[vnm008]

Originally Posted by RRU

What did I try so far? Had a good look at Seltos, Creata, Brezza, Ertiga, XL6 and Carens.

The XUV 700 petrol 2.0 turbo AT - Wow

Welcome buddy, I too joined a few days back.

There are a lot of options and online review are there to hype each car without mentioning its problems.
So my opinion is to write down your requirements (only MUST HAVEs) in a piece of paper; then write the + and - that you felt while driving and sitting on backseat on each of these; now write down the same for the beloved Etios; then compare and take the call. There is no better way to come out of this confusion.

From your post I feel you are still in love with your current car and haven't found a worthy upgrade - if so, overcome all the temptation and stick with it.
Who knows what all changes our govt. is going to bring - everyday we hear about diesel bans, 6 airbags, flex fuels, better batteries for EVs etc. So unless you "need" an upgrade, don't.

I too tried the following cars before deciding:

MT: Nexon, XUV300 (petrol and diesel), Brezza, S-Cross, XL6, Duster NA and Turbo (yeah I'm "finalizing" for an year )
AT: Kiger CVT, XL6, Seltos IVT, Kushaq, Taigun, MG Astor & Harrier.

Didn't even try XUV700 & Creta coz of the waiting period. And Carens was a no coz I wanted AT (CVT/TC) only and Carens didn't have it in petrol. Didn't want to take take risk with DCT in Bangalore traffic and I don't like AMTs.

In the end finalized on XL6 AT coz of the practicality it offers and the undeniable reliability of Japanese cars.


So about XL6 - I see that your main concern is regarding highway performance - I didn't try XL6 beyond 80 in AT mode, but did that by changing it to MT mode (and used paddle shifters) - take the car above 2700rpm and you'll get a decent acceleration, club it with paddle shifters to get an extremely smooth and quick gear shifts - with this combo I reached a speed of 95 pretty quickly. Only catch is, there were only me and SA sitting in the car, so I'm not sure about the same with full load.

To be frank, I wasn't much impressed with neither of K15B or K15C in terms of performance as the comparison goes against turbo petrol (I feel same is your case as well) - this is not a fair comparison as NA can never beat turbo petrols in terms of performance. That takes us to the previous point - is the outright performance in your "must-have" bucket? If yes, go for turbo petrols/EV/Hybrids only (if you decide to move away from Etios).


Cheers, let us know once you decide

[RRU]

Originally Posted by Knightrider

I was in same boat as you a few days ago. I currently own 1st gen Ertiga and was looking for an upgrade.

Thanks much! You are right and have made the correct decision. For me, 7 seater is not a must though (just preferable as an option). On the TD of Carens 1.4 DCT, I am quite cagey about the reliability of DCT in the long term (>5 years), but have certainly kept my option open for either 1.5 MT or 1.4 Turbo MT of Carens, especially after my 3rd TD, quite impressed.

Originally Posted by vnm008

There are a lot of options and online review are there to hype each car without mentioning its problems.

Thanks much buddy and welcome to you too! Also, congratulation on your new XL6 - great pick.

You are spot on - after having read about and TD'en the highlighted vehicles, I have started documenting inter se comparison of these, as well as with my current car to see if I can pick any winner or should add a few more, such as Grand Vitaara (visiting NEXA this Sunday to see the display vehicle), Hyryder (not sure when Toyota will show we Bangloreans), Brezza, etc. Not in a tearing hurry - but the pursuit of exploring and eventually picking that car to replace my exisitng one is quite exciting!

Meanwhile, I will TD XL6 once more - not jettisoning from my list.

[Sanjeev V S]

Hello Friends,

I own the 2022 XL6 Alpha+ MT ( facelifted) Splendid Silver took delivery on 02-June-2022, I did 2 highway runs till now like everyone said the highway performance is not impressive, my 2014 Wagon R VXI will beat the XL6 in the power dept, I accidentally found out out a cool trick in my XL6.

I engage the Cruise control let's say at 60 KmPH and when I need to overtake or need the power instead of changing gears and standing on the throttle I click on the cruise control + button continuously till the car let us say reaches till 90 KmPH that's when you see the K15C beast roaring, my son and I did this during our last trip to Chennai we are happy with the results.

Our Cruise control is always set to a particular speed based on the highway and traffic situation and engage it when we need the power.

Thanks

[PaddleShifter]

Originally Posted by Sanjeev V S

I engage the Cruise control let's say at 60 KmPH and when I need to overtake or need the power instead of changing gears and standing on the throttle I click on the cruise control + button continuously till the car let us say reaches till 90 KmPH that's when you see the K15C beast roaring, my son and I did this during our last trip to Chennai we are happy with the results.

Is K15C that bad? I respect your real time experience but still fail to digest that acceleration using Cruise Control + button can outperform pedal to the metal or standing on the throttle as you said.

Contrary to your usage pattern, I prefer to accelerate my S-Cross using the accelerator pedal (say from 60 to 90kmph) and then set the cruise control speed. Ofcourse, minor adjustment in set speed is done using the +/- buttons.

[amarprusty]

Originally Posted by RRU

Grateful if experts can guide me. Sorry for being loquacious in my very first post.

I would recommend to also checkout Renault Triber MPV as it is great value for money.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Driving the 1.5L Petrol AT

The engine feels reasonably quick off the line getting up to ~20 km/h, no doubt aided by a little battery boost, but acceleration tapers off noticeably post the initial eagerness.
Flooring the A-pedal gets it to 6,200 rpm redline, but it's more noise than progress.
Don't expect peppy throttle response, whichever mode you're in.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

The XL6 is very scary in single carriage highway overtakes and more than once I realized my judgement was way off in pulling off a safe overtake.
The other thing is that the engine is so lackluster that using M mode at high revs is pointless.

Test drove an immaculate XL6 AT yesterday over 10 km of backroads, a fast single carriageway and a congested dual carriageway. My quick take:

Engine tuning:
Can totally identify with the lackluster engine and the dead mid/top-range.

Maruti have really messed up the XL6 engine tuning - unlike an Ertiga, this one is likely to be driven by an owner-driver as a primary or occasional secondary car. However, the engine tune is abysmal for such a use case.

In my test drive route, there were a couple of occasions (on the quicker sections) when the lethargic engine caught me pretty much by surprise. Even with the pedal pushed uncomfortably down, there was a lot of engine revs but no real acceleration. And this was with only me and a SA!

One of my use cases is ~90% chauffeured usage + 3 rows (3 pax + luggage + 2 dogs) + a reasonably 'drivable' vehicle that we could take to the hills or mild off-road places. BUT, given the engine tune, I seriously doubt how it will fare (with a full load) on say the Kalhatty Ghat 36 hairpin section. The torque number is also 137 Nm which is worrying to say the least. Expect a lot of screaming engines on the way up.

I am really hoping Maruti will retune the K15C in a later avatar. Nothing to say about the Aisin 6AT torque converter. It just did it's job as intended.

Interiors:
The Alpha+ AT I drove was spacious, good seats, chiller of an AC, well laid out overall and with a good infotainment unit.
Ventilated seats were excellent.
Rear seat view was like a LHB AC coach; amazing window - was very impressed.
Downside in my opinion was the iffy leatherette quality of the seats. It just does not match the ~14-19L OTR price in Bangalore. Maruti should definitely improve the quality here.

Adequate boot space with 3 rows and excellent with 2.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Actually work and very effective. Some of the most heavily tinted glass I've seen.

Superb UV glass, and urgently needed for that huge glasshouse area.

Exteriors:
I like the looks. Very mature without weird Carens type bling.
Alloys look commensurate for the height.
Blue is our preferred colour and I think it really suits the XL6.
Modern and imposing front end, well integrated 4 chamber LED headlights & neat DRLs.
Side view is mature as well, like the integrated foot steps.
Rear very Volvo-ish, nothing to dislike really. Integrated hatch back spoiler is a requirement. 11K accessory in the lower variants.

Summary:
Modern VFM MUV let down by that dead engine. No offense meant to prospective or existing owners. This is my personal view only

[handsofsteel]

Originally Posted by amarprusty

I would recommend to also checkout Renault Triber MPV as it is great value for money.

I did try. No offence but in this day and age, an AMT just doesn’t cut it. Otherwise, I really loved the triber. Very intelligent layout.

[sairamboko]

Took delivery of my white XL6 AT Alpha + last month 17th. Completed 1000 kms yesterday. Was confused with colour initially and went with white finally. The white offers a good contrast with black seats and side under beadings.

Since much has been discussed in the review and the above posts, i will keep my experience short. I drive it almost everyday. The engine is lethargic as said earlier by others. However thanks to the paddle shifters, i can downshift quickly and overtake. I have done many overtakes without issues so far. Regarding hills, i took the XL6 to yelagiri hills 2 weeks back. No issues while climbing. The car was fully loaded with 4 adults and 2 children. No issues whatsoever.

The features which make me smile while driving - ventilated seats, the seat comfort, silent cabin and the overall space in this car. The car is very spacious. My senior citizen parents have no issues with ingress and egress in the 2nd row. The 2nd row captain seats are very comfortable.

Coming from a tigor AMT, i can feel why the AT is superior. No jerks or visible gear shifts. Just drives and cruises. Loving the daily commute with 6 Speed AT.

The engine noise is barely heard. Maruti has done a commendable job with cabin insulation. Overall, i wanted a 6/7 seater car with no fuss ownership. Considered Xl6 and Ertiga. Ertiga was ruled out for space and comfort when compared to XL6. Didn't
consider Kia because of no showroom in my city.

Bottomline : Maruti has designed this XL6 keeping everything in mind including safety, fuel efficiency and comfort. I can live with the lethargic engine because of the value it gives.

If you are planning to get a XL6, go for the 6speed AT. Definitely worth it. While test driving the manual, i literally had to jump and stand on the accelerator pedal to get good pickup. That's not the case with AT. Paddle shifters are very handy.

Some photos to finish my post.

[RRU]

Originally Posted by amarprusty

I would recommend to also checkout Renault Triber MPV as it is great value for money.

Thanks much for the recommendation, but having driven the frugal 1.5L Toyota petrol engine for near a decade, Triber's 1.0L MPV (although quite a VFM) was screened out in my initial filtering process - looking for at least 1.5L and above (preferably well tuned NA over turbo) petrol or hybrid (mild or otherwise).

[RRU]

Originally Posted by sairamboko

Took delivery of my white XL6 AT Alpha + last month 17th. Completed 1000 km yesterday. Was confused with colour initially and went with white finally. The white offers good contrast with black seats and side under beadings.

Congratulations - white looks fantastic - it's quite a practical car that does almost everything right.

[buzzy_boy]

Originally Posted by RRU

All in all, I am still not sure which one to go with among these three or should look for something else I have not even thought of hitherto. My requirement is driving pleasure, safety and economy (ownership cost). Prefer MT over AT any day (XL6 could be an exception). Happy to see features - not so excited to have all. Preferred budget is 14-18L - can stretch a bit.

I own a XUV 700 AX-5 D MT. It can be extremely fun driving it on highways and twisties; the suspension is well sorted in these conditions, and you can get the maximum driving pleasure. However, I found it too cumbersome in the city. The main reasons were size, horrible turning radius, and innumerable blind-spots. I also found the suspension to be busier than usual on regular urban roads. So, i wouldn't recommend it if 80% of your commute is urban.

Given your preference for space, driving pleasure, relatively compact foot-print, and safety, I'm afraid that you don't have many options other than sedans. The crossover segment just cant match the space, dynamics, and footprint balance offered by the sedans.

The ones that might feel like a true upgrade over the etios might be the City hybrid, and the Slavia 1.5.

All the best with your search.

[RRU]

Update since my last detailed post:

Summary – hunt continues with trimmed list now (Carens, Hyryder, GV and Crysta, the last one is kind of a pick if I decide nothing else) but still open – pretty open to expert BHPians suggestions (I admire your disinterested view).

As averred previously, did another TD of XL6 – altogether 6 times, 3 with AT and 3 MT. I must admit, if the performance were even half of what I had expected out of it, I would have booked by now. Unfortunately, it is not the case and no matter what you take (AT or MT) or what you try, it is so glaringly disappointing. This time I drove along the NH44 and around – the limitation of the engine (tuning) showed up in no time. With heavy heart, gave it a go. I really liked the package. MSL nonetheless accomplished its objective – FE! I tested the car to its limits this time abusing to the hilt – still, it delivered a mileage of 15+ kmpl for the trip (TD) I took. Quite impressive. With sedate driving, one can easily manage mileage of ~16 in city and 20+ in highways. One thing – anyone buying should go for AT as the 6th gear really gives better cruising experience on highways.

After having TD the XUV700 2.0 turbo petrol AT over a short distance with good experience, I tried the MT as that is what I am hunting for (not AT). This time it was a long stretch of over 40 kms covering B2B and light city traffic, as well as highways (NH4). Overall, it is indeed a head turner on the road with very strong presence, giving commanding position to the driver (that is what SUVs are known for and Mahindra justifies). Inside the cabin, it’s premium feeling with feature- and safety-rich package. However, the charm ends there. I found the car sorely wanting on certain core (basic) things that I would not compromise a wee bit (very specific to petrol MT). The clutch, which has an egregiously long and full play making it not so fun to ride in busy city traffic, is hard and continually vibrates on soft touch. The gear shift knob too vibrated when checking the tractability and ratio of each gear over the run. Suspension gave a few thuds during our TD. The NVH was found to be adequate, but not great. Performance and steering were quite impressive though. Now, what will I do with a car worth north of 20L if it does not get its basic right. Maybe, I am being too critical of these shortcomings (I will tell you why later) – I am told that Mahindra is wont to coming up with new cars with quite a few niggles initially and then sorts those out over time. I checked with the SA and their technician – neither had any tenable explanation other than the fact that it’s a turbo engine. Not convinced – outrightly discarded. Funnily though, I could not hold off myself commenting – that a tractor manufacturer has made this SUV is so visible. As I always do, the TD trip eked out mileage of 10.38 kmpl over 40 kms – impressive for a 2.0 turbo petrol.

With both cars out of my list, I took TD of Carens half-heartedly once again – 4th time. It was in and around NH44 (airport expressway) with their 1.4L turbo MT petrol (I was looking for 1.5L petrol NA, but Kia has not given this to dealers anywhere in Bangalore). Quite impressive ride overall much to my surprise – no complains. Has all the basics in place and working well. Since it’s a Korean car – talking about feature will be cliché. It is just that one has to learn the trick of driving in busy city traffic at low speed/RPM given the lag due to turbo not supporting (I am told it is typical of turbo powered cars). This is not a worry for me as if I book Carens, it will be 1.5L NA petrol MT – only after gaining convincing ride quality and performance insight (vicariously though).

On seeing that I am left with only Carens in my list, HM (who was not happy) quickly added Hyryder and Grand Vitara to the list. So, will wait for the opportunity to TD both and decide. Had a chance to peek into the Grand Vitara in Bimal NEXA – found acceptable for further consideration although any day will prefer Toyota over MSL

Admittedly, I have predilection for Japanese cars (Toyota, Honda and MSL, in that order) and personally don’t like the Korean cars much. However, to be fair to them, they have earned their position in Indian passenger car market by giving what consumers wanted, and Kia has got everything right hitherto. If MSL can have its tin cans with 0-2 NCAP rating on top of the charts every month then the feature-rich (and now safety loaded) Korean cars too deserve their pride of place. I have the highest regard for the German cars running in India, but these just fizzle out on my VFM proposition. Seems like I am being pedantic and digressive – sorry, period!

Lastly, on my being too critical on XUV700’s basics/core - clutch, gear, engine, etc. – I currently own an Etios 1.5 NA petrol MT (and have extensively driven Dzire, City and Alto – all petrol MT) – this good to have feature-starved machine gives me unmatched driving comfort in both city and highway rides – simple, it has its basics right the first time, and always! Interestingly, my car is at present in the service station of Nandi Toyota (Whitefiled) for fixing a nagging issue of rattling/jarring sound that I hear when I drive at low speed/RPM. Since they wanted the car to be with them for at least 3 working days to investigate this recurring issue extensively and fix, they were generous enough to give me their service car (2011 Etios petrol G MT) to use until I get my car back. The odo of this car reads 1,49,400+ kms already driven, and trust me, the driving comfort is superb – basics are very much intact! Hence, per my benchmark on driving quality and comfort.

Thank you very much for reading my verbose stuff, and reiterating, these are purely personal opinion and no pun intended – please share your thoughts…

[vnm008]

Originally Posted by RRU

Summary – hunt continues with trimmed list now (Carens, Hyryder, GV and Crysta)

Since you are in for MT, try Marazzo too. I forgot to mention it last time, i did a TD of this one too, but it was a long time back so I'd prefer not to comment further. It has captain seat configuration too and has a very commanding driving position. Since you are considering Crysta, clutch should give you similar feel.

Also, do TD Carens NA as that's what you are booking. Turbo petrols are really fun to drive, it can't be compared to NA.

If limited seating isn't a concern, HyRider Hybrid (with Toyota engine) should be a great pick, but TD before deciding all the best

[RRU]

Originally Posted by buzzy_boy

I own a XUV 700 AX-5 D MT. It can be extremely fun driving it on highways and twisties; the suspension is well sorted in these conditions, and you can get the maximum driving pleasure. However, I found it too cumbersome in the city. The main reasons were size, horrible turning radius, and innumerable blind-spots. I also found the suspension to be busier than usual on regular urban roads. So, i wouldn't recommend it if 80% of your commute is urban.

Given your preference for space, driving pleasure, relatively compact foot-print, and safety, I'm afraid that you don't have many options other than sedans. The crossover segment just cant match the space, dynamics, and footprint balance offered by the sedans.

The ones that might feel like a true upgrade over the etios might be the City hybrid, and the Slavia 1.5.

All the best with your search.

Thanks - your assessment of XUV700's drive in highways and limitations in city condition could not have been more apt. Yes, over 80% of my drive is in city. If i were to upgrade to a sedan then Honda City - e cvt - will be my natural choice although i don't like the looks of the latest avatar (quite subjective). If not City then Skoda Slavia is a potent option - i always liked the no nonsense and robust Rapid. I have to do a lot to work to convince my son and better half to not go for an SUV/MPV - will likely fail

[RRU]

Originally Posted by vnm008

Since you are in for MT, try Marazzo too. I forgot to mention it last time, i did a TD of this one too, but it was a long time back so I'd prefer not to comment further. It has captain seat configuration too and has a very commanding driving position. Since you are considering Crysta, clutch should give you similar feel.

Thanks, but most likely no given its looks, performance and poor sales figures.

Also, do TD Carens NA as that's what you are booking. Turbo petrols are really fun to drive, it can't be compared to NA.

Yes, you are absolutely right - i am gathering insight about NA. There is no TD vehicle. A gentleman who is quite impressed with his 1.5 NA has generously invited me to do TD of his Carens.

If limited seating isn't a concern, HyRider Hybrid (with Toyota engine) should be a great pick, but TD before deciding all the best

-

Five seater will do - honestly - this should be my easiest choice - as nothing better than staying with Toyota family and badge.

Thanks again for your insightful inputs.