[sharan1988]

I am in the same boat if and when I want to upgrade my nano AMT. There is no other car in the same convenient size. Hope a similar sized electric car comes along .

[DreamsUnlimited]

I would add my first gen Figo 1.4 TDCi to the list.

Sure, there are lots of 'gadgetry' nowadays in cars which Figo lacks but the assured handling and a very planted feel of the car combined with super sweet steering made it an awesome package; that too, without burning a hole in the pocket.

These days, there are very few options this side of 8 lacs which can give you same feel. The second gen-figo/freestyle/aspire aren't even close.

[Carpainter]

Originally Posted by sharan1988

I am in the same boat if and when I want to upgrade my nano AMT. There is no other car in the same convenient size. Hope a similar sized electric car comes along .

Don't get me wrong here but you're already using the cheapest and smallest car ever sold in our country and any car you buy today would be an upgrade in terms of space, features, build quality, safety etc. Only thing is it would definitely cost more. And as you have said, a similar sized EV, if launched, would cost a lot more.

I think we are losing the purpose of this thread. We all love our cars but let's be honest, not all cars are irreplaceable. Only some iconic cars that were launched with either really good engines like the Octavia, Polo GT Tsi etc or had served the purpose well like Innova are difficult to replace. And yes Fortuners/Endeavours are difficult to replace in India because if you want to upgrade from them, you have to enter the luxury segment where you have to spend a lot on purchase/maintenance compared to a Fortuner. Other than that there are not many cars that are not replaceable except for your unconditional love.

[Neil Roy]

To me, its a no brainer. My Chevrolet Cruze.
I got it in 2016 at 16.75 Lacs, a mere few lakhs more than the City, which was a segment lower and miles lower on power. I have clocked more than a lakh kms in the cruze and I just cant let it go. There is no car in this price bracket which gives you this power, handling and safety.( Cruze NCAP ratings are higher than the Jetta and Octavia). I had installed bilsteins and the beast was like a car with magnets on road. True, it cant hold a candle to even the lesser segment cars in terms of features, but boy does it make up more than that in its power, comfort and handling. Even though I'm getting good offers considering that GM India has folded, I just cant find a suitable upgrade in the true sense of the word without shelling at least 15 lacs extra. Fingers crossed on the new gen petrol turbo engines or electric cars a couple of years down the line.

[th2]

I still have my now 16 year old Forester. Oh! How I wish Subaru sold its vehicles in India. An upgrade needs to be another Forester only!

And I do miss the precise steering of the Figo. Had to give it away since it has reached an age where small niggles were becoming more frequent. Reliability is one area where Japanese vehicles score over other brands.

And the go-kart like feeling of the old Maruti 800s! Actually a hoot to drive in the city. Keep them away from the highways though.

[vigneshkumar31]

Ive been honestly trying to find an upgrade for my Tata Safari Storme.

The qualities that the upgrade should match/beat the Safari :-

• Old School SUV Looks - No fancy cuts or slashes
• Acres of internal space
• Large Airy cabin with largest glass house in any Indian car probably.
• Ride Quality
• Second row sofa with nil transmission tunnel hump.
• All this under 15 lacs ! Can you imagine that today?

The qualities (rather the lack of it) that warrants an upgrade from the Safari.

• Poor Safety Kit. Im not at all happy driving an airbagless car in 2020
• No A/T option.
• Refinement. The Storme was an improvement over the Dicor in many ways, but TATA of the storme era was way behind TATA of the Nexon era.

It's now discontinued, and the only worthy upgrade would've been the next gen Safari with a proper AT. But since that's not happening, Im forced to cross the 'darien gap' and shop in the Premium D2 segment to find the next car.

As I see it, only the second car in the picture can replace the first, but just takes a lot of multiples in terms of cost.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

Ive been honestly trying to find an upgrade for my Tata Safari Storme.



As I see it, only the second car in the picture can replace the first, but just takes a lot of multiples in terms of cost.

If you can look past the "old school SUV" tag, the harrier definitely fits the bill as a safari upgrade. This, coming from a fellow repeat Safari/Storme owner

[GeeTee TSI]

My 2014 Polo GT TSI is even making me look at cars like the T-Roc and Karoq solely for the engine transmission experience but of the next level (upgrade?)

However going by holding on to the car as the yardstick of its irreplaceabilty; our 2008 (first gen) Skoda Fabia 1.2 P felt the toughest hatchback to upgrade from. Its build and absolute lack of cost cutting (heated mirrors, height adjustable passenger seat, five 3-point seatbelts!) being some of the reasons and NOT the drivetrain

[Guru_GPS]

My car is new, but I am pretty sure by looking at the engine options available now, that, if at all my financial status permits and I decide to upgrade, there is no upgrade option, I mean, literally no option to upgrade from my Rapid Style with 4 airbags, cruise control, boot space, build quality and to top it all, the CREAMY, SILKY 1.6 NA petrol engine [I mean, can we even dream of any OEM offering engines above 1.2 ltr since the days BS6 has set in] with 6 yr warranty [EW and Skoda shield included] and 6 yrs of 24X7 roadside assistance at 10 lac ex-showroom, that translated to 12.6 on road.

Waiting with fingers crossed for any OEM offering EVs at 10-12 Lakhs price and can cross 700Km on full charge [if at all I can compare with my car - an avg of 15KMpL with a tank of 55 litres] since, in the next 5/6 years, we might not be able to afford petrol/diesel with the rising prices.

[mr_tallguy]

I totally have to agree with this new upgrade category. Having found no proper upgrade for my GT TSi (tuned to Stage 2) in hatchback form, I had to settle for a pre-owned Laura TSi Manual.

Having said that, the Laura 1.8 TSi in the 160hp form is really a mighty upgrade from the tiny 1.2 TSi in my GT TSi. This way the upgrade didn't really break the bank and I'm happy every time I mash the A pedal.

[sharan1988]

Originally Posted by Carpainter

Don't get me wrong here but you're already using the cheapest and smallest car ever sold in our country and any car you buy today would be an upgrade in terms of space, features, build quality, safety etc. Only thing is it would definitely cost more. And as you have said, a similar sized EV, if launched, would cost a lot more.

I think you have mistaken what I have said. There is no problem with price, only problem in todays car is larger size. I drive an octavia, Vento and an E Class along side the nano. But the convience my nano gives for short drives to the shops or narrow streets which is only scooter friendly is unparallel. I find myself using nano more often than others due to its ease of parking. Please tell me if there are other cars that are good in these specific department?

[srikanth.vemuri]

My 2011 Laura TSI feels impossible to look past. Basically the next-gen Octavia minus the dreaded DQ200 plus the erstwhile build quality (I'm biased). 9 years on and the sweet turbo spins up without any reliability concerns whatsoever.

[Carpainter]

Originally Posted by sharan1988

I think you have mistaken what I have said. There is no problem with price, only problem in todays car is larger size. I drive an octavia, Vento and an E Class along side the nano. But the convience my nano gives for short drives to the shops or narrow streets which is only scooter friendly is unparallel. I find myself using nano more often than others due to its ease of parking. Please tell me if there are other cars that are good in these specific department?

You got me wrong too. Didn't mean to say you can't afford a costlier car than Nano. If you want the convenience of a small car for city usage, I bet an Alto or wagon R, kwid will do it just fine. I believe a few milimeter longer Alto equivalent car won't be too much of a trouble compared to a Nano. Also if you want a similar sized EV then Mahindra e2o is already there.

[vigneshkumar31]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

If you can look past the "old school SUV" tag, the harrier definitely fits the bill as a safari upgrade. This, coming from a fellow repeat Safari/Storme owner

My wife asks me the same question whenever this discussion comes up. Why not the Harrier ?

Never could bring myself to see the Harrier as a Safari replacement. The old school tag brings with it a character of abuse friendly, resilient and a hardy truck which the Harrier is very far away from. The Isuzu MUX If priced reasonably, would ve been an upgrade true that narrative.

The Harrier is new school. It's first gen launch with no AT and all that empty pedigree talk made me veer away from it. Never went back even after the update. There is just too much glass all around that looks like it may break.

The Harrier is a great car as it stands, but IMHO can never be a true upgrade from the Safari. I doubt even the Gravitas could fill that void.

[v1p3r]

The current Skoda cars are genuinely very difficult to upgrade from. Most C/3/A4 cars are smaller in the rear, slower (than the Octavia RS), and twice the price at least. A similar story with the Kodiaq and SUVs. Bear in mind that almost all of the cars mentioned above have 2 litre petrols or diesels.

The LWB E Class is another difficult one to upgrade from. The higher variants come with the suspension and engine from the S, and similar legroom. They are half the price of the S.

What does one upgrade from an S to? The next range of sedans is the Bentley CFS which is nearly 4 crore on road. 1.6 cr to 4 cr is quite a leap. I guess that's why you see repeat S Class purchases.