[Miel]

The Mahindra Thar 2020 will be the clear COTY winner for sure!
But, though the Thar is my personal favorite, the lack of boot space, no stock provision for a roof-top carrier, and the ergonomics of the 2nd row are a let down. Not that Mahindra's execution was bad. On the contrary they have done a superb job. In my book the Thar trumps the Jeep Wrangler 2-door any day. But, the Thar still cannot be the all-purpose primary car. So, I am looking forward to voting for the 5-door Thar as the COTY when it arrives.

Meanwhile, for me it is the Tata Altroz that ticks all boxes this year. Unconventional and futuristic premium looks, decent kit, with a 5-star safety rating, the Altroz is my COTY vote.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

It is a sad statement of our thought process that the biggest environmental fiend of a vehicle in the list is well on its way to becoming the COTY 2020 by popular vote, but the most environmentally- (and pocket- ) friendly vehicle on the list hardly gets the attention it deserves.

Well said SS Da and for a while I thought I have made a big mistake by voting in favour of the Thar. But then I realised that however true your statement might be, a vehicle like Nexon EV does not make sense for a person like me in the current scenario. My daily running within the city is very less and most of my trips are long distance ones. I would be struggling with any EV on those trips due to lack of infrastructure and absurd recharging times. So I will not buy an EV at present and would be unfair on my part to vote for one.

[Prashant_BHP]

It is Tata Altroz for me.

Refreshing to see a well built car from Tata stable.

[CARDEEP]

I selected Tata Altroz, for being safe & car for masses.

Thar will definitely be the TBHP car of year as it caters to enthusiasts & is safe enough. Even I'm interested in the 5-door version. But, it's an acquired taste for most people (read common man).

[Pkumarblore]

Mind was with the Altroz. But voted for heart this time. It has to be the Thar. Feels good to see 2 Tata cars in the top 3.

[longhorn]

Voted for the Tata Altroz. My shortlist was Altroz, Thar and Magnite.

The Magnite has a disruptive pricing and Nissan have done their homework well. Wish this model gets the success it deserves. The Turbo CVT variants are the pick of the lot. Didn't get my vote only due to unknown NCAP results.

The 2nd gen Thar is a top grade refresh from Mahindra. Honestly, I didn't expect it to score a 4 star NCAP rating. Commendable job there. Didn't get my vote because it is more of a lifestyle /2nd /3rd vehicle and will not really make the cut as the only car in the family for practical reasons.

Voted for the Altroz because of the commendable efforts from Tata to bring in a freshly baked product with 5 star NCAP rating right off the bat. It is the best looking premium hatchback on sale today with good ride and handling and a 20 kmpl + fuel efficiency for the diesel makes the Altroz my pick of the lot.

Edit :- The Nexon EV didn't get my vote because the range is not sufficient for long drives on a single charge and given the lack of charging infrastructure in our country, it doesn't make sense as a single car for the family.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Well said SS Da and for a while I thought I have made a big mistake by voting in favour of the Thar. But then I realised that however true your statement might be, a vehicle like Nexon EV does not make sense for a person like me in the current scenario. My daily running within the city is very less and most of my trips are long distance ones. I would be struggling with any EV on those trips due to lack of infrastructure and absurd recharging times. So I will not buy an EV at present and would be unfair on my part to vote for one.

The charging infrastructure in UK is pretty good AFAIK, allowing you to travel almost anywhere on the island with a range of 300 km or so, before finding a quick charging station. And your long distance trips across the Narrow Sea can well be done in a PHEV or hybrid too, but I believe the charging infrastructure even in Europe is very usable.

Within the city (especially the CBD regions), many places around the world have priority parking and charging points for EVs, the taxes are lower (or zero taxes as in the UK), and quick charging eliminates the need to have prolonged breaks to replenish the battery. Until we demand such facilities in India, it will never happen. And the first step of demanding such infrastructure is to vote for the Nexon EV which is big on range but not so heavy on the pocket.

Just FYI, I voted for the Hyundai Kona for COTY 2019. If there was a full hybrid or PHEV on sale in India, I would have voted for that (and definitely will, in future - because those don't depend on a widespread charging infrastructure to reduce their carbon footprint).

[WasherNut0402]

Im not able to vote. i am a registered user in Team BHP

[roby_dk]

Wow this was the easiest choice, didn't even check all options all my eyes were searching for the Mahindra Thar and voted for the same.

- Without any second thought it is a clear no-nonsense vehicle which can be driven on any tarmac.
- Have all bells and whistles and can compete with modern utility cars now.
- Automatic option is a boon for metro cities yet retaining that cult look and feel.

[myavu]

My favorite car in this list is Tata Altroz. But my vote goes to Nissan Magnite. The price point at which they are offered is unimaginable when cars like i20 & Sonet are priced at 15% to 30% more. The smooth CVT in Magnite is another advantage when compared to AMTs, iMTs and not so reliable DCTs offered by the competition.

NB: I considered a mass market car while voting. Mahindra Thar is a well engineered product but it is a - not for everyone kind of car.

Cheers!

[PaddleShifter]

I cheated (Saw poll results before voting).

Voted for Skoda Karoq.

Was expecting a close call between Altroz, Sonet, Thar and Karoq (despite Karoq being CBU and bit overpriced).

From a pure car point of view (leaving aside A.S.S.,price to some extent, maintenance et al), Skoda Karoq is the best car launched here in 2020 in my personal opinion.

Surprised to see Kia Sonet losing from Mahindra Thar by such a big margin.

[docprashant]

It has to be the Thar, no questions asked. The way it has redefined automotive demand has been stupendous. The right product, backed by the right research can do wonders in the market and Thar is a mighty fine example of the same. No compromises have been made in the product development and it shows.

The NCAP too has been a feather in its hat, something not associated with Indian vehicles before. Its great to see the the Indian stalwarts taking safety seriously too.

The improvements and advancements over the previous model is incomparable. Kudos to Mahindra for making a truly desirable vehicle!!

P.S: Only if the delivery fiasco gets sorted I may be queueing up in line too ;-)

[Tgo]

Voted for the Nexon EV

This is the car which has the most approachable price point for a nicely engineered EV. Without getting into the Battery and Motor technology, this is the one which makes most sense to most of the first time EV adopters. It isn't a half baked effort either, where corners are cut in terms of safety / ground clearance, features, charging options etc. A very well built car on an otherwise very safe and spacious platform. The move towards electric will be aided by more of these products in the future. Tata also has the ziptron drove train ready for other models in their stable. So its not just the Nexon as a product which calls for praises, but the drivetrain too which is modular.

My thoughts on the rest:

Nissan Magnite - A promising orphan from Datsun adopted by Nissan
Tata Altroz - It din't generate a fizz, leave alone the buzz in the market
Hyundai i20 - Just launched and the nicer variants seem too pricey for hatchback
Hyundai Aura - The rear styling kills it for me
Kia Sonet - Too cramped
Mahindra Thar - A great toy that came out all guns blazing. The only other car I thought about before voting.
Hyundai Creta - Then next meh car
Honda City - Honda established a reputation in a segment which is dying, and seems to want to cash in on that considering all the other flops in the stable.

--------------------- For now, my pocket doesn't approve the rest ---------------------

Volkswagen T-Roc
MG ZS EV
Skoda Karoq
Kia Carnival
MG Gloster
Audi Q2
BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe
Range Rover Evoque

[sachin_cs]

I would have liked to vote for the Altroz as its a very good car. But our Altroz XT Petrol delivered on 4th November has developed an oil leak from the engine within a month of use and I kind of have lost my faith in Tata's quality control. So I voted for not so popular choice here- Skoda Karoq, yes it is expensive but from my point of view it is worth it for what it offers, I mean there's literally no competition for the quality in that price bracket. And also we are very happy with Skoda service experience for our Rapid DSG from past 2 years.

Here's a pic I clicked during the Karoq test drive-

[Carpainter]

My vote goes to Tata Altroz

If Kia didn't Indianized their cars then this would have been Sonet but can't vote an inferior built car for coty award. Also Magnite is a big product from Nissan and they have undercut the segment significantly which is great but from the reviews I've heard the fit and finish and interior quality to be not that good. I think it's a five seater triber. Coming to the last of my list and currently leading contender in this poll, M&M Thar. This is a big improvement over its predecessor and Ncap proved it's safe as well but since it's a lifestyle vehicle and not ideal for say a single car family, my vote goes to Altroz