[SuperV]

If it is not about current cars, my vote goes to the Hyundai Getz Prime 2007-2009. It is very stable even at 160kmph and nimble in the city. Came with everything you wanted during that time. Had the looks too!
Came in 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5L options.
1.5L with 115bhp was a hoot to drive.
Only thing that killed it was the onslaught of Swift and replacement of this with i20.

[lina]

XUV 300

Good engine, lot of seating room, full marks on safety.

However that bootspace! Why Mahindra? If not for the boot, this thing would have been right up there with Nexon and Venue.

[bht]

Tata Nexon with proper Automatic transmission( TC/CVT) instead of AMT, and to some extent Duster 110ps minus the injector issue ( even though its sporadic, it always keeps ticking on your mind when the next injector will fail with out any prior indications)...

[₹itzylove]

1. Tata Altroz - Hands down the best looking hatch in India, but there are no AT options.
Reason from Tata dealerships - EV coming soon, so not offering any AT.

2. Nexon - AT instead of the Jerky AMT

3. Duster - Good Interior. I badly wanted to buy one in 4X4 Avatar when they discontinued last year, but after looking at the Interior my Wife straight away said a Big No.

4. S Cross - If they continued 1.6L Diesel.

5. Harrier - Everything is perfect in this car after the facelift with AT, but no 4X4.

6. All Maruti Suzuki cars except Ciaz & S Cross - Better build quality. Why Maruti why?

7. EcoSport - Again this is one car which is very good in most aspect, but the second row seating and the heavy clutch / gear lever (especially on the Diesel variant).

8. Mahindra Thar - Usable 2nd Row and some Luggage space.

9. Honda Civic - With a Turbo Petrol and a Powerful Diesel Engine. Great car with very poor engine options to choose from. Look at Octavia Honda.

10. Rapid - Without the big transmission tunnel which makes it a strict 4 seater.

[SgtRepeat]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

The India Baleno already comes with a CVT option.
My relative owns one, and I have spent long time with the Car.
Frankly speaking, the CVT box on it is under-whelming.

I agree. Even the 4-speed TC on the Ciaz feels much better than the CVT on the Baleno.

[Mickey1986]

Well for me it has to be ford ecosport (Diesel) hands down.

+ves
1. Great looks (subjective though)
2. solid build quality
3. Reliability
4. Fun to drive and not do not cost a bomb on pocket in terms of maintenance
5. Feature packed and server the purpose to its core

-ves
1. It lets you crave for more power at times.
2. No 4WD which could have been really icing on the cake
3. Not much has changed in the performance of the diesel engine since its launched.
4. Ford is trying too much on cosmetic changes in terms of facelifts. They seriously need to think of engine juicing somehow

Apart from this car, the only car I would love to see on the roads and which will be an instant hit would be Suzuki Grand Vitara.. Probably that time the market was evolving for such a car but today if re-launched would definitely sweep the SUV market for sure.

[swiftvxi06]

From my side-

1. Nissan Magnite Turbo- The most value for money turbo petrol powered compact SUV with peppy and fuel efficient engine, spacious interiors, good features, beautiful eye-catching styling

2. Renault Triber- The most spacious and value for money compact 7 seater MPV. Seriously wish that Renault could have easily plonked the 1.0 turbo petrol engine from Magnite & Kiger on Triber

3. Maruti Swift Dzire - The most value for money compact sedan with amazing interiors and an amazingly peppy yet fuel efficient engine

4. Mahindra Thar - The all new 2020 Mahindra Thar ticked all the right boxes for 4x4 SUV aspirants.

5. Old Tata Safari & Mahindra Scorpio- Both these indigenous SUVs catered to the Indian consumers who wanted to buy a big powerful macho 4x4. Since its introduction in 2002 and after numerous facelifts, the Mahindra Scorpio is still a capable SUV.

[pradyumnakalagi]

Can we include the sales experience/waiting period in this?

If yes, I would say the Nissan Magnite. It's an excellent car for the price, one that gets a smooth turbo petrol and a proper auto (CVT). Decent equipment and delightful looks only make it's case stronger.

What brings it down, in my opinion, is poor dealer network and PAINFULLY long waiting periods. I have been waiting eagerly for our Magnite since March. Dealer says it is coming in November.

I think, apart from the AC vents, the other thing the Magnite has in common with the Lamborghini Urus is the delivery time

So, the Magnite gets almost everything right, except it takes forever to come to you.

[7000plusrpm]

When I purchased my car, below are the ones I had considered but discarded eventually.
1. Ford Freestyle: BS-vi dropped the Sync-3 system, no automatic although Ford has one and paired with the 1.5 dragon in the Ecosport
2. Nexon and XUV300: No proper automatic
3. VW Polo: Probably the best driver's car available right now. The rear bench space is a big letdown and the only con in my view

[Steelneo]

Originally Posted by TrackDay

Attachment 2180670

Image source: google images

Always wished for these three guys to get a conventional automatic like the CVT or TC (Torque Convertor). They make an excellent case as cars for city usage with the right proportions and dynamics. However the automatics offered on these are not what everyone wants. Sad fact is that on cars such as the swift, a conventional automatic is offered in international markets as well the next car up in the line such as the Baleno. Everything else is sheer practicality and makes a good value for money proposition with ease of mind ownership.

Well Said. Remember the Iconic Maruti 800. The most successful car of our country. At moderate speed levels, it offers everything that's required for a car. No wonder that's the reason it was sold for decades. In my opinion what all we have are modernization and improvements over that basic car. MSIL has major market share because they pack the car exactly what is expected. Provided they achieve good crash performance, their market share will grow even from the current levels.

[ajmat]

The recently phased out Honda Civic - lovely chassis. Engine was ok but that gearbox! Spoilt the whole party. The underpowered diesel was more fun

[SainiAvi]

Its true certain cars came almost close to perfection but weren't able to hold the spotlight. The following cars come to mind when I think about it:
1. Ford Mondeo
2. Fiat Punto
3. Mahindra Alturas
4. Ford Ecosport (1L Eco boost engine)
5. MS Kizashi

[vtecblast]

My list is going to be kind of cliché because there are so many lovers of these cars that it won't be special. Here it goes
1. Jeep Compass: For many it's a costly machine which atleast now doesn't justify its cost even more, but, the moment you get into its driving seat you forget everything and it's just pure pleasure that this machine gives.
2. Every City ever: I might be wrong but personally this vehicle has been a definition for me for most comfort and perfect driving dynamics.


3. Škoda Laura: Maybe a partial one but this car has been my crush since the day it's launched in India. I accept all Škoda looks amazing on roads, but Laura is that one vehicle I shamelessly stare whenever I spot one. Because it drives so well and so complete in itself that I hardly can spot any mistake in it's whole manufacturing.

4. Renault Duster: Never actually understood why this vehicle faded ( I'm lying, I know) but every single owner of this machine whom I know is a fan of this and me included. It feels so planted on road and has amazing driveability

Picture credits: Internet.

[sumodhkrishna]

In my opinion, the Safari and Harrier from Tata belong to this list. It has everything going for it, stunning looks, a really capable engine, features, comfort, and really good pricing. Only if they had AWD or 4X4 in at least a higher variant I would go for it. Also, that would make the twins proper SUVs

[shubham7799]

From my side, the Maruti K15 parade (Ciaz, S-Cross, XL6, Brezza and Ertiga).

These cars have everything the Indian market can ask for. For and average Joe, they are complete. Everything right from fuel efficient engines, great space, spot on ergonomics, good manual gear boxes, a lengthy feature list to stellar after sales support spread across the country. Plus, these are the relatively better built Marutis with Brezza and Ertiga scoring 4 and 3 star safety ratings.

However, these cars fall short on a modern interior setup, good to have features such as sunroof, UV glasses and a modern AT gearbox. IMHO, while the Arena can do without these features, the Nexa showrooms need upgraded cars.