Mahindra XUV300
What you'll like:
• A truly premium crossover. Nice build, quality & refinement levels
• Great looking! Smart design has none of the usual Mahindra quirkiness
• Cabin has enough space for 5. Quality-wise, the interior is more like a Hyundai
• Fantastic engines. The petrol & diesel, both, offer fast performance & good driveability
• A compliant ride with neutral road manners
• Top safety kit. 7 airbags, ESP, ABS, all-wheel disc brakes, TPMS, seatbelt reminders for all & more
• Loaded to the gills with equipment (front parking sensors, sunroof, cruise control, auto headlamps & wipers etc)
What you won't:
• The most expensive Compact SUV in India! Not overpriced, but definitely higher than expected
• 257-liter boot is the smallest in the segment. There are cheaper hatchbacks which have a larger boot
• Concerns over niggles in a freshly baked Mahindra. Our test car itself had issues
• Lack of a proper middle variant. W6 trim is simply too bare-bones, while W8 is expensive!
• No automatic option in a market that is moving toward ATs
• Mahindra's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• Some important features missing (dead pedal, parcel tray, rear air-con, steering reach adjustment etc)
Review Link Maruti Vitara Brezza
What you’ll like:
• An all-rounded compact SUV. A neutral package at the right price
• Clean & proportionate styling. Dual-tone paint shades look nice
• Well-mannered suspension riding on big 215/60 R16 tyres. 198 mm of GC!
• Good cabin space for a sub-4 meter car. Lots of storage & a powerful air-con too
• 1.3L 89 BHP diesel is quick as well as fuel-efficient
• Driver airbag is standard. ABS + EBD and passenger airbag are available on every variant
• Features: Cruise control, touchscreen ICE with navigation, auto headlamps & wipers, projector headlamps & LEDs, reversing camera etc.
• Maruti's excellent after-sales support network
What you won’t:
• No petrol engine or automatic offered. Boosterjet turbo-petrol is still sometime away
• Ordinary interior quality. EcoSport has better quality & a more solid build
• Missing features vs cheaper Baleno (
bi-xenons, telescopic steering, auto-dimming IRVM, leather steering)
• Diesel engine has some turbo-lag below 2,000 rpm (though not excessive)
• Boot has a practical layout, but is still the smallest in the segment at 328 liters
• Forget LDi, even VDi is basic & poorly equipped. ZDi & ZDi+ are the only recommended variants
• Waiting periods rapidly closing in on 6 months
Review Link Tata Nexon
What you’ll like:
• Very well-priced for what it offers. Undercuts all rivals
• Funky styling ensures that the Nexon stands out from the crowd
• 5-star NCAP safety rating & a solid build, unlike many of its flimsy competitors
• Nice, spacious cabin with comfortable seats. You get a practical 350-liter boot too
• 1.5L diesel & 1.2L petrol offer good performance. Diesel is especially impressive
• Balanced road manners for such a tall car. Fine EPS & 209 mm of ground clearance!
• Loaded with features: Driving modes, LED DRLs, reversing camera, 8-speaker ICE etc.
• Dual airbags, ABS & Isofix child seat mounts are standard on all variants
What you won’t:
• Overdone design will be a turnoff for many of you. Rear end is way too busy
• Jiggly low speed ride; bumps are felt in the city (unlike other Tata cars)
• 3-cylinder petrol can't match 4-cylinder competition in NVH. Has lag too
• The observant eye will notice some rough edges in fit, finish & quality
• Concerns over long-term reliability, more so of the freshly developed engines
• Missing essentials (telescopic steering adjustment, auto-dimming IRVM, proper dead pedal)
• Tata's inconsistent after-sales experience is far from that of Maruti & Hyundai
• Shorter service / checkup interval of 6 months & 7,500 km (
rivals have 12-month gaps)
Review Link Ford EcoSport
What you'll like:
• Still the best Compact SUV in the segment
• Good looks matched to solid build quality. Blackened effect of the S variant looks sexy
• 3 engine options, including the impressive 1.0L EcoBoost & economical 1.5L Diesel
• Loaded with kit (leather seats, paddle shifts, auto headlamps & wipers, cruise control, reversing camera)
• Smartly packaged interior. Adequate space for 4. Lots of storage & practical features
• Dynamically sorted. Competent handling by SUV standards
• Safety kit includes 6 Airbags, ESP, Hill Hold, EBA, ABS & more
What you won't:
• Has gotten very expensive with time. Not VFM, but not overpriced either
• 3-cylinder petrol motors can't match the competition in refinement (especially while idling)
• Ride quality isn't plush; underlying firmness obvious, more so with the 17" rims
• Narrow cabin width makes a 5th occupant unwelcome. Best for 4 onboard
•
Tree trunk thick A-Pillars result in severe blind spots
• Some features deleted from the older car (lumbar adjustment, reclining rear seat, cooled glovebox…)
• S variant isn't available with the 1.5L Dragon engine or an Automatic
Review Link The 2017 Facelift:
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Review Link The EcoSport S:
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Review Link Honda WR-V
What you’ll like:
• Crossover styling, taller seating position & 188 mm of ground clearance
• Interior space is awesome, with a practical boot too. Honda’s packaging skills are brilliant!
• 1.5L diesel offers excellent driveability & fuel economy
• Well-tuned suspension; a supple, cushy ride matched to neutral handling
• Features such as the segment-first sunroof, feather-touch climate control, LED DRLs, cruise control, reversing camera, touchscreen ICE & more
What you won’t:
• Unimpressive 1.2L petrol has a weak bottom end. Honda should’ve gotten their tasty 1.5L here
• Diesel’s NVH still has holes to fill, especially at higher revs
• Strangely, no automatic! This & the Mobilio are the only Hondas without an AT option
• Petrol is inexplicably lesser equipped than the diesel (
keyless start & go, cruise control)
• Missing features! Magic seats, rear air-con vents & adjustable headrests, auto-dimming IRVM, height adjustable seatbelts, auto headlights
Review Link