i30 essentially, is a more practical Elantra, its underpinnings is that of a D Segment sedan, its space and ride quality will be the same. The weirdly proportioned Sonet stands no chance in my view



.

Just wondering if we are comparing apples to oranges. The Seltos should be compared to the New 2020 Creta, Elantra is clearly from one segment above. Also, the Seltos starts from as low as 11-12 lakhs on road and goes all the way up to 21.5 lakhs for the top end AT. Whereas the AT in Elantra is about 24.5 lakhs.

I own a 2018 Creta and having seen the interiors of the Seltos, I dont think that Kia is lower than Hyundai when it comes to interior quality levels. And lastly, with regard to the Sonet, it looks far more cohesive in design than the Venue. Just like how the Seltos has almost matched the sales of the Creta, I feel even the Sonet will do relatively well, although it has higher competition in this segment.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by motorworks

I own a 2018 Creta and having seen the interiors of the Seltos, I dont think that Kia is lower than Hyundai when it comes to interior quality levels. And lastly, with regard to the Sonet, it looks far more cohesive in design than the Venue.

Well, the post I was replying to, was also a bit off, when it showed comparison to i30 with Sonet, hence I used the refrence point of Elantra (which is the platform twin of i30) being much, much superior to even Seltos, leave alone a segment below Sonet. That was my intention of bringing Elantra into the mix, this is after all the i30 thread and the Elantra is the closest thing we have to it.

And, having test driven Seltos with the intention of buying, I still stand by my views, it was poorly put together compared to even the Getz I had, it wasn't a tight car and that DCT was a total mess. I know it is too much of a contrast from popular opinion, but here it is. When I sat in the new Creta just prior to lockdown, it felt a level above from the Seltos.

Somehow though, I guess I'll always prefer a medium slung car, compared to the higher slung nature of crossovers or mini suvs. People praise the DCT Seltos but my 6 speed TC Elantra will smoke it in 5 different ways.

[drhoneycake]

I really hope Hyundai has plans to bring this here along with the fastback version. I feel it would carve a segment of its own.

I’m a sucker for sedans. To hell with crossovers and SUVs, Hyundai please bring the i30 fastback and I’ll be at your showroom with my chequebook.

In this pretty red please.

https://youtu.be/jVtmAE8XFK4

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

This is perhaps, way too much belittling of the i30.

hello dark Knight,

I was in no way trying to denigrate the i 30 or Hyundai . I intended to say for the space and price that i30 offers, I would rather put my money on a compact suv or even a mid size suv in the same price range as an i30 for the peace of mind it offers with a higher GC.

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Well, the post I was replying to, was also a bit offwhen it showed comparison to i30 with Sonet,

Again that comparo was purely on space and price. Guess the i30 is speculated to be priced around 10-12 lakhs ex showroom which means it's bang in the price range of entry variants of Seltos or even a supposedly top trim Sonet. In that sense my pick would be a Sonet/Seltos as against an i30.

I don't quite believe in the premium hatchback concept in Indian context (read road conditions). No matter the space it offers , its ground clearance is a big downer. Imagine a fully loaded hatchback on a bad stretch of road ( which one encounters more frequently ) and a compact suv on similar stretch - I would prefer to be driving a compact/mid suv if it's coming in the same price as a premium hatchback (i 30 , Baleno et al). Of course ground clearance is not the only criteria of choosing a car - there are much more important factors as engine , transmission, safety , style etc.

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Though both are sister companies, and both extensively use each others R&D, worldwide it is Hyundai that is the more refined, more comfy car

I'm sure you'll change this opinion on refinement if you drive the Seltos diesel. Not sure whether you drove the petrol or diesel.

Originally Posted by dark.knight

And, having test driven Seltos with the intention of buying, I still stand by my views, it was poorly put together compared to even the Getz I had, it wasn't a tight car and that DCT was a total mess.

Well " the poorly put together " is bit of putting down a well engineered and a well built car. Surely, Getz was a top quality car during those times. Yes DCT concerns are a different subject altogether and how it plays spoilsport has been discussed at length in this forum.

Originally Posted by dark.knight

I've sat in the Seltos, trust me the interiors are not a patch on Hyundais, nor the build quality.

I own a Seltos. I feel the interiors and the fit and finish is of top notch and found to be having almost the finesse of German cars - just my personal judgement, I may be wrong here.Yes build quality is nowhere near Germans. But if you compare build quality of Seltos with Hyundai's in general ( not sat or driven a new Creta , hence I can't compare ) , I feel its on par or even a tad better. Certainly it has certain weak points and few niggles associated with any new model.But from what I read from various reports, both these cars being siblings, are sharing lot of interior parts (Infotainment, buttons etc). Surely you're a much experienced person when it comes to cars and I may well be wrong here.

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Somehow though, I guess I'll always prefer a medium slung car, compared to the higher slung nature of crossovers or mini suvs.

I'm assuming you're referring to low seating here. I guess this is a matter of personal preference. After having driven hatchbacks and sedans all my life, I'm beginning to realise the advantages a suv/crossover hold on our Indian roads. I too had the same preference of sitting low in a car ( I always used to set the seat height the lowest except in cases of bad roads and hilly terrains to get better view ) which gives comfort and confidence owing to the low centre of gravity. In my Seltos during it's initial days, i've set the seat position to its lowest setting as I couldn't come to terms with the high seating. But the seat height started to rise as days passed by and now it's on its max height setting . Now when I switch to my sedan, the seat is adjusted at its highest point

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

I was in no way trying to denigrate the i 30.

Not at all, you're as entitled to your unique point of view as is anyone else, I was just curious, is all, which is why I used "perhaps" in my statement, none of us have any stake in any of our cars other than the capital we invested in it, but posts like yours and mine can certainly help bring out small differences even between badge twin models.

Again that comparo was purely on space and price. Guess the i30 is speculated to be priced around 10-12 lakhs ex showroom which means it's bang in the price range of entry variants of Seltos or even a supposedly top trim Sonet. In that sense my pick would be a Sonet/Seltos as against an i30.

The Sonet/Venue and Creta/Seltos, are value models, even though they may be overpriced by a few ten thousands. The i30 is a semi-luxury model, with perhaps 7 airbags as standard, soft touch plastics, better NVH, build and finesse. The choice is of course, with the buyer.

I'm sure you'll change this opinion on refinement if you drive the Seltos diesel. Not sure whether you drove the petrol or diesel.

I drove the top end DCT, it felt a bit laggy, a bit loud because in sudden kickdowns it just pushed the revs out while the speed didn't rise at all. In all the buttons were a bit clicky, the seats were a bit too firm and the transmission was jerky as well, not a good first experience. I will say though that no 2 persons first impressions can ever be the same and from a pure factual perspective, only a long term ownership can show the light. All I did was a test drive.

I own a Seltos. I feel the interiors and the fit and finish is of top notch and found to be having almost the finesse of German cars - just my personal judgement, I may be wrong here.Yes build quality is nowhere near Germans.

Oh this even though I never mentioned it, I completely agree, I got a total Audi vibe from the car, the fit and finish compared to rivals, it just blows them away, it felt every bit an Audi visually but in terms of driving tightness and DCT programming it fell apart. I didnt highlight the interiors excessively because I've come to expect it from the Koreans.

I'm assuming here, that the i30, will be very close if not better than its other platform twin the Kona. I drove the Kona Electric and that felt like it was a piece of rock, very very tightly screwed interiors and exteriors, the door shut thumped like an Audi.
For someone on the lookout for cheaper alternatives of the Audi A3, the A Class etc, the i30 might be a perfect choice at about half cost. Which was my very first point that this is a niché purchase and cannot be clubbed with pure value oriented cars.

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Oh this even though I never mentioned it,

Below were your words in your previous post and I was surprised and confused with those comments

"i've sat in the Seltos, trust me the interiors are not a patch on Hyundais, nor the build quality"

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Below were your words in your previous post and I was surprised and confused with those comments

Yes that is true because many of the panels were creaking when pressure is applied, I also understand that not many buyers will do what I do but I push, press and check weak-points of door trims, dashboards, consoles etc (the Seltos console was creaking big time). Also button presses were clicky and not fully damped, same with indicator levers, wiper levers, roof lights etc.

It's way too micro-detailed which most won't observe at all but I did feel Hyundais are ahead in overall refinement and plush ride while Kias have rough edges and a bit sporty to drive. I'm quite sure of this because I drove the Kia 12 kms in various familiar conditions and roads, where the Elantra wouldn't even have transmitted a few road undulations and would've been quieter.

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Yes that is true because many of the panels were creaking when pressure is applied, I also understand that not many buyers will do what I do but I push, press and check weak-points of door trims, dashboards, consoles etc (the Seltos console was creaking big time). Also button presses were clicky and not fully damped, same with indicator levers, wiper levers, roof lights etc.

Now I understand where you're coming from on those points. I too second it when you said most buyers wouldn't check such fine details. I guess the true quality of fit and finish of a car would be known once it clocks many miles under its belt. The creaks and squeaks you mentioned would be out in the open then.

Thank you for the clarification. Appreciate it.

[Turbokick]

The car already looks old now with the likes of new i20, elantra, creta, nios etc looking fresh (if not beautiful). The rear end particularly looks previous gen creta like which wasnt cutting edge at the first place.