[Aditya]

Why MUVs are a better choice than other cars today

Today, most car buyers prefer SUVs over anything else. This is mainly because these vehicles offer

1. Higher seating which means a better view of the road
2. Seating for 5-7 people
3. Large size & butch styling along with commanding road presence which is important in India where "might is right" on the road
4. Large and powerful engines and
5. High ground clearance which is necessary to deal with the large bumps and uneven & unpaved patches of road - a common problem in India.

Sedans are considered a waste of space by many as they are long and wide but can seat only 5 at best. Besides, in many sedans, the seating is low and headroom is restricted. While they offer good luggage space, their boots are not as versatile as SUVs due to their limited height and (in most cases) fixed rear seatbacks. Ground clearance too can be an issue.

Hatchbacks are practical to use in the city, but they have their limitations. They are small in size and like sedans, can carry 5 people at best. Again, like sedans, the seating is low and headroom is limited. Then there is another problem. Their boots are not large enough to carry most Indian families' vacation luggage. You can fold the rear seatbacks to increase luggage space, but then, it's either 2 people onboard with lots of luggage or 4 people with limited luggage.

These factors made SUVs and crossovers very popular on our roads. However, they are among the more expensive cars in a manufacturer's model line-up making them more difficult to access than other body styles for people.

That's where MUVs come in. Let's see how these cars are the most sensible choice for people looking to buy a vehicle today.

Size & styling

MUVs are only slightly smaller in size than SUVs. This means they are still large and road presence is not really compromised. They are still given a lot of respect by other road users, particularly sedans and hatchbacks.

Coming to styling, MUVs do not offer the butch styling of SUVs, but they are no longer unappealing. With time, their styling has become a lot more modern and in some cases, even classy.

Space for people and luggage

MUVs can carry 7 people and luggage in sufficient comfort. There is enough headroom and legroom in all rows of seats. Some come with captain seats for the second row that offer excellent comfort.



In terms of useable third rows, your best options are among the MUVs. A variety of seating combinations is available which gives them a lot of versatility. Most can carry enough luggage for 5-6 people as well making them excellent cars for touring with the family.

Ingress & egress

MUVs typically have a floor that's not as high as traditional SUVs. This makes getting in and out easier than SUVs. You don't need to climb into the car as you would do in an SUV. At the same time, their roofs are not low like in a sedan or hatchback. So there is no need to bend down to get in. You simply walk in and out of the car.

Powertrains

If you think MUVs aren't as powerful as SUVs or they're slower than SUVs, that's not at all the case anymore. The Kia Carens boasts of a 158 BHP, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with a 7-speed DCT while Toyota claims that the Innova Hycross hits 100 km/h from a standstill in under 10 seconds, which is faster than the Fortuner! Even the Maruti Ertiga gets the same powertrain as the Vitara Brezza. Some of the earlier cars like the Innova Crysta shared its 2.8L diesel engine with the Fortuner and it was only marginally less powerful in the Crysta. However, the Innova's lower kerb weight gave it a better power-to-weight ratio.

Fuel efficiency

MUVs generally do not come with four-wheel drive systems like SUVs, which means they have less weight to carry. They are also lower and more aerodynamic than SUVs. These factors help MUVs best SUVs when it comes to fuel efficiency.

Ride & Handling

MUVs tend to ride better than SUVs. While the Scorpio and Fortuner feel bouncy, the Marazzo and Innova Crysta feel a lot more compliant. Monocoque MUVs like the Innova Hycross, Kia Karens and Maruti Ertiga have a very absorbent ride. The lower height compared to SUVs also means MUVs have a lower centre of gravity, which makes them better handlers.

Ground clearance

This is one area every new car buyer asks about. With constant digging and high & unmarked speed breakers, our roads are anything but smooth and predictable. While MUVs do not have the ground clearance of true blue SUVs, they are still sufficiently high off the ground to clear bumps and irregularities on the road. Sedans and hatchbacks are outclassed comfortably. Most MUVs can even handle a fair bit of rough roads without scraping their bellies.

Price

You will always find MUVs priced lower than equivalent SUVs which makes them comparatively affordable.

Status

MUVs have come a long way from the Sumo / Armada of yesteryears. Recent MUVs, such as the Innova Hycross and Carnival have become luxurious and fairly aspirational vehicles loaded with all the features one needs and more. This along with the space and comfort make them excellent chauffeur-driven cars. The improved looks make them appealing and as a result, they are now being used by even political figures, businessmen and industrialists.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[sreejithkk]

Really great thread. While I was in US, I always thought Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna MUVs were way more comfortable than corresponding SUVs like Pilot and Highlander. When I returned to India, when I tried to upgrade from our WagonR, I was specifically looking for MUVs, and at that time Ertiga, Innova Crysta and Marazzo were available and I eventually settled with Ertiga. Now Kia carens is another great option in the list of MUVs. Only remaining wish is the introduction of sliding doors which are extremely convenient for ingress and egress in MUVs, which is common in abroad but kind of a taboo in Indian MUVs (with the exception of Carnival and Velfire which in the luxury spectrum). And a noob question. Do MUV and MPV refer to the same? When I was buying Ertiga in 2019, everyone was referring to it as an MPV.

[Bhodrolok]

Oh god! NO.

MPVs otherwise known as mini vans have as much driving pleasure as much riding a boat, plus they are too big and a huge pain to maneuver in our congested cities and an absolute pain to park.

Great for highway trips with family yes but that use case seems to be quite rare for most living in our cities.

[Kashief]

Voted YES and this comes from a person driven 1L plus kms only in Sedans. Recently I got a chance to drive Innova ‘13 model and it’s been with me for 3 months and now I realised what I was missing from a MUV. Easy to get in and out, good amount of torque from rear wheel drive, body on frame soaks all kind of pot holes, all around visibility is great and I’ll pick Innova any day to drive in dense traffic rather than a sedan. Even my 5 yr old kid favorite is Innova to enjoy the space and visibility.

For a family of more than 4 members, MUV is a practical car and last row is very much useful to carry pets on outstation visits.

[DriverLess]

No. I transitioned from MUV to sedan after selling my Innova and buying Vento.

* MUVs have a heavy boat like feeling and this especially true when they are fully loaded with 6+ passengers and luggage.
* They hare not fun and you feel the bulk you are carrying every-time you are doing anything other than straight-line driving.
* They are the worst when it comes to panic breaking / quick avoidance direction changes.
* Fuel inefficient for the same engine power class.
* MUVs are the worst for a passenger. Ask anyone using the 3rd row paired with a slightly aggressive driver.

Sedans have their flaws. But I would any day pick a sedan over MUV to drive / being driven.

* My sedan can take more luggage than my Innova (without obstructing rear visibility)
* There is no loss of power even when fully loaded with 5 + luggage.
* I don't worry too much about road presence. I'm happy with less footprint on the road / parking for my primary highway use.
* I do worry about low GC. But if you drive sensibly even the worst speed-breakers / potholes are not a problem for a sedan.

[ex-innova-guy]

I feel it totally depends on your usage pattern. My reason for choosing MUV was that with how much ease it munches miles as our yearly travel is ~35000km. Also, our Innova had captain seats in the middle row so it was even more comfortable. The last row was rarely used as we are a family of 4.

We often had to drive to places where roads were nonexistent and with sedans you would need to slow down and be careful. A MUV can take up such abuse relatively very easily.

[GTO]

SUVs have just 3 advantages over MPVs:

- Style & image (no.1 advantage)

- AWD or 4x4 (applicable to 1% of owners)

- Tougher body-on-frame construction for some SUVs like the Scorpio-N & Fortuner, as almost all MPVs are monocoques today. That being said, even a monocoque is tough enough for 99% of owners.

In almost every other way, MPVs are superior. Especially the space packaging = nothing can beat an XL6, Carens, Innova Crysta, Innova Hycross or Carnival for space & cargo room. Plus, today's MPVs are fast (Carens turbo-petrol, Innova Hycross does 0 - 100 in 9.xx seconds), good-looking, well-equipped, have neutral suspension setups and are generally better priced than their SUV counterparts.

I would buy an MPV if I needed something for the family. I love the Innova Hycross as well as Carens at their respective price points. As my primary self-drive vehicle though, I'd get an AWD / 4x4 SUV. I'm a sucker for vanity and as my personal car, I'd always pick an SUV over a Van.

[Kashi053]

Voted No.

I would prefer a fast seadan and a proper BOF 4*4 as a combo instead.

[Small Bot]

This would depend on the use case though. In my family, we chose to have two compact crossover hatches (Brezza and Grand Vitara) rather than pool it all and buy an Innova. 80% of our usage is inside the city and the MPV becomes too huge to drive through most of the side roads that my Brezza can squeeze through. Gives just about 2/3rds of the fuel efficiency too, compared to our Marutis.

[Mystic]

My answer is No. In India, when it comes to SUV, we relate to Scorpio and when it comes to MUV, we relate to Innova. I owned both vehicles for a long time. Both are not comfortable for long drives. Both cars have a huge fan following that most buy them due to this popular image.

My experience with MUVs in USA is that they are very popular as mass people mover especially very useful with large families and you often see moms driving with full load of kids to school and sporting grounds.

Sedans are stylish, comfortable and fast on roads. I don't know why this type is becoming a rare commodity in India due to our roads which have unscientific speed breakers every 50 feet ( most speed breakers in our cities are built illegally by anyone who wants it in front of their home either to conceal illegal water pipes or for whatever reason. There is absolutely no control on what are the guidelines that need to be followed in their construction. I wish we have a separate thread on these in team bhp) making the bottom scratch the road.

[SmartCat]

MPVs are fascinating from engineering point of view. It is almost magical that a sub-4m vehicle can seat 6+ foot adults in the 3rd row







Reminds me of Wizard tents in the Harry Potter world. Small form outside, big space inside:

[vb-saan]

Voted No

MPV is a body style which I am not fond of. It’s practicality is unmatched, but somehow not something I want to drive. SUVs have its advantages, and some of the modern crossovers do have the fun-to-drive aspect intact. But I still prefer a low-slung sedan or a hatchback; even better if it’s the estate version (like the one below)

[anshu1101]

Voted No.

MPVs have never appealed me in terms of their styling and the boat-like handling.

Would any day prefer a sedan (for the driving dynamics) or an SUV (for the image, toughness).

[XDriver]

Voted NO. An MPV Will always be an additional car for airport runs, family duties but I would prefer a fast sedan or a proper 4x4 SUV as a primary. Sedans are classy, and great to drive.