[Omkar]

Most of the major launches this year are out of the way. Upon looking back at all the many car launches this year, there have been a few exciting cars and of course not so exciting cars as well.

I'm listing out my two extremes and my list is about breaking expectations. The most disappointing car would be the one from whom I had high expectations and the car came nowhere close to it. The most surprisingly fun car would be the one from whom I had almost no expectations and was a hoot to drive.

Most disappointing car - Citroen eC3

When Vid6639 and I drove the Citroen C3 turbo last year, we had a blast with it driving on the twisty roads of Goa. Everything fell right in place with the car in terms of driving. The car is well-balanced and the chassis can handle the 105 BHP/ton with grace. So, when the news came out that the same car was going to be launched with an electric powertrain, I was more than excited. Imagine what that kind of balance and body control would be with a quick electric powertrain. Alas! The electric motor in the eC3 is dull and has nothing for enthusiasts. Most importantly, it's almost criminal to have something so dull on such a capable chassis. It's like restricting Virat Kohli to gully cricket.

Most surprisingly fun car - Honda Elevate

Yes, there are plenty of fun-to-drive cars on sale currently, but the Elevate actually surprised me because I had little to no expectations from it. Naturally aspirated engines are dying and the Honda 1.5 i-Vtec is probably the last of its kind. Yes, the BS6.2 has corked some of its performance, and it doesn't really sound like a traditional Honda NA engine. But it's still a free-revving unit. It has a very usable and wide powerband and mated to the 6-speed manual transmission, the car just feels very connected and enjoyable to drive. And it's not just the powertrain, the highlight of the Elevate would be the suspension tune. The car strikes a perfect balance between low-speed ride and high-speed stability. Even in corners, the car turns in sharp and holds its line very well with very little body roll. IMO, this is a car that you can push to the limits and have fun while doing it.



Which cars would be on your list?

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[Shreyans_Jain]

The Nexon EV LR is crazy fun. The 140hp motor has more than enough oomph to outdrag just about every ICE car under 50L on sale today at all legal speeds. The instant torque is addictive, and the traction control blinker goes crazy when you floor it, even at 60-70kmph. The car is properly FAST even at highway speeds, and can happily cruise at 120 with ample in reserve. Steering is sharp and accurate, turn in is quick, the suspension is adequately stiff and well calibrated. More importantly, the underfloor battery pack and the resulting low center of gravity give it the kind of dynamics you just do not expect from a short wheelbase crossover. Truly punches above its weight. It is mad fun on twisty hill roads. Only fly in the ointment is that the electronic nanny is always present. Traction control can’t be switched off.

I bought this car as a sensible and cheap to run daily driver for urban commutes, a role it absolute aces. But the car has a true Jekyll and Hyde personally, and all it takes is a spin of the dial into Sport to bring out the crazy side. My little daughter loves the ‘woooooshhh’ pick up.

[fhdowntheline]

For this year I would have to say the MG Hector CVT. Sure it has the large 14in touchscreen, but my biggest problem was that the front seats felt no better than the Creta, in fact for the overall size of the car, the driver and passenger footwell area felt cramped. The car was okay-ish to drive, nothing that would wow you but not a slouch either. Somehow I thought the Hector would be much sturdier and refined (especially interiors) in terms of feel and finish, but didn't feel that way . So I'd say it was a bit of a disappointment. The best part of the car for me was the sound system. Much better than the Bose system of the Hyundai cars.

On the flip side, the car that did surprise me pleasantly was indeed the Honda Elevate (CVT). The ride was smooth especially on broken surfaces, seating was actually more comfortable than most equivalents, and side mirrors are huge. Not a fan of Honda's ADAS, I felt the lane keep assist was a bit too aggressive (note- the Hector ADAS was non-functional).
Its a different matter that eventually I opted for a sedan!

[Mik]

I had the opportunity to test drive multiple cars this year as my friend and my sister were both in the market at very different price points.

For my sister we tested the Ignis, Swift, Fronx, Venue N, i20N, Sonet, Tiago, Nexon AMT P and the Renault Kiger.
For my friend we tested Audi A4, Q3, Mini Countryman, BMW M340i and the ioniq 5
For a future purchase i test drove the Jimny manual, Thar Petrol Auto and Thar Diesel Manual.

The surprisingly good ones (i believe in fun in the corner)

1. Venue N line - An absolute hoot to drive with a punchy engine and weighted handling. Never thought i would say that for a Hyundai.

2. Fronx 1.0 - A very different city drive kind of fun. It is a hatch essentially - a fun powerful hatch.

3. Mini Countryman - Wait wait! i know!! Whats the surprise here. Actually i had always assumed this one would be boring while the Cooper was the real deal. So was absolutely blown away by how adrenaline pumping it was.

4. Thar Diesel Manual - Again, had assumed the thar was just bouncy and terrible at handling. However, i found it quite manageable and absolute fun on the road and more off it.

The Most Disappointing ones

1. The Kiger CVT - It just didn't have enough go. Was very boomy and overall extremely boring. Hard to believe that a company that created the fun in boatloads Duster dropped the ball here.

2. i20N - I expected more. Thought this would be the faster Figo/better shifting Punto Abarth that we were all waiting for. I found the horses missing here.

3. ioniq 5 - This one was a shocker. Being an EV owner myself, i expected this one to be juiced up and go bazookas. However, it wasn't in a hurry, and at illegal speeds the steering didn't give confidence. It is still an absolutely great family car and super practical. Just not EV fun.

4. Jimny Manual - I so wished this to be good. I was besotted by it when i saw it 'in isolation' at the showroom. Those viral shots of the Wagon R towering over this was ignored as fake news. All I cared about was the hark back to the Fauji gypsy of my father (daddy issues ). The price was a bummer but the drive itself really left a lot to be desired. The poor gearshifts (too much of a 90s callback) and drony engine didn't help. I still remain on the fence as Maruti Thunders through the sales chart

[bansal.sushant]

I was recently in the market for a new car and so drove many cars from B2 hatchbacks to C2 CSUVs and Sedans.

The most disappointing car:
i20 NA

- The engine feels quite underpowered. The acceleration and drive is no better than my 15 year old 1st generation Swift Dzire. I expected better from a car that retails for more than 10 lakhs.

The most surprising car:
Verna NA

- The driving dynamics and engine power was really nice. I did not expect it to drive the way it did. I would say the drive was at par to my Honda City, and I would even say that the IVT was slightly better than Honda CVT. Kudos to Hyundai for coming a long way.

We ended up finalizing Honda Elevate due to the SUV factor and comfort. While the drive was great, it was not surprising for me after driving a Honda City for 10 years. The Verna was a surprise!

[GTO]

All Marutis for me!

- From all the newly launched cars that I drive, the most (surprisingly) fun car of this year = Fronx 1.0L Turbo Manual. Oh, the joy of rowing gears in a quick, relatively cheap, turbo-charged package! Loved the compact size & chuckabiity too. As most BHPians know, I'm a big fan of value-for-money fun to drive cars and love the C3 Turbo for that very reason too.

A close second would be the fantastic Ioniq 5 which is a gamechanger EV in the 45 lakh segment. Shows what Hyundai is capable of.

- The most disappointing were Marutis too. First up was the Grand Vitara Hybrid. No offence to owners who want it as a point A - > B car and I'm happy to see fuel-efficent hybrids coming to India, but driving it was a royal snoozefest. One of the most boring cars I have ever driven (City Hybrid is way superior in terms of drivetrain). The driving experience is in complete contrast to the Grand Vitara's stunning design! Second is the Jimny. I love it for its offroad capability, but the engine & transmission just made it a really boring drive. That 1.5L Motor & 4-Speed AT might be reliable and all that, but they are extremely boring.

[AMG Power]

The most disappointing car:

Audi Q8 etron

Had great expectations on this car as it is Audi’s flagship EV. However the drive was a real dampener. The car felt heavy and the motors felt like they had their work cut out. Acceleration was nothing to write home about.

Part of the Q8 etron’s comparatively modest acceleration comes down to its powertrain tuning, which lacks the instant torque delivery of most electric vehicles. This is pursuant to a conscious decision by Audi to develop electric cars that feel familiar to new buyers of EVs. To that end, the company seems to have made deliberate decisions in terms of power delivery (no jerky instant torque), brake tuning (no one-pedal driving), and styling (front grilles and no wacky designs or proportions) to limit the learning and visual-acceptance curve by offering electric vehicles that feel reasonably similar to its gas cars in the hope that it will find more acceptance by ICE owners.

In my books this hasn’t worked too well. Add the mind numbing sticker price and it doesn’t make any sense at all.

The most SURPRISINGLY fun cars:

Volvo C40 Recharge & XC 40 Recharge:

Ever played hooligan in a Volvo? You couldn’t have. Unless you had that wonderful T6 or the Polestar. The rest just weren’t designed for that.

Well, thats what you thought.

Welcome to the new Recharge editions of Volvo’s. Polestar performance in a regular car. Yes, the same motors as the Polestar do duty in the C40 & XC 40 Recharge and they charge you about half the money.

Supercar performance in a Volvo. With the bonus of no fuel bills or the need to file for bankruptcy when you send it in for a routine service.

Try it out on an open road and you’ll give the regular hoonigans (not hooligans as earlier) an inferiority complex. Every press of the pedal makes the car lunge forward and the forward thrust doesnt falter at any point. If its your first time with a fast car, then you need to be careful.

The XC 40 feels more planted than the C40 as it has a 50:50 power split as against the 60:40 in the C40.

This is one car that will get you seriously thinking about EV’s.

[46TheDoctor]

Most disappointing car for me this year:
Innova Crysta:

Previously, I had never driven Crysta over a significant distance like in a roadtrip but i drove it for a 600 km roadtrip this year.
Firstly i would like to acknowledge the usual strengths of the Crysta like bullet proof reliability, longevity, ability to carry entire family with luggage, etc.
Having said this, for a 30 lakh rupees people's favourite car, I expected it to be a great experience but i would like to point out the disappointing part -
1. Car is body on frame and hence it rides well only with full seating/luggage capacity utilized. When driving with 1/2/3 people on board, ride quality is bumpy and below average.
2. Wheel size is too small which doesnt allow it to ride over rough patches, bumps, potholes like other body on frame cars like Fortuner/ Pajero Sport and similar SUVs do. You need to slow down every time in Crysta. I did similar 600 km roadtrip in 1st gen fortuner with 4-6 people on board and it simply crushed whatever was thrown at it. My Pajero Sport also gobbles up everything thrown at it.

To conclude, I found Crysta to be neither here nor there. It can neither give sophisticated ride/handling like a monocoque car nor can it gobble up broken roads / off road like a body on frame SUV. So, i will always buy SUV like Pajero/Fortuner/Endeavour over something like Crysta.

Most surprisingly fun car for me:
Scorpio N AT:

Given the nature of the old Scorpio, i had never expected Scorpio N to be so good!
Enough has been already said in various indian/international reviews about the Scorpio N's highway cruising abilities (ride/handling is even better than the Fortuner and other BOF SUVs) and good off road abilities, so i wont go there, its already proven.
But Scorpio N surprised me the most in the city driving conditions -
1. Steering is light so it almost feels like driving a compact SUV in terms of the efforts/energy required
2. Car's shape is boxy with great outward visibility which makes it very easy to judge the edges of the car and it becomes a breeze to drive.
3. Car has a great road presence which makes other road users respect the vehicle just like other big SUVs but it doesnt have any cumbersome behaviour like others.
4. Insulation and NVH of the car is impressive, hardly any outside noises filter into the cabin to disturb your peace.

To conclude, till date I have used a big spectrum of cars (from humble Maruti/Fiats/Tata compact cars to Pajero/Fortuner/Innova to Octavia vRS/Outlander/Koleos and Audi Q7/ E class, etc.) but, Scorpio N has been the easiest and the most soothing/relaxing to drive among all of them in the heavy city traffic conditions. With its overall talents, it turned usual irritating, fatigue inducing city commutes into an effortless and hence kind of Fun to Drive and soothing affair.

I am definitely going to buy this great all rounder car in coming months.

[OctYFAN]

Most fun- Surprisingly, a 2013 Renault Pulse with the 110 hp K9K diesel from the Duster and a 5 speed manual. It was super peppy and always eager to take off. Though the interiors were pretty bad (mid 2000s Nissan plastics) and ABS wasn't available even on the RXZ that I drove, its engine/gearbox combo more than made up for it. It was really fun on the backroads as its a pretty small car. Warm hatch stuff. Yes the Laura is plenty fast, much faster than the Pulse actually, but I can't throw it around as easily as the Pulse. Edit: sad that the new Duster won't be coming to India with a diesel.

Least fun- Has to be the 2021 XL6. Now it gave us great fuel efficiency and stuff but it felt so dead. It was like having turbo lag for the entire rev range. And kinda dreary steering too. It's just a sensible, practical family hauler and nothing more. An A to B car one can say.

[PrasannaDhana]

Most fun cars I have driven

1. Nissan 370Z
2. Abarth Punto
3. Volvo V40 D3
4. Volkswagen Polo 1.6 GT TDI
5. Chevrolet Cruze 2.0
6. 2007 First gen Swift 1.3 DDIS

Most boring cars I have driven

1. Maruti Suzuki Celerio 1.0 (last Gen and current gen)
2. Toyota Hyryder
3. Tata Sumo 3.0L DI

[neeravnaik]

This is based on my recent test drives while buying the Skoda Kushaq. I will exclude Kushaq as it was not a surprise that it was a good driving car.

Jeep Compass for me was the most disappointing to drive in both the Petrol and Diesel version. For such a premium car with very good build and interiors it is a let down. Driving it especially in the city felt like trying to flog a dead horse. The gearbox really lets down a great product.

Toyota Hyryder was surprising fun for city drive. The Hybrid makes it really fun and easy to cruise around the city though it is probably not very peppy on a highway. But it could be a good choice for a conservative driver. The Maruti like interiors bring down this car and the really limited boot space in hybrid version for what is a fairly large size car is really a let down.

Overall XUV700 is great driving car but again it is not a surprise. Larger size than what was our need and the waiting times made us rule out this option.

[Gautham_v6]

Most fun / good cars I have driven (mostly from driving school and test drives):

1. XUV700
2. Toyota innova 1st gen (the car that gave me the confidence to ride).
3. Maruti swift 2nd gen ( dynamically good car).
4. Ritz diesel( Loved the tall stance and gearbox shifts).
5. Alto 800 ( This car felt better than driving the older generation alto, whose footwell always was hot even when AC was turned on.The 800 felt better with a good clutch and gearbox combo and the steering was better too.)
Least fun/ unimpressive cars ever rode:

1. Hyundai Santro and Santro xing( had the most uncomfortable driver seat, no matter how much you adjusted the seat position. Also the clutch and steering were insanely light. Accelerator feel was also very light, something that made me stay away from Hyundai cars.)
2. Tata Indica ( As a passenger on Tourist/ Taxi cars , loved the indica for it's Air conditioner and Rear space. As driver though, it was a different story. Though I learnt to drive on Slope surfaces on this car, the steering and gearbox feedback plus the vibrations made my impression go for a toss).
3.Hyundai Creta new gen: Tried to drive the creta automatic and somehow I was way nervous handling the car. The steering and braking feedback were not the best, but good ambience though.)
4. Hindustan Trekker: One of a kind car. Something rare to be found in driving school . This one had canvas covers for doors and it was quite a heavu work trying to work on clutch and gear shifting. Steering needed a firm hand. Maximum could go to a 40 Kph and you need to judge well when braking). On one occasion the clutch snapped when someonw tried to lift the car from first gear. Quite difficult to maintain too, but kudos to the owner for maintating it fine.)

[abaliga]

Nice topic! Thanks for initiating this

Most fun cars I have driven

- BMW 320D (E90) - nice, brisk powertrain with hydraulic power steering
- BMW 330i (G20) - amazing motor and tight handling with perfect proportions
- BMW X3 s drive 30i (G01) - nice enthusiastic motor
- 2013 Acura 3.7 V6 SH AWD - amazing engine at high revvs
- 2005 Honda Accord V6 - nice free revving engine
- 2011 Ford Figo TDCI - average powertrain, but amazing steering and body control, best I have driven till date!
- Ford Ecosport TDCI - quick steering and nice handling
- 2nd gen Skoda Superb TDI in India - nice torque from the motor, refined on the inside
- Last but not the least, 2023 Skoda Octavia 2.0 TSI that we bought last March, one of the most balanced cars that one could have bought this side of 40 lakhs, sadly not available anymore

Coincidentally 3 out of 4 most disappointing cars I have driven have a GM origin
- Chevrolet Aveo Uva first gen India - lethargic motor
- GMC Terrain first gen USA - super lethargic motor
- 2022 MG Astor 1.5 NA CVT - super lethargic motor
- Tata Altroz iTurbo - couldnt get used to the power delivery, was fast at some revvs but flat spots across the revv range

[sachin_cs]

2023 has been an exciting year for me in terms of cars. My work, my friends and family got the opportunity for me to experience some of the best cars around. Following is a small list of it (not in specific order though)

Funs cars:

1. Virtus GT/Slavia 1.5 DSG-

My friends are car shopping and I hopped on with them, we test drove the City, Verna and Virtus and hands down, Virtus is the most fun to drive car and I immediately felt at home driving the VW. Barring the interior quality, it is a very well packaged car, easily among the best pick under 40L. I really mean it, it drives far better than cars priced twice of it, it's fast, frugal (if driven sensibly), comfortable and handles well.



2. Kushaq 1.0 TSI MT Ambition-

My Rapid was down for a week and I got a Kushaq as a courtesy car, I did close to 1000kms and I loved every bit of it. Initially, I was not comfortable with the car for first 2 days because I'm not used to sitting high up in the car, but then on the third day, the car really grew on me. Despite being a crossover, it drives like a sedan and you don't have to worry about ground clearance, I had fun taking it on the highway. The 1.0 Tsi paired with manual can be fun if you know how to use it. Downside was NVH and rattles in an otherwise well engineered car.





3. Discovery HSE R Dynamic P300 2.0 Petrol-

Dear team members, I'm telling you, this car is an underdog. No one really buys it but I can tell you it's one hell of a car. In the entire Land Rover line-up, the cars with best ride quality are the Range Rover and the All New Discovery (not Discovery Sport). If magic carpet ride quality has a definition then the Discovery is an apt one. The way this car handles bad roads is like a champ, I'm yet to sit in a car with such a ride quality under 2cr, it rides with a grace and elegance. It has got a phenomenal body control i.e. it doesn't pitches or bounces on road undulations like other cars. The only downside is the middle row underthigh support and body roll in curves. Also the Discovery is among the most reliable Land Rover and it has got the least expensive extended warranty (it explains why).



















4. Defender HSE 110 P300-

If you have driven a Discovery before, the Defender feels crude. I'm not saying that it's bad as such but it lacks that finesse. What I loved about the Defender was it feels indestructible, the looks and the old world charm. Honestly, Defender is a VFM car if you look at the car prices today where a GLE and Velar costs 1cr plus. However, on longer journeys, the Defender is not the car I would take because it gets slightly tiring after 600kms or so.





5. Range Rover LWB Autobiography 3.0D-

I did not drove it but got to travel in the back seat of the RR LWB with Comfort plus seats. This car does not drives, it literally floats, you don't feel anything even when the car was running on 23'' wheels.



6.XUV700 D AX7-

Being in the list with among the most well engineered cars is a big feat for Mahindra. This car blew me with the sheer driving pleasure and the dynamics for such a big car and at an affordable price tag. I was not expecting it to be this good, the way it drives on our Indian roads is phenomenal, there's not much body roll in it and handles really well. It's comfortable, it's safe, it's efficient and a well made package, it feels like one car from inside unlike Tata twins. Mahindra, kudos to you guys to engineer one hell of a machine in India, please work on your QC issues and you have winner in your portfolio.

Not so fun cars:

1. Citroen C3-

Dear Citroen, India is not living in pre LPG reform era of 20th century. Manual AC, power window switches on central console, poor NVH, interior that speaks one word - Cheap! I drove the 1.2 NA and I found it to be boring, I'm yet to drive the turbo but still it won't address the above shortcomings. A Car for me is an aspirational product and I certainly don't imagine myself driving a car made to a cost.

2. Harrier-

Nothing against Tata as we have owned 4 Tatas in the past and we still have a Sumo and Altroz with us, it's just that when you are spending 30L on a car, you expect certain amount of fit and finish, attention to details which is clearly lacking in the car. Driving dynamics was okay, nothing to write home about. It does the job of being a point A to point B machine but doesn't excites the enthusiast in me.


3. Velar-

A 2 litre diesel engine producing mere 200 bhp has no business in a car costing 1cr. I did a couple of road trips in the car and I was just not able to develop a connect with the car. Apart from the looks, the brand value of Range Rover & air suspension, the Velar has nothing much to offer. Performance from both the Petrol and Diesel engine is mediocre, an Octavia would leave it in dust. Handling is meh, interior quality doesn't justify the price tag, even the lower priced Evoque has got better interiors than a Velar. The ride quality is not good on bad roads (it rides on 20" low profile tyres) and on concrete roads, there's so much road noise which fliters into the cabin.







4. F-Pace-

It is easily among the best looking cars around and has one of the most well engineered chassis (it's an aluminium construction). The one place where it lacks and lacks badly is the drivetrain. What's the point of having an enthusiasts car when the body of the car is far more capable than the heart of it. A 2.0 litre Petrol/Diesel engine in lower state of tune? The performance is dead slow for such an expensive vehicle and the gearbox feels confused at most times. And top of it, you will feel every road imperfections, the car is good for highways but in typical Indian roads, it tires you very quickly.



Hope you enjoyed reading my small experience with cars in the year 2023.