It's only available in GTX+ Trim now which costs 19.1 Lakhs on-road. Moreover, now it only comes with the Black interiors and being a family used vehicle, I would prefer a Beige & Black Combination, a cabin with the airy feel.

Trust me you would find the black interior better and easier to maintain. I have complete black interior in my Fortuner no such issues with airy feel atleast for me.

Cannot deny the same but my father prefers beige as he feels it exudes a little more brightness to the cabin. He doesn't prefers all black interiors and at times it makes my mom claustrophobic.

Wonder if the results would be any different, with the better powered + AT Harrier on offer. I’d pick Harrier in this segment. Looks like proper VFM, even though the top end is on the pricier range.

Hi.
I have to make a choice between the Seltos 1.4 GTX+DCT Petrol and the Jeep Compass Longitude 4x2 . Other contenders in this category have been dropped for various reasons and I'm not going to re-evaluate those.
My driving is going to be mostly in Mumbai , with the occasional road trip , mostly within Maharashtra / Goa.
In Mumbai, atleast half of the running will be driver-driven.
After a test drive of both cars, my impressions are :
Jeep Pros:
1. Both my wife and I are in love with its looks.
2. Interiors felt very premium and comfortable. Back Leg room was sufficient. This is important for me.
3. Ride quality was smooth. I took a test drive of both cars over the same stretch of road, and Jeep Compass felt noticeably smoother with lesser vibrations
4. I really want a car WITHOUT a sunroof and strangely, that's actually a plus point for the Compass

Jeep Cons
1. The future of FCA has always been suspect . Almost every review mentions this issue. But now with the facelift apparently in the works, is that an indirect indicator that FCA / Jeep will continue atleast for the next 5 years
2. Fuel efficiency appears to be dismal. FE of 5-6 in city limits is a huge negative
3. Sparse service network.
4. Tech features are not in the same league as Seltos. But , are those really deal breakers ?

Kia Seltos Pros :
1. Looks are good. Acceptable to us. But we prefer Jeeps handsome looks.
2. Loaded to the gills with tech features.
3. Better fuel efficiency than Jeep.
4. Better service / dealer network across Maharashtra

Cons
1. Build quality does not seem to be in the same league as the Compass.
2. Are the electronic tech features too gimmicky ? Will they hold over time ?
3. All variants of Seltos now have the sunroof. Almost every car expert I speak to advise against choosing a sun roof variant over the long term perspective.

In terms of cost, I;m comfortable with both. Some advice on making this decision will really be helpful.

I think rear seat comfort is an important aspect for you so compare the two cars primarily on that to make a decision. Talking about the seltos, I think you should go for same variant but in diesel since its going to chauffeur driven most of the times so for reliability purposes the diesel is a better choice in bumper to bumper city traffic. And also if re-sale value is an important aspect for you then the seltos wins hands down. So the choice completely depends on which are the most important factors for you in the decision making. I would suggest you to wait for the compass faceift in case your heart is set on that.

I find this advice very strange. What's the long term problem with sunroofs?

I drive a pre-owned Hyundai i20 Sportz (Petrol) since 2010. My usage of this car is extremely low. Last few years, the monthly usage was 150-200 kms per month. I need a car specially for Mumbai-Surat or Mumbai-Pune highway drives (once every 2 months). City usage is not high due to proximity to the workplace.

My current car is giving a lot of mechanical issues and instead of plonking more money in repairs, I want to get a new car. More than the money is the trust one has in the car. I am not sure whether I can trust my car to not give up on me during my highway runs to meet the folks. Also, during these Covid times, having a car is a must.

1. My budget is 15L on-road in Mumbai.
2. To be used by 3-4 passengers (family) for highway runs.
3. Typically drive between 90-110 on the highway with family and do 'spirited' runs only when I am alone.
4. Boot space is very important as I carry a lot of stuff during my highway runs (luggage, etc.)
5. City usage is minimal (maybe around 200 kms per month at best)
6. Was prefering a SUV (high ground clearance so that can take a road less traveled when going to village/farms/potholed kaccha roads. Although this is not a necessity considering that I was doing all that in an i20!
7. Prefer mechanical reliability over everything else considering how i20 has failed me lately
8. Love gimmicks and features on the interiors of the car.
9. I have liked Kia Seltos. Try as much as I can, I am not able to get used to the new Creta looks. I'd have loved to stay with the Hyundai family (just for their service coverage)
10. Would prefer to stick to Hyundai, Kia, Honda and avoid Maruti. They make good cars, but the overall finishing does not matches the previous three. Again my personal opinion based on the cars I've driven. I am sure Maruti has it's share of happy users. But it's not for me.
11. I'd definitely go with extended warranty.
12. I stay in Mumbai, so am not too worried about the service options.
13. Some features I love in the car (again, these are my personal favorites as naive as I may sound) - dead pedal, auto-folding ORVM, day/night IRVM, steering mounted controls, auto climate controls, cooled glovebox, rear view sensors, safety features.
14. Plan is to first finalize the car and then look for finance options.

Need recommendations on Kia Seltos and what alternatives do I have? Would be continuing my research on this forum but would really appreciate some help.

Is WRV also in the same league as Seltos (space, etc.)?

Honda City is great, but I've never driven large sedans and I believe it'd go more than 15L on road. However I don't mind evaluating this.

With 5 star NCAP rating and lots of bells and whistles, Seltos is definitely a segment leader only being next to the 2020 Creta which has got additionally paddle shifter and sun roof as extra.

Here are some alternatives excluding XUV 500 petrol since Mahindra is not in your list. Scorpio is also ruled out although for high headroom clearance nothing beats it, of course Scorpio is not available in petrol and I am assuming you will not consider the Diesel variants since you have low run.

The Honda City VX-MT Petrol will be less than 15 lakhs OTR in Mumbai and a great car indeed, with features and boot space more than what you have at present. But I am not sure what kind of Ground Clearance you need in which case Honda WRV makes sense definitely but the engine could have been better in the WRV if they had given the same 1.5 litre petrol engine of the City.

If you evaluate WRV then look at Venue 3-cylinder turbo petrol too (ruling out the safest car Nexon since Tata is not in your list) if you are okay with another Hyundai but it looks pretty much similar to new Creta and you did not like that looks.

Another option to consider is Duster, it will be well within 15 lakhs and with class leading GC and a lot more boot than what you have in your i20 today but its NCAP is 4 star only.

So the more I read, the more I am convinced to the following 3 options

1. Kia Seltos
2. Hyundai Creta
3. Honda City

All petrol and models within 15L OTR. Mahindra has great cars, but I am sure mechanically and finish wise, it may not be comparable. Despite my dislike of Creta, I am a value buyer and if this car gives me the best options, I'd learn to like it (I'd be spending time inside the car rather than outside looking at it, if that makes sense )

Being the confused user that I am, I will also evaluate if a pre-owned Creta or a 4th gen City makes sense, but first I want to select my new car and then do a comparo between the two. I've been reading that Kia Seltos does not have auto-folding ORVMs, which if true, is just plain crazy. Do keep the suggestions flowing and also things that I need to consider.

Go for the Seltos HTX Manual you would not regret your decision.

If you value safety more go for the Honda City VX because of the extra airbags and BA,VSC,HAC etc.

Would not suggest the Creta because just like you even I couldn't come to terms with its looks.

A wild suggestion could be the upcoming Sonet with its top of the line variant with all the safety features but i don't know how would it fair on the space requirement part of 3-4 people.

@MODS kindly add a poll to add to the confusions.

Hi there, I was in the same dilemma where I had a Punto until last week. I was confused between Seltos and City.
My requirement was cabin space for comfort, safety features, a large boot, reliable brand and exclusivity.
I opted for the city and took delivery 2 days ago.
Drove around 200kms within the city and speed breaks weren't a problem but I was very cautious while going over them which wasn't necessary in my Punto.
Most of the good features comes in the mid variants in seltos which costs beyond 15 lacs in blr. I would have gone for it if I could stretch my budget that far but decided to go with the city for little more exclusivity amongst ocean of SUVs.

Based on your requirements, and since you do not like looks of Creta, Seltos is the best fit. It has good balance of everything, including price.

I would also say to look at Verna. I find it better than City due to better build, interior quality and is reliable enough. Also, its priced lower than City. Yes, City has more space but Verna is not bad at space.

Although you don't want a Maruti, still thought of mentioning the Ertiga. Its perfectly suited for your needs in every way, including reliability. And will save a lot of money.

WRV - Although good, but engine is the weak link. Also, won't feel much of an upgrade over i20.

Given your requirements, the Tata Harrier might be worth a look even though it exceeds your budget by quite a bit. It’s a well-built car and has become even better with the 2020 upgrade.

However, if you find the Harrier a bit to expensive and since your heart is set on it, you could go ahead with the Seltos too.

Hexa and S-Cross would be better highway machines than the Kia solely due to their high speed stability characteristics.