[architect]

Having driven a baby SUV, TUV, for 2 years, I have noticed several advantages as well as disadvantages:

1. At least twice / thrice a year all roads in my locality have severe water logging. I can still move out on those days without unnecessary apprehension. While on paper GC is only 180mm, most critical components sit ABOVE the ladder frame, away from the water. In any case, NCR is now known for massive water logging after 2 hours of heavy rain.

2. All through the construction of the Expressway which is the only access to my locality, I have survived several traffic jams by being able to (literally) exploit the boundaries of what is motorable in terms of ground clearance, helped hugely by the RWD while climbing the level difference between earth and tarmac.

3. Ride Quality and sway at slow speeds is horrible. Its not a comfortable vehicle till 40 km/hr.

4. Thanks to the boxy design, visible bonnet and general size and appearance along with oodles of torque without turbo lag, it is actually a breeze to drive in the city. I am not a bully, but a majority of other drivers who drive like idiots stay away, especially those on two wheelers. This was definitely not the case with the Palio.

Is it more fun to drive than a car? Definitely not! Is it more comfortable? Totally not! Is it less stressful in bad traffic and adverse situations? Absolutely Yes!

[Altocumulus]

I was on the same boat till a couple of months back. Sedan is the only way to go. I last year drove my Civic from Kolkata to Bangalore and then from Bangalore to Delhi apart from other numerous trips of 2000kms one way. When the roads get bad, I literally have to crawl. Other times awesome though you are always scared when that sudden fatal porthole will be there out of the blue. Going to office , everyday errands Civic performs flawlessly. But then 3 round-trips of Delhi Kolkata in my Ignis , I just did not dare to do the same trip in the Civic. Varanasi to Allahabad is a disaster.
Then after a lot of deliberation and as impulsive I am sold the 11 month old Ignis and took the plunge to buy a Duster AWD. Drove it from Kolkata to Delhi on the same roads. It's a revelation. Fantastic car ! It drives 90% like a sedan, but u can when required, go over dividers, have oneside in the ditch and the other in gravel, go into slush in 4x4 auto to byepass those 3-4km truck jams. I couldn't have done those in a sedan. The Duster did it in ease. And that's what is very important to me. Maybe a sedan or hatch will do and go to 90% of the places an SUV would, but would it damage or put stress in the car. If yes, either I wouldn't go or I want a car which is built for it. I love my car to bits and I can't think of torturing it. Also did a Dehradun Mussoorie weekend trip. It was brilliant to drive in the hills. This was my first 'SUV' and diesel (btw 14th car and all petrols before it) but I was completely at home. And ride quality ??? What bad roads are you talking about

[Sebring]

'New India' is made for only one body type - The SUV. The unscientifically designed speed breakers, the lunar craters on the roads, rain showers that result in deep swimming pools etc, all call out for SUV. Other body types can exist, as long as the suspension has long travel (I have arrived at this conclusion after traveling the length of the country)

[VWAllstar]

Did a 1847 Kms drive from Mumbai to Karnataka via Goa and back on my Ameo DSG.

Horrible roads from Pune to Satara & Khanapur to Dandeli. The potholes were so bad that I got a Tyre bulge in my 3 month old Yokohama BluEarth, scrapped the underbody few times, had almost been swallowed by a pothole at Khanapur and those really broken and non existent roads of Gagan Bawda and Khanapur has made me think if I really wish to keep owning sedans.

I personally do not like SUVs because they have body roll, aren't as good as sedans taking corners and don't give much confidence at high speeds. But now I feel that we Indians should quit buying sedans as our roads really do not deserve them. My next car will be an SUV.

Cannot take it when my cars scrap or go through abuse because of our pathetic roads. Had a horrible bump at Khanapur yesterday and still it keeps playing in my mind and keep feeling bad about it. Going to pamper my Ameo this weekend, it really deserves for what it went through last 10 days.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

Cannot take it when my cars scrap or go through abuse because of our pathetic roads. Had a horrible bump at Khanapur yesterday and still it keeps playing in my mind and keep feeling bad about it. Going to pamper my Ameo this weekend, it really deserves for what it went through last 10 days.

The trick for India-specific car manufacturers is in adapting, Fiat gave the best gift to Indian buyers by increasing the GC to a huge 195mm in their Punto and Linea, not only did they tune their suspension the best for the country but they also increased the GC to a perfect sweet spot. VW stubbornly wants India to adapt to their low slung suspension and seats.

Realistically though, man, just live with it if you're happy with Ameo in every other sense, there is no upper extreme for Indian road requirements and finally we might have to buy a Hummer H1 Alpha or a Range Rover LR to survive our roads.

I have a low GC car too, its been scraped, bumped, bashed, sloshed and everything, both our cars like any other cars, dont feel pain or feel exploited, just repair them as time goes by, but retain them. I plan to do a makeover before selling, that's it.

They're a depreciating asset, love them to the extent required, and ignore them also, to the extent required. Just a bunch of steel welded together afterall. Cars are there to protect us and not the other way around.

[Sebring]

I get what you're saying. But, I find it tough to detach myself from my vehicles. It's like an extended limb. If I land hard in a pothole, I feel the hurt (like I got hit) - and it's always been that way. When I had the Zen I used to completely slow down before a largish speed breaker (rare, those days) and approach it at an angle, taking a good 10 seconds to clear it completely. Roads were much, much better those days too. So in 17 years, my car had zero scrapes. These days I find the SUV build better, since I just go about other aspects of maintenance without worrying about the car underbody. Oh, I love sedans - by the way.

Originally Posted by dark.knight

I have a low GC car too, its been scraped, bumped, bashed, sloshed and everything, both our cars like any other cars, dont feel pain or feel exploited, just repair them as time goes by, but retain them. I plan to do a makeover before selling, that's it. They're a depreciating asset, love them to the extent required, and ignore them also, to the extent required. Just a bunch of steel welded together afterall. Cars are there to protect us and not the other way around.

[Guna]

I prefer neither an SUV nor a sedan but a crossover.
True crossover in my mind is a car which is closer to a sedan in terms of the low slung stance, road manners and seating positions but something which has SUV like ground clearance with decent ability to take bad/no road situation.
This was the reason I picked a preowned Forester in 2010 and I have covered over 75000 kms in 9 years (Prior to this, I have changed cars every 3 years). I have been looking for a replacement but it is a big challenge. Even the so called 'crossovers' are becoming taller (to give look like an SUV) and are loosing ability to handle mild off-roading.
Ideal car today would be Volvo V90 Allroad but it costs 3 times of what I am ready to spend :(. I hope Skoda launches Octavia Scout (wagon form) when they bring the new version.

[KPR]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Fiat gave the best gift to Indian buyers by increasing the GC to a huge 195mm in their Punto and Linea, not only did they tune their suspension the best for the country but they also increased the GC to a perfect sweet spot.

Very well said. Fiat India gave us all combinations iterated within Punto and Linea models. They gave high GC, low seating position (means low fatigue while driving), low GC (abarth) and gem of engines in both petrol and diesels. I would appreciate Tata's Zest over many so called SUVs today for it's practicality and VFM.

[Rahul Rao]

It is but human to complain. Every one complains that their SUV has lot of body roll etc, the same person also complains that their sedan scrapes speed breakers, and bottoms on major potholes etc.
I started driving 27 years ago, and in that era I preferred low slung sedans, as roads improved the preference to sedans also increased. But as my age grew my preference again shifted to higher seating more leg space and more head space.
Today my preference is to cross overs and SUV's. I'm much slower entering corners than before, and I don't want hard acceleration any longer. I know the advantage of a low slung sedan, but as my current driving style does not demand it I don't miss it. These days I have to utilize a few 2 lane state highways too, and going on to the shoulder at moderate speed is quiet the norm, Sedan's are no use here. A cross over with higher seating, better visibility, and decent ground clearance is a preferred mean between the two.

Users age, physical condition and application of the vehicle is what one has to consider while choosing the car.

Rahul

[tejas2323]

Considering our road conditions and traffic situation Crossover or mini SUV is always better option.

You get advantages of both types. I can very well relate to this. I often drive VW Vento and Hyundai Creta. Vento being low slung is tight around corners but bad roads are real torture and punishment for both car as well as occupants. Creta has higher seating position from both ground and car floor. Switching from vento to creta feels just so relaxing be it seating comfort, suspension travel, visibility or sense of security.

Also big cars have one more advantage, you get more respect in a SUV than a Sedan. I mean people maintain a safe distance from a big car.

[vj123]

Personally i prefer driving a hatchback or sedan and sit closer to the ground.

Due to family needs, we replaced our hatchback with an SUV couple of years back and it was the first SUV i have ever owned. It was the only vehicle in the household and it made me realize how much i missed my previous hatchbacks and sedans.

As a result, we added another hatchback to the garage recently and this was the perfect garage. Hatchback for my personal commutes and SUV for family trips.

[Kosfactor]

A report in financial express has a perspective from industry leaders, who are making them.

Tata`s Bose says “SUVs make you look younger, more attractive. They make you look less family. And people want to stay young forever.”

Adds on " while they are practical as a vehicle, SUVs have an emotional function, too—they make you feel stronger. You sit higher, you have a better view of the road, and you feel safer in an SUV, even if it’s a compact SUV"

Nissan`s Albaisa says "higher H-point, greater visibility of the road, better overall functionality … these are the things that make an SUV, or a crossover, a more functional design compared to, say, a sedan"

Renault`s Acker says “They have become much lighter, more spacious, more comfortable, and you simply get more car for your money"

Link :

https://www.financialexpress.com/ind...-suvs/1079097/

[ashishskapoor]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

A report in financial express has a perspective from industry leaders, who are making them.

These are interesting points, Kosfactor. Thank you for sharing them. I feel, a part of the reason why people feel young is because most of these SUVs are new model names, as opposed to buying 'conventional' vehicles like Verna or City.
Accent got changed to Xcent, and now to Aura - as part of the marketing strategy. New model names attract more people.

Likewise, Creta, Ecosport, T-roc, Seltos, Compass, Harrier, TUV... the list goes on.

-

People may "feel" safer in an SUV, but not all SUVs are built the same way. The body roll, and high centre of gravity may not be conducive to spirited driving.

[daredevil]

I have not owned SUV so far. But I might buy used one in near future as new SUV ATs are out of my budget.

I think apart from the 'model names' factor mentioned by ashishskapoor, I think its macho looks, distinct styling is pulling the crowds towards them. However, I am not sure if they give you more car for the money. I personally don't believe so.

[ashishskapoor]

Originally Posted by daredevil

I think apart from the 'model names' factor mentioned by ashishskapoor, I think its macho looks, distinct styling is pulling the crowds towards them. However, I am not sure if they give you more car for the money. I personally don't believe so.

That's true, SUVs aren't necessarily better. Moving from a hatch to a sedan, we see improvements in ride quality and comfort. But moving from a sedan to an SUV (especially C segment ones) - hardly any benefits are there.

They are just over-priced, vertically-stretched, horizontally-shrunken versions of C-segment sedans.