[Tushar]

Hyundai Creta


What you’ll like:

• An all-rounded urban SUV. Perfect size for Indian cities...good looking too!
• Well packaged interiors offer sufficient legroom & headroom
• Excellent 1.6L petrol & diesel engines. Awesome refinement levels
• Automatic + diesel combination available. 6-speed AT is very smooth
• Balanced suspension offers comfortable ride quality & neutral handling
• Hyundai's reliability, competent after-sales & 3 year unlimited kms warranty
• Equipment such as 6 airbags, ESP, touchscreen ICE, hill-start assist, reversing camera & more

What you won’t:

• Premium pricing! Most BHPians feel that it's overpriced by Rs. 1 - 1.5 lakhs
• Several missing features, big & small. Disappointing at this price point
• Petrol MT & Diesel AT are unavailable in the SX (O) trim. Petrol AT not offered at all
• Rear seat is more suitable for 2 adults, not 3
• No AWD capability like the Duster & XUV500. Adventure tourers, look elsewhere
• Some competitors offer you 3 seat rows for the same money
• Waiting periods have already begun. Over 6 months in many cities

Review Link

Renault Duster


What you’ll like:

• A monocoque SUV at the price of C2 segment sedans. Good looking too
• Robust, abuse-friendly build & construction. Capable AWD available
• Outstanding ride quality. Comfortable over any kind of road
• Car-like to drive. Balanced handling and dynamics
• 205mm of ground clearance. Dismisses broken roads with aplomb
• Fuel efficient 1.5L diesel engine with adequate power on tap
• Practical boot (475 - 1064 liters of cargo capacity)

What you won’t:

• No 3rd row of seats. A 5 seater SUV, unlike its 7 seater competitors
• Cost cutting glaringly evident on the inside. Weird ergonomics as well
• Mediocre rear seat legroom. More like C1 segment sedans than C2
• 109 BHP diesel has noticeable turbo lag below 2,000 rpm (not in the AWD)
• Higher variants are steeply priced. 110 PS Duster is too close to the XUV500
• No climate control, 60:40 split on rear seat, dead pedal, auto locking doors or 1-touch down windows
• Renault's after-sales is a hit or miss

Review Link

Mahindra XUV500


What you’ll like:

• A well-engineered, contemporary SUV with a value-for-money price tag
• More mature styling. Front end no longer looks garish
• Acres of space on the 1st & 2nd seat rows
• Competent engine delivers fantastic urban driveability, as well as fast highway performance
• Balanced ride & handling package
• Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP with rollover mitigation, ABS + EBD and all-wheel disc brakes
• Expansive feature list (sunroof, touchscreen ICE, powered driver's seat, cruise control etc.)

What you won’t:

• Absolutely no luggage capacity with all the seats in place
• Cramped 3rd seat row is best suited to children only. A sliding middle row is sorely missed
• Interior quality, although better, still has a lot of scope for improvement
• Clutch is lighter now, but has a long travel range & high resting point. Gets cumbersome in traffic
• Niggles & issues, as reported by existing XUV500 owners
• Mahindra's inconsistent sales & service experiences
• Automatic transmission nowhere in sight. Premium customers love their ATs

Review Link

Ford EcoSport


What you'll like:

• Snazzy, futuristic styling makes the EcoSport a head-turner. Solid construction too
• 3 engine options, including the impressive 1.0L EcoBoost & economical 1.5L Diesel
• Loaded to the gills with technology & equipment (SYNC, cooled glovebox, leather seats, parking display...)
• Smartly packaged interior. Adequate space for 4 adults. Lots of storage and practical features
• Dynamically sorted. Competent handling by SUV standards
• City-friendly! Great ergonomics, driving position, manoeuvrability and size for urban India
• Safety kit includes 6 Airbags, ABS + EBD, Emergency assistance phone call, Emergency brake warning etc. AT variant gets ESP and Hill-Hold

What you won't:

• Hyundai-esque light electric steering on the Highway
• Ride quality isn't as plush as that of the Renault Duster. Underlying stiffness obvious
• 362 liter boot is significantly smaller than all competitors
• Narrow cabin width makes a 5th occupant unwelcome. Best for 4 onboard
• Sub-4 meter size and compact dimensions take street cred away
• Tree trunk thick A-Pillars result in severe blind spots
• EcoBoost only on top variant. No high-powered diesel like the Duster 110PS

Review Link

Mahindra Scorpio


What you'll like:

• Same popular SUV package, now improved in the 2014 avatar
• Robust, abuse-friendly build & construction
• Aggressive front-end styling. Has good street presence
• mHawk turbo diesel is a jewel of an engine. Great driveability, performance & fuel economy
• New chassis brings better road manners
• 4x4 available on S4 variant too. More affordable than the Safari 4x4 & Duster AWD
• The Scorpio enjoys strong resale value in the used car market
• Features: 6" touchscreen system, GPS navigation, projector headlamps, LED tail-lamps, auto-headlamps & wipers, cruise control, 17" rims etc.

What you won't:

• Ride quality, though improved, is far from plush. Still gets bouncy & bumpy
• Surprisingly limited 2nd-row legroom in an SUV of this size
• Overdone rear end styling. Also, decade-old body shell shows its age
• Fit & finish leave a lot to be desired. Rough edges are plentiful
• Price of the higher variants is dangerously close to the more accomplished XUV500
• Niggles & issues, as reported by existing Scorpio owners
• Mahindra's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble

Review Link

Tata Safari Storme


What you’ll like:

• The best Safari till date. Tata continually upgrades & tweaks this SUV
• Solid body-on-frame construction. Substantial size & strong presence
• Competent 148 BHP engine. Excellent driveability & superb refinement
• Improved interiors, comfortable driving position & a much lighter clutch
• 1st & 2nd seat rows have enormous space. Nice seats too
• Good ride quality. Also, the X2 chassis brings better road manners & braking ability
• Low range 4x4 transfer case, limited slip differential and sufficient rear wheel articulation
• Additions such as a bigger 63 liter fuel tank, steering-mounted audio controls, double-din ICE, flippy key & LED cabin lamps

What you won’t:

• The same old body style. Surely shows its age
• Effectively a 5 seater. The 3rd row jump seats aren't suitable even for kids
• Not as dynamically accomplished as the XUV500, Duster or its sibling, the Aria
• No MID, navigation, climate control, reversing camera or dead pedal in a Rs. 15 lakh car
• ABS & all-wheel disc brakes removed from the base LX variant
• Niggling issues & problems (as per the many Safari ownership reports)
• Tata's after-sales service experience remains a gamble
• 4x4's critical electronic bits & fuel tank are placed too low. No protective plate against splashes either. Massive size & kerb weight negatively affect its offroad performance

Review Link

[GTO]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Indian]

I had to make this decision in July - either wait for launch/prices of S-Cross/Creta or go with XUV/Duster. Decided on XUV, based on the space inside, handling, drive-ability and for all the bells and whistles that come along with it. The price announcement of Creta/S-Cross later re-affirmed my decision though

[carwatcher]

I expect junta to vote in large nos. for XUV as its VFM (more metal per car). All the previous TBHP COTY are VFMs.

Now if I have to vote from my wallet, I would buy XUV if buying for me and Creta if buying for my wife. So its a tie.

[Rahul Rao]

@Tushar.
You need to edit the Scorpio details with AT and the only 4X4 At in the price range.

Rahul

[rajesh.palaria]

Voted for Safari - reason being
1) Tata has used this vehicle to continuously upgrade in terms of underlying mechanical things. They continue to use this as the benchmark in lot of their internal assessment for Indian civilians
2) This still has the aspirational value cum brand image that one would want to get associated with

[Jaggu]

Duster 4x4 me anyday, had a chance to use my friends vehicle for the RFC trip in Goa, from Bangalore, including mild offroad and i just love it. The 4x4 spec suspension is one of the sweetest and can take both good and bad roads at ease.

The onroad handling is spot on and if its just 2 people on board is as good as a swift (dare i say). Gives 15 plus kmpl on the long runs and is quite a joy to drive with the 6 speed gearbox. Current price with discounts thrown in is brilliant. I wouldn't personally spend 17 lakhs for a wanna be SUV like creta, atleast the Duster has a 4x4 drive train with locking option, which is actually useful for off beaten situation at the least.

Downside is the interiors and maybe lack of a 3rd row seat, but that is not a priority for me.

After test-driving XUV 500, Duster and Storme, I bought my XUV 500 and got addicted to its powerful and torquey mHawk engine and monocoque body; so, voted for XUV 500.

[srishiva]

having driven all the above, voted for Duster. With 4x4, its close to being a SUV and very good for on-road cruising. Tata Storme would be a little 'still same, nothing changed' for me.

[TaurusAl]

Voted for XUV for the sheer joy of driving this monster. Once on the driver's seat cant get enough of it.

As per me, the XUV scores with following points compared to the cars on this thread.


1) It beats others in looks big time
2) Offers flexible seating position
3) Has the best engine
4) Feature list is endless if you are a gadget freak
5) Has all the safety features available in this era

[NPV]

My choice is the XUV500, seems to give the best value for money with it's powerful engine, great features and acres of space inside and people mover too

[Arjun Reddy]

Just voted for the XUV although I am going to buy the Creta.
XUV is a great car to own if you are predominantly going to use it on the highway. I am looking for an Urban runaround as I have other cars to do the highway duties.

But still love the XUV for the real estate it provides.

[vinitbhavi]

For me personally I would have loved a 2.0 litre duster/ creta/terrano in the 15-20 Lakhs price bracket. This is because I already had a 1.6 and want to upgrade from there and XUV is actually the only option available in those parameters. Having said that its also the most VFM compared to all others. IMHO XUV should be compared to the aria/storme/fortuner with similar overall sizes. Hyundai have made two big mistakes with the creta , 1) not releasing the AWD version 2) Not giving all the bells and whistles in the top end A/T.
Why do these car manufacturers (not only Hyundai) treat Indian customers like that. They are obviously waiting for the initial euphoria to die down and then with dwindling sales introduce all these features in a face lift. The XUV on the other hand has been giving all these important safety features right from its introduction. Whatever one may say about the brand at least they have in part been fair to Indian consumers.
In an Ideal world the Hyundai Tucson if aggressively priced would have been an apt opponent to the XUV.

[anb]

Voted for Duster AWD as it is the best riding car with good handling , engine performance and decent off road ability. It was tough to choose between feature loaded XUV5OO and duster.

[charthom]

Me too voted for the Duster. Any A/T version of the Duster in the horizon? I am waiting for the AWD Duster with A/T- or even a Terrano with AWD and A/T.

How is the Duster doing on hilly roads with lots of bends? Anyone can comment about the body roll please?