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-   -   Sedan/SUV in 75-85lc price range (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/luxury-imports-niche/113738-sedan-suv-75-85lc-price-range.html)

Hello everyone,

I am moving back to India in a few months after being in the US for 5 years. My dad currently owns a merc e and he is looking to buy a new car in 75-85lc range. we are looking for a sedan or an suv that would suit both my dad and me. I personally, have never been a suv fan but my dad is kinda keen on getting an offroader (its not set in stone though) since we already have a sedan. so long story short, I need your help in evaluation option that i have shortlisted and give me some suggestions if i have missed out any.

So far we have considered:
RR sport
BMW x6
Porsche cayenne
Audi A7
Merc CLS

So far we are impressed with RR sport and merc CLS. The problem with cls is that it does not have a diesel option yet.

Another option i am considering is the bmw 6 er grancoupe (4 door version).
Does anyone know when will it be launching in India??

Please help us out with the selection process. It is kinda overwhelming since there are numerous suvs in the price range and very few sedans.

Thanks
your input is appreciated.

Beautiful dilemma there.
The above list of cars contains a perfect blend of sedans/suvs some of which are extremely comfortable and corseting with the others being a hoot to drive.
Since your dad would also be using the car along with you, presuming that comfort would be of some importance to him the RR sport would be a strong contender here while the X6's case becomes somewhat weak. Sure it would be a better driver than the RR but there is hardly any space at the back for an SUV that is pretty huge on the outside. Both come with 3 litre diesel units but in the SUV department i would pick the RR sport. Any reason you have not shortlisted the Q7 4.2 TDi ??? You must drive it to believe the madness that thing is capable of ? Or has it been excluded because of lack of exclusivity ?
The Cayenne D is also a good option but it will come with the same VW group 3 litre diesel available on some delicious sedans/sportbacks across the group so why not try those ?

In the sedan/sportback department , BMW would be getting the delicious 640d with a tri-turbo when the get the grand coupe but your question in itself is good. WHEN ??? No clue either. Have to be willing to wait it out to include this to your list.
The A7 is also a beautiful place to be in and since Merc does not have a diesel on the CLS yet i would suggest you TD the A7 3.0 TDi and Jaguar XF S back to back and see which of the 2 make you feel more special. Both are are beautiful lookers to say the least. While the Jag will have the better handling , the Audi's engine is a lot more responsive and refined with a much superior gearbox. Both are comfy riders as well.
Assuming that you have not completely closed doors to the Q7 4.2 TDi , why not TD these -
Audi A7 3.0 TDi
Jaguar XF S
RR Sport TDV6
Audi Q7 4.2 TDi
& see which one of them makes you feel most special ?

Good luck:thumbs up

Suv - Audi Q7 4.2

Sedan - Merc CLS or Jaguar XFS
OR
You could wait for Audi to launch the S6, the E/5/A6 is the perfect size car for the city. Big enough to be comfortable but doesn't make you feel like a chauffeur when you drive. But guess the mileage would put you off

My suggestion : If performance and speed is important along with 7 seats, go for Q7 4.2 TDI. It's a straight line rocket. If self driven and high speed handling is important think of X5/Cayenne, otherwise stick to RR Sport. Since you already have an E, i am not suggesting any sedans.

I am not considering q7 just because it have been around for a while now and looks dated. Cls is an exceptional car but the petrol engine is the mood killer. I would have to inquire about the 640d gran coupe and cls diesel. with a7 , i just got to know that my cousin just got his and i dont want the exact same car in my garage.
I just read that RR is replacing the flagship model sometime this year. Is it going to be the same for the sport hse?
whats everyone's take on the RR sport diesel?

What do you think would be the cost of s6? bmw just launched m5 for 95lcs. So i am guessing RS would be somewhere around that.
if S is around 75, It might just work out for me.
But i am very keen on 6 er grancoupe aswell. The car is a stunner. Plus its got a diesel.

70-75 would be safe to assume unless someone at Audi is on something funny. Old gen S6 is considerable cheaper than RS5 and it 'should' be the safe with the new S. Autocar India has estimated the price to be 70 ex. The 640d has got the nice twin turbo diesel but since you want a sedan, you'll have to wait for the gran coupe.

My suggestion will be the Cayenne diesel, or the BMW 640d (not sure when the 4-door version is getting to India though).
Does the Merc CLS gets in the said price range? An alternate option (smaller) could be C63 AMG.

The CLS is in the price range but Mike89 has ruled it out due to the lack of a diesel plant. The C63 would be an enthusiasts choice but not a car you can use daily in our country, there was a mention that his dad would also be using the car, he wouldn't be happy driving (it is at the end of the day) a C class.

There is only one sedan I can think of, that will put a smile on your face like no other. The Jaguar XF.

And the best thing about it is that it falls straight in your budget. Maybe even a little cheaper.

You have, possibly, the best looking sedan on the street. The Jaguar badge carries a lot of swagger. Something that Mercedes, BMW and Audi seem to have lost over the years. Jaguars have huge sex appeal. Add to that, a wonderful diesel engine, a plush ride and fantastic equipment, and it should surely seal the deal for you.

And when you spend 75 lakhs, you'd definitely expect that 'special' feeling. Jaguar is a specialist in delivering that to their customers, through their cars.

When it comes to sedans, the Jaguar should be the choice, IMO.

If you want a SUV, the RR Sport should do the job. Good luxury, great on-road presence. Virtually indistinguishable from the big-daddy Rangie, if you're not all that into cars. It has the space, the style, the diesel engine and the 'plush-factor'

Just to make things more interesting for you, I'd also suggest you try the Porsche Cayenne Diesel. Porsche has this habit of making near-perfect cars, even if they don't look very appealing.

EDIT: The Audi A7 isn't a bad option either.

Is the BMW 5GT still available in India? If I'm not wrong, a bunch of 5GTs were sold by BMW in India. That would be PERFECT for you. It's a blend of a SUV and a sedan.

You really cant compare an XF to the A7, CLS, 6/gran coupe. They are a class up, are better equipped, drive ride, better handling.

The XF still uses the old 6 speed transmission that doesn't do justice to that powerful diesel, with more hp and torque is still slower than the equivalent 5 series.

Saying the RR sport is indistinguishable from the Range is like saying Land Rovers look like the Trax Cruiser or that the G class looks like a big Bolero. As a bhpian, don't do that. We 'are' into cars.

The 5GT is sold in India, its not like some 'limited edition' :) The X6 makes more sense than a 5GT, which is in consideration by the OP. Coupe + SUV better than sedan + SUV.

I merely mentioned the 'other' options in the 75-85 lakh bracket. Where did I compare them? I didn't even mention the 6-Series or GranCoupe anywhere? What made you think I was comparing them at all? I did not use the names of these cars in the same sentence?! How on Earth did it come across to you that I pitted these cars against each other in my post? :confused:

This is news to me. I was under the impression that Jaguar improved the transmission in the face-lifted Jag XF.

Umm, I'm not sure if you know this. But in India, we enthusiasts comprise of only 5% of the car-buying population, at the very most. For the rest of them (even those who are rich and can afford any car) a Range Rover Sport is just a Range Rover. They find it hard to differentiate one Land Rover from another. The Discovery and the Defender are the same cars, according to many. The same goes for the Sport and the Vogue. Same cars. One friend of mine went to the extent of saying that the Sport is the same car, but with 'sportier' vents on the fenders. (At least he had the eye for that detail. Most people wouldn't even notice that)

To us enthusiasts, a Range Rover Sport is a SUV that can never be a Rangie. It's just an attempt at making something like a Rangie, but not quite. It's good an' all, but it's no Rangie.

Ummm, the last I heard, the 5GT was sold in very limited numbers in the Indian Market, and it was sold out long ago. I'm not sure how many were sold, but I'm quite sure BMW limited the numbers to under four digits. :)

Your telling an A7 buyer to look at a car that competes with the A6, its not an option either. I wasn't making any allegations, we're discussing cars one segment higher, that is all.

You are misinformed about the XFS, the transmission for one, possibly more. Had you had more info at hand, maybe you would have recommended another, a better car. The OP is therefore misguided. I hope at least us 'enthusiasts' can give advice based of facts rather than assumptions.
please:


You telling someone that one can't tell between the Range Rover and the Sport put you in the 95% of people. The Discovery and Defender dont even look alike and I'm sure no one would mistake them for the other.

Enthusiasts know that the Vogue and Sport and targeted at two very different markets, the sport was never meant to be a Vogue. It's a Land Rover with better road manners aimed at a younger buyer who wouldn't be doing any extreme trails. Recommend the Sport for what it is, its a brilliant car, you wouldn't have much difficulty jotting down the pros for her; the fact that a friend of yours can't differentiate and thinks its a Vogue is not the Sport' USP.


Regarding the GT, I guess you have been out of touch. BMW initially brought down a 100 cars but hasn't limited the numbers. They are still available to order and stock, the numbers will be under four digits due to the lack of demand for the model. (A quick glance at the BMW India website should clear your doubts) :)

About the 5GT, the limited edition was the one with the 4.4 V8 engine. The 3.0tdi is sold freely.

So after thorough evaluation, we are down to two suvs.

Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport.
They are both nice cars and i am more inclined towards the RR but some one told me about the new model being due in a year. Is that true??

With Porsche, i know the cayenne looks amazing but when you look at the platform and engine... i feel like its a vw in a tuxedo..

What is every ones take on these two cars?