[blackwasp]

MG Hector

What you'll like:

• Big size & lots of bling for the money! We find the Hector to be well-priced
• A spacious cabin that can easily seat 5 adults. Massive 587 litre boot too
• Fiat-sourced 2.0L diesel is simply fantastic
• Compliant ride quality. Suspension is tuned for comfort
• Lots of kit (panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, electric seats & tailgate etc.)
• ‘Connected’ Tablet ICE with an embedded SIM & lovely sound quality
• 5-year / unlimited km warranty with roadside assistance
• Top safety equipment includes 6 airbags, ESP, HSA, all-wheel disc brakes, TPMS & more

What you won't:

• Awkward styling on the side & rear profiles. Looks weird from some angles
• Sloppy high-speed handling, noticeable body roll & easy understeer
• The petrol engine is “adequate” at best. Its guzzling Automatic variant is unimpressive
• No Diesel AT (Creta, Seltos, XUV500, Hexa offer this combination, which we love)
• Some annoyances like the ~6 meter turning radius, no auto-dimming IRVM, strange rpm meter…
• Small after-sales network. Service quality & long-term reliability are big unknowns
• Waiting period runs into a couple of months
• Don’t get blinded by the British branding. This is a Chinese car

Review Link

Hyundai Creta

What you’ll like:

• A smart-looking urban SUV. The same successful formula, now improved in the 2018 avatar
• Well packaged interiors offer sufficient legroom & headroom
• New goodies: Sunroof, electric driver's seat, smartkey cum fitness band, cruise control, Auto Link & wireless charging
• 1.6L petrol & diesel engines are top class. Refined 6-speed AT available with both
• Butter-smooth nature! NVH levels are simply outstanding
• Balanced suspension offers comfortable ride quality with neutral handling
• Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, hill-start assist & more
• Hyundai's reliability, competent after-sales & 3 year unlimited km warranty

What you won’t:

• Premium pricing strategy continues! The pricey Creta has only gotten more expensive with time
• Many missing essentials (telescopic steering, auto-folding mirrors, auto-headlamps & wipers...)
• Weirdly, the ATs are still unavailable in the top SX(O) variant! You can't have an automatic with 6 airbags
• The Automatics need stronger brakes. Their stopping ability isn't confidence inspiring
• Rear seat is more suitable for 2 adults, not 3
• Variant planning has several errors (e.g. split seats & ISOFIX unavailable on the MTs)
• No AWD capability like the Duster, XUV500 & Hexa. Adventure tourers, look elsewhere
• Some competitors offer you 7 seats for the same money

Review link

Kia Seltos

BHPian rahul_goyal's ownership report

Discussion Thread

Tata Harrier

What you'll like:

• Stunning looks & strong road presence. Solid build too
• Well-priced for the package on offer
• Classy, spacious cabin with comfortable seats & a chilling air-con
• Fantastic 9-speaker audio system. Sound quality & bass are enjoyable
• 2.0L diesel offers good driveability and a punchy mid-range
• 205 mm of ground clearance + terrain response system. Latter will make monsoon driving safer
• Topnotch safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, break reminder, hill hold, brake disc wiping & more
• Features such as Eco & Sport modes, xenon projectors, auto headlamps & wipers, cruise control…

What you won't:

• Feels like a work-in-process beta version. Several rough areas are yet to be sorted out
• Concerns over niggles & long-term reliability. Our test cars had many problems
• Nervous steering at 100+ km/h…too light, too sensitive. Needs tuning
• Service visit every 6 months / 7500 km (12-months is the norm today)
• No automatic option in a market that loves ATs. No all-wheel drive for enthusiasts either
• Annoyances such as the massive ORVM blind spot, loud diesel >3000 rpm & some ergonomic flaws
• Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• Missing kit (auto-dimming IRVM, sunroof, usable center armrest & dead pedal, TPMS)

Review link

Jeep Compass

What you'll like:

• Handsome Cherokee-inspired styling & loads of character
• Solid build. Feels very robust, just as a Jeep should
• Powerful 2.0L diesel. Good driveability in the city, fast on the open road
• Mature suspension setup, nicely-tuned EPS & rock-solid stability
• Capable AWD available (unlike some competitors)
• City-friendly: Compact size, higher seating, smooth gearshift, soft clutch & low NVH
• Topnotch safety: Strong all-disc brakes, a plethora of electronic aids & 6 airbags
• We think the Compass is well-priced for what it offers. The driving experience & overall package feel premium

What you won't:

• Small size for the price! A sentiment echoed by most people who saw it in person
• Suitable for 4 adults, not 5. Boot is small too
• Inexplicably, only the AWD Diesel gets 6 airbags! All other variants have 2
• Tiny dealership network. Plus, after-sales quality & long-term reliability are unknown factors
• AWD's premium is over 2 lakh rupees on-the-road. Includes 4 extra airbags, but is still too much
• Diesel Automatic is still sometime away
• Turning radius of 5.65m is more than the Safari Storme's. Also, 17º approach angle is too low
• Missing goodies (blanks on the steering, auto-dimming IRVM, auto wipers & headlamps, lumbar adjustment, reclinable rear seats)

Review link - Diesel

Review link - Petrol AT

Samurai's Trailhawk report

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

Review Link

Review Link - Diesel AT

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the SUVs Section. Thanks for sharing!

The Hector is a good SUV for family cruisers, with its space, comfort & equipment. However, it looks way too weird from the side / rear profiles and is a sloppy handler. Looks & driving experience are VERY important to me.

From the list, I'll pick the Seltos or Compass, depending on the budget. Voted for the Seltos in the poll because its closer in price to the Hector and has a diesel AT (Compass Trailhawk price is in another orbit).

Lots could change in the year 2020. The next-gen Creta will be here, as will the next-gen XUV500. The Compass will also be getting the diesel AT in cheaper variants. All in all, it's a great time for customers in the 15 - 20 lakh SUV segment. God bless fierce competition .

[ashis89]

Voted for Seltos.

I was a Harrier fan until I experienced the indifference of two different Tata dealers and inconsistencies in 5 different Harriers available as TD or display cars in those dealerships. As much as I loved it, I would have to stretch my budget considerably for this car and I couldn't place my bet on an unfinished product. It was also a bit too big for my use case.

Hector's looks have been polarizing and I haven't been able to digest it so far. I was looking for something 'compact' and hence, never evaluated the Hector. Given that it was more expensive than the Seltos/Creta(entry/mid variants), it was ruled out for me.

XUV is too old, big and expensive for me. I never needed a 7-seater. I had thought about used XUVs earlier but changed my mind for a new car only. I have never evaluated the XUV till date and never felt like doing it.

Compass looks premium and is premium. Again budget constraints meant I never looked at this car. There's a red Compass in my apartment and I keep looking at it once in a while. If I nitpick then beige interiors and rear leg room would be a concern for me.

Creta was the perfect choice for me ignoring it's dated looks and over-pricing. Given my budget, I was fixated on the EX diesel variant. This is until Seltos came as a 'little' better Creta at no premium. I switched loyalties and have been happy so far!
Some friends suggested waiting for the 2020 Creta but it is too radical for me and doesn't cut the deal.

Originally Posted by GTO

All in all, it's a great time for customers in the 15 - 20 lakh SUV segment. God bless fierce competition .

Your post got me thinking. Seltos' pricing is such that you could buy a car at 10-11L OTR which competes with models costing 25-30L (Compass?). Except for Creta and Seltos, all others have starting prices from 15L OTR onwards!

[Who_are_you]

Voted for Jeep. No other competitor offers proper 4x4. What is the use of an SUV, if you are not taking it offroad ?

[BANDHAV]

I voted for XUV5oo.

Reason: I own one.

I bought it in June 2019. Just love the big butch styling, Hector's contemptory design is no match for it, atleast in my books.

[rajvardhanraje]

Voted Seltos for the following reasons.

Variants: The sheer variety of variants that one could choose from is the USP of this car. Whatever the requirement might be, it has an option. Diesel MT and AT for those with high usage, well priced NA petrol MT and AT for the non enthusiasts, turbocharger petrol MT and AT for the enthusiasts.

Price: Considering it's rivals, it seems reasonably priced for what it offers. It's Hyundai sibling although a generation old is priced similarly. The fact is that all SUVs are expensive so it rather becomes a comparison with the rivals.

Engines: The turbo petrol engine is the segment leader. The NA petrol although seems moderately powered on paper, fares well in the real world. The diesel engine is also a gem despite being lower on power as compared to it's sibling. It has been tuned to the mass market's taste.

Features: I won't go in much details for what it offers as this has been discussed in length on the thread. It is well equipped and offers multiple segment first features. This certainly appeals to the masses.

Looks: Looks are subjective but in my opinion I prefer it to the looks of the Creta. Well proportioned and contemporary. Although Harrier is the best looker.

[ram87pune]

Voted for "other" that is the Tata Hexa. For me an SUV has to have a body on frame construction and a 4×4. Hexa ticks both the boxes.

I have owned one for the last 27 months and am completely loving the experience. For me the ride comfort,seating comfort and robustness count for more than features like sunroof,huge touchscreens etc. No offence to others it's just my personal preference. In that regard the Hexa is head and shoulders above the competition. Though I am not a fan of feature deletions by TML, mine is from one of the earlier lots and so is fully loaded.

Also as far as value for money is concerned, with the ongoing discounts the Hexa is an even sweeter deal.

[Jakku]

My vote - Others & Hexa AT


If I were in the market now with this kind of a money at hand, my choice would be Hexa AT. Reason being, the ride quality of Hexa outshines all the listed choices except for Compass. The only reason why I would not choose a Compass ahead of Hexa is due to the lack of confidence of the brand's presence in India in future. Also, it is too costly compared to Hexa.

XUV500 AT would be the distant next choice. I do not like the ride comfort of middle row, but the driver seat comfortness is in a different league. From Oct 17 till 20th, I completed a Bangalore - Thrissur - Sabarimala - Thrissur - Bangalore trip in an XUV500 (one from initial lot and a manual one).

No Harrier due to the lack of AT box, if it had one, that would have been in 3rd place alongside XUV5OO and I would have tough time deciding between them, albeit Harrier is from "half-a-segment" lower (in my perception, no offence to any owners)

So choice is -

1st position - tie between Hexa & Compass (but I won't buy Compass and recommend one for reasons detailed above).
3rd Position - XUV500


Not considered

• Harrier - due to lack of AT box and I feel it is "half-a-segment" lower when compared to Hexa/ Compass/ XUV500!!!
• MG - as it is a Chinese product and have heard a lot of mixed opinions about the quality.
• Kia Seltos - due to the new brand and some early reports of bad quality. Also, it is to be compared alongside Harrier and not Hexa/ XUV5OO/ Compass.
• Creta - wonder why this is an option; my perception is that, it is a full segment lower than Hexa/ XUV500/ Compass.

[VJ05]

I'm seriously considering Compass out of the lot as my next car. Reason - it's great to drive and possess loads of character, there's something about Jeep which excites me.

Seltos - TD'ed, 1.5 D engine is good to drive and AT gearbox is superbly tuned. Bit small in size even for a mid-size SUV. Still, if I have not TD'ed Compass a day before, Seltos would have been my No. 1 choice.

Creta - TD'ed diesel manual, nothing exciting about the car, gets the job done, Ticked all the boxes, without exceeding in anyone.

XUV 5OO - Eyeing it for last 3 years, really liked the driveability. Even booked it but had to cancel as Better Half was adamant didn't like it due to it's size.

Hector - Too much hype for a Chinese product. Still early days to trust a brand with 2 million rupees.

Harrier - Liked it when it was launched but dropped it after hearing about all the niggles. When on earth Tata Motors will start producing market-ready products? If not for niggles, Hector and Seltos, Harrier would have been doing well in the market today.

[heydj]

My choice Jeep Compass.

Why? Looks good, has lot of street presence, solid built quality, and soft spot for brand Jeep. Moreover I am not averse to taking risk in terms of servicing, dealership etc.

Second option - neither instead will change the requirements and go for something else from Skoda stable. Like Octavia Etc.

[Rajeevraj]

Voted for the Seltos as I think it is the most well rounded product in the list even above the Creta. Multiple engine options, even multiple AT types, Turbo Petrol and Dual Clutch combination. Not to mention that it is loaded with features. Not surprised that it is off to a super start.

Not sure if I will buy any of these though - am still a sedan guy and at 15-20L will probably buy pre-owned from a segment or two above.

[condor]

Voted Other. Will take the Hexa over all these. Esp over the Hector. Even the top end will still be a good package esp at this price bracket.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by Jakku

My vote - Others & Hexa AT

Your post nicely sums up my thoughts and I too have voted for others.

My reasoning for others - Instead of Hexa AT, I may go for Hexa AWD or even the Storme 4X4 or a Scorpio 4WD. We need a Harrier/Hexa/ a new Storme/new gen Scorpio/new gen XUV in AT & 4WD iteration.

If I had to buy from the choices above, than it has to be Compass.

And, for this kind of money, will rather buy a 2015/2016 Fortuner/Endeavor and kit it up with Ironman/ARB.

[gutsy]

Innova Crysta. Considering Hector is just another MPV with maximum bling per km

[humyum]

Kia Seltos. Would have leaned a lot towards the Harrier if it came with the superb Automatic which is present in the Hexa, can't drive such a huge SUV with a manual.