[AirWind]

Originally Posted by SARaymond

If we manage to keep the total spend on both cars under 40 lakhs OTR, then we will be happy.

The TC gearbox is the best, while the reliability of DCT is questionable, the rubber band effect on CVT is pronounced and the AMT is just plain crappy.

Petrol or Diesel or EV? is depending on your choice, refinement, mileage, range in the case of EV

You can only buy one of these cars like the Jeep Compass, Hyundai Tucson or Citroen C5 Aircross or VW Tiguan for that 40L price point. But if you are looking for two, here is a combination you could consider for 40L:

Larger SUV - you can choose between TATA Safari = Harrier, MG Hector twins, Toyota Innova Crysta ZX, Kia Seltos = Hyundai Creta, MG ZS (EV), Hyundai Kona (EV), Volkswagen T-Roc and if you are willing to wait the upcoming Volkswagen Taigun = Skoda Kushaq with the higher state of tune, Mahindra XUV 700 and Isuzu MUX

Smaller SUV - You have a choice of Kia Sonet = Hyundai Venue, Ford Ecosport, Nexon (EV?), Nissan Magnite = Renault Kiger and if you are willing to wait the upcoming Volkswagen Taigun = Skoda Kushaq with the lower state of tune

Note: "=" represents same car in a different package

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by SARaymond

If we manage to keep the total spend on both cars under 40 lakhs OTR, then we will be happy.

Thank you in advance.

I'd recommend getting one smaller city run-about (sub-4M), and one that is slightly bigger for the family trips / airport runs / highway runs but still compact enough for self driving.

Unfortunately you will have to compromise between reliability, resale, features, and safety.

Options I would look at:
M/S Brezza for city driving : good visibility, good ground clearance, 4star safety rating, easy to maintain, reliable old school mechanicals and TC gearbox, etc. Interior quality isn't great, and you will miss some features like ventilated seats, etc. The S-Cross is a great option though a little bigger than the Brezza and may not have as good resale either, but is better built with better interiors, etc. The Venue could be a good option as well but no safety rankings for the Indian spec model.

Pair this with a Creta 1.5 petrol which comes with the torque converter. However, fair warning - the Kia Seltos which is sold in India and based on the same platform as the Creta has only received a 3 star NCAP rating with an unstable body shell (for Indian made vehicle), and Hyundai owners have reported niggles in general (various threads on forum) but the Creta Auto should have them rectified.
Given the high pricing and lack of crash test rating for the Indian model, I would rather pay the premium and pick up a Tucson Diesel Auto as the second vehicle though it wouldn't have as good resale value in terms of percentage lost.
You can even look at the soon to be launched Skoda Octavia if you are open to sedans subject to a test drive (a lot of my friends in Hyd drive around in sedans, so could be worth thinking about subject to a test drive). Similarly the Kushaq / Taigun could be worthy contenders in the lower trims with TC gearboxes but resale could be a little worrisome and there could be small niggles.

Have you thought of hiring a chauffeur to do the daily ferrying? If so, the Innova could be a brilliant alternative to the Tucson. Visibility is great but could be a touch too large and boring for self driving and the car practically suffers no depreciation!

I'm not recommending the following popular vehicles as they seem to miss out on what sounds like a key issue for you:
1) Dry clutch equipped DSG cars : Kia seltos 1.4T Petrol, Creta 1.4T petrol, VW T-Roc 1.5T Petrol, Kushaq / Taigun 1.5T Petrol due to reliability and maintenance of earlier models with same/similar gearbox
2) Ertiga & Seltos due to 3 star safety rating with unstable body structure
3) Tata Nexon / Harrier for niggles and average service quality, but they are great options otherwise
4) Compass : high price, and average service quality though a brilliant vehicle otherwise - the Tucson could be a better bet for your needs.

[turbo]

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[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by SARaymond

If we manage to keep the total spend on both cars under 40 lakhs OTR, then we will be happy.

I think lamborghini's suggestions are pretty spot-on.

1. Maruti suzuki Brezza or S-cross would be the small car pick.
2. Hyundai Tucson or Jeep compass is the crossover pick. Skoda Octavia is also a very good option.

I would add my reasons to add 1 more for your small pick

1. Hyundai (all new) i20 - It has 6 airbags on the top model, whereas the Maruti suzuki stable misses it. And if you get Tucson as your crossover pick, then you can negotiate a good deal if you go for 2 cars from same stable and same dealer.

2. Only the 3 above mentioned (Tucson, Compass & Octavia) models get independent suspension in the rear in the ~25L price class. I highly value them for this. VW T-Roc, Skoda's Kushaq etc. come with torsion beam (semi-independent suspension) and hence a no-go. I wish no one spending north of 25L should get themselves a torsion beam suspension.

[AMG Power]

Your original selection was right - the Kia Seltos 1.4 Manual. Great car and something I was considering. Right now with the 4 month waiting period and restrictions on long drives I’ve just kept it in on hold. Who needs another car when you can’t drive the existing ones around..

You’re right about the Jeep, the engine gets boomy at high revs. It is right for an enthusiast, except for that boomy note.

Kia / Hyundai cars are generally higher on the reliability quotient than their European counter parts. The 1.4 turbo is a great engine - 8 seconds faster to 140 kmph than the Jeep 2.0 diesel - as for 1.4 Jeep petrol, it’s better you cross that one out.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the reliability of the engine - there doesn’t seem to be any issues being reported. And as I’ve mentioned else where, Kia will approve a warranty claim if they like the colour of your shirt whereas Skoda will reject a warranty claim if they don’t like the colour of your shirt.

The drawbacks with the Kia Seltos is that it looks like a Christmas tree at night, the chrome can make some folks cringe and it’s overstated design will make it look dated soon.

But if you enjoy driving, the 1.4 turbo manual can make you overlook those shortcomings.