[KL01toKA03]

Voted for the Hector. It is phenomenal to see a Chinese product disrupt a segment where people were not really considering anything other than the Innova. This is a segment where the likes of Suzuki and Hyundai could not come up with any answers. If the Hector could match the Innova without a 7 seater variant, they might destroy the Innova once they have a 7-seater variant and iron out any initial glitches.

[dailydriver]

Talk about a present that portends THE future and you will easily zero in on Hyundai Kona as a car that deserves a lot of accolades.

I clearly know that my choice will not be crowned the COTY 2019; e-cars are far too removed from the general populace and the enthusiasts too to warrant a vote. But in the absence of Tesla, Kona is the only true blue current car in India. It might not be perfect; nor is it extraordinary. However, the very fact that it has SOLD OUT is reason enough to grant it a crown of its own.

[Behemoth]

Voted for Kia Seltos.
It truly is a game changer and with a huge number of variants spread out right from 11 lacs to 20 Lacs +, it has literally carpet bombed the whole Sedan and CSUV segment.
Kia's one car launch strategy has paid of well!
Also, another big advantage they have is BS6 engines right from the start, which are also very refined and efficient. It really sets the benchmark for the segment and has changed the game for all players. It even set a benchmark higher than the ones its sibling Hyundai had set earlier and excels in areas where Hyundai could not succeed.

[RaghuVis]

Voted for Seltos.

The other day I was going through some thread where someone said 2019 was a dull year for cars. Looking at the list of contenders, I find that statement amusing. I actually thought the selection is going to be very simple but now I find it not so! I think there are definitely some cars worth mentioning for me, at least 4 of them.
Kona
Hyundai has taken a giant leap with Kona which is well expected from market leaders like them. We always expect market leaders to come up with innovative, trend setting and aspiring products and Hyundai just gave us that . They have time and again shown how well they have read our markets and how well they are catering to it.
Triber
Triber for me comes closest to Seltos. In the most crowded SUV/CSUV/Sub 4m CSUV segment which has at least 2 dozen cars, they still came up with a car that has created it's own unique segment. Don't be surprised if you see a Hyundai or MSIL bringing competition to Triber 2 years down the line. Renault, surprisingly is not new to creating segment first cars in India. They first did it with Duster and then followed it up with KWID. My main grouse with them is that they sit on success and get complacent soon. Also they don't live up to it's international reputation in giving safe cars to India. Hope Renault acts on them.
Hector
With Hector, MG has done what is rarely seen in Indian manufacturing market(not just car market): Wholehearted acceptance of a Chinese product, which ideally should not be surprising but with majority Indian mindset it is. It's high time people realize that Chinese can build products of any standard. It all depends on what you want. With or without MG branding, you have to give credit SAIC for this. Barely few months into sale, everyone is aware now that MG is very serious about India. With clear road-map especially in electric segment, I won't be surprised if we see MG in top tier 3-5 years from now.

Now coming to my choice- Seltos
KIA has done something no one else ever attempted to do. Have a head on competition with Creta. We have seen so many SUV/CSUV/MUV launches in and around Creta but no one dared to have a direct fight. Such was the aura of Creta and look what KIA has done. They took the bull by horns and the results are here for everyone to see. Even if Creta comes back strong with new gen car next year, it can no longer afford to be complacent. India has accepted Seltos as an equal to Creta. Good thing for Hyundai that end of the day, it's both from the same tree.



Can we also have a Team-BHP flop of the year/disappointment of the year. I am yet to rant on my disappointment with Harrier.

[Axe77]

This is the simplest COTY I can recall for a long time. Its the Seltos for me and I can't even be bothered to explain the reasons which are already well articulated here.

Sidenote: If the Camry Hybrid could retail 5 lakhs cheaper, I would definitely have scratched my head a bit before voting. I have a solid soft corner for that car.

[sriks]

I think this year the Car of the year will easily be the Kia Seltos. What a lovely car with a wonderful package.

I am torn to the Kona since it opened a new market for premium cars. Unfortunately the infrastructure in India is just not ready yet.

[AYP]

1. Maruti S-Presso-

Looks too funky for my liking. Engine is supposed to be great.

2. Maruti WagonR-

Same old formula, with a much better engine.

3. Renault Triber-

A good 7 seater which doesn't make you feel shortchanged.

4. Hyundai Grand i10 Nios-

A good offering like the i10 before it. For some reason, it just doesn't strike the cord like the Swift does. Maybe its due to the Swift 1st mover advantage, it's brand name or due to its sharper handling, sharper looks and better handling.

5. Hyundai Venue-

The 1.0 petrol would be my pick in this segment. For diesel though, I may still pick the Ecosport. A good product by Hyundai.

6. Mahindra XUV 300-

This is perhaps the 1st Mahindra that I wouldn't mind owning. I would avoid going for the Mahindra options in each and every segment except this one. I think with more and more Mahindras borrowing heavily from Ssangyong, this perception will hopefully be in the past. Great to see an Indian manufacturer coming up with such a solid product.

7. Nissan Kicks-

They needed to do a Kia Seltos with this one.

8. Kia Seltos-

Wide variants spread, mutiple automatic option, and the Hyundai factor greatly helped the Seltos. It could have been less expensive yes, but relatively speaking, it isn't priced too bad either.

9. MG Hector-

They have almost been able to pull of an XUV here. In fact if the Seltos wouldn't have arrived, I am pretty sure that this one would have seen even more bookings. The pricing and the truckload of features are the main draw for this one.

10. Tata Harrier-

Should have had more features, more engine options and an automatic. Better QC is anyway expected.

11. Honda Civic-

No 1.5 Turbo?

12. Hyundai Kona-

First mover advantage.

13. Toyota Camry-

Would prefer the Germans.

14. BMW 3 series-

I have nil experience of it.

15. Audi A6-

No diesel!

Out of the above, I'd say my final pick would be between the Venue, the XUV 300, the Seltos and the Hector.

The Venue does many things right but nothing too special. The XUV 300 is an excellent product from Mahindra and I see them going only North from here.

Between the MG and the Kia, the MG offers great value for money with great features and a great diesel engine. The panaromic sunroof was an excellent feature addition.

However, it is the Seltos which makes other cars feel a generation old. And not only in its own segment, but in the segment above as well. Imagine someone buying a Tucson and then sitting inside a Seltos. Indeed the Tucson is a bigger car and has a better engine, but nothing inside-out feels as modern as the Seltos. The same is applicable for the Compass and to some extent even Harrier as well. The Seltos will make other manufacturers take note and improve upon their products. It has indeed set a benchmark not only for its own segment but to quite an extent, for the next segment as well.

My choice for the COTY will be the Kia Seltos.

[serious_maniac]

I would vote for Hyundai Kona. For me key contenders were:

Kia Seltos for stupendous success by a newcomer, but loses out owing to no pathbreaking innovation. So a marketing strategy executed very well for a good product. Same is true for MG Hector.
Triber was also a contender. Renault like an underdog, tries to win the prize by redefining the segment.

But of all contenders, Hyundai Kona redefines not just the segment but the sector itself. It is no Tesla but it is an aspirational product that has paved the way for electric cars in India. The impact goes beyond the numbers allocated. One can see that with the number of EV launches planned post Kona's success. As per me the car that deserves COTY and my money, when it is time to buy one, is Kona.

~sm

[BeantownThinker]

For me it was between the Hyundai Venue and the Kia Seltos. Both are segment disruptors in their own rights.

However, the race was won by Kia Seltos. The sheer fact that it is more expensive of the two and despite this selling in larger numbers than the competitor Creta ever did.

[reignofchaos]

This was the easiest poll in recent years. It's the Seltos for me for very many reasons:

- Fabulous quality inside out for the price point
- A modern, safe platform and modern bits and pieces
- A great choice of engines : there is one to suit every need
- A decent looker by Korean design standards
- No obvious noticeable cost cutting
- Well priced and even base models are well equipped.

Great job by Kia on their first car and it shows the market has appreciated the efforts.

[Arjun Reddy]

Voted for the Seltos. Great all round product, lots of variants, engines and transmissions. Loved the choice offered by Kia to the consumer.

Hyundai Kona and MG Hector/Renault Triber are number 2 & 3 for me.

This one was easy.

[dksv]

My vote goes to the KIA Seltos.

We badly needed an OEM who could disrupt the status quo in our market. KIA has set the bar very high in one segment with the Seltos. If they could similarly raise the bars in the other segments that they will eventually enter, we - the customers are going to be the biggest beneficiaries.

A close second would be the Renault Triber. What an innovative package!

[AdityaDeane]

My vote goes for the Renault Triber.

Having been researching for my next set of 4 wheels for around 3-4 years, finally a company has understood what the middle class family wants in their set of budget 4 wheels. The space, the modularity, the mileage, the maneuverability in small crowded Indian city roads, awesome ride quality and the excellent pricing all go in favor of my vote for the Triber as my personal car and as the Team BHP COTY 2019.

[NPV]

I liked the updated WagonR 1.2, but won't go as far as voting it the car of the year, Maruti's had way too many passes at improving this offering.

I liked the XUV 300 too, having seen it at close quarters (a friend owns one).

Still haven't seen the MG Hector and Tata Harrier in detail, but saw the Kia Seltos with another friend who bought it recently and I came away very impressed, needless to say bang for the buck and value for money, overall a very good package at a great price. This is the segment that has a lot of aspirational buyers who look for value for money and loaded features and Kia has hit bulls eye! So, the Kia Seltos is my choice for Team-BHP car of the year 2019. What a way to enter the Indian market at a time when the industry is seeing a slump in sales and still managing to sell in good numbers, way to go Kia, do not lose steam

[racer_ash]

For me it was a simple choice. The car of the year should essentially stand for something fresh and innovative. Considering the above, it is definitely the RENAULT TRIBER for me. This is a new launch that brings car like characteristics to a sub 4 m frame while also seating 7 with decent finesse.

I checked it out recently and if I were in the market for a car, this would be pretty high on my shortlist.