[C300]

Compass all the way. Seltos is glorified and overpriced Creta TBH. Why not Volkswagen T-Roc? Yes, its petrol AT but worth a look.

[sgmuser]

Since I am living outside of India, I can tell you one thing. There is a long way, Kia need to go to reach the level of quality of Jeep - a thoroughbred American car, even though it is owned by Italian. Kia has some way to reach even Hyundai quality! In your situation, I will go with Jeep. It has its own BRAND value. It is a bigger vehicle to some extent. I would not actually compare Seltos with Compass. Creta, Seltos are in similar range, but Compass, MG Hector are in a bit higher range, comparable to even Tucson, outside of India. Compass in the middle east has 2.4 liter petrol that competes with RAV4, X-Trail etc. So, basically, you are getting a vehicle one step higher segment. Technically, Compass is a superior product with Fiats engines, European tuned ride and handling etc. In the long term, Jeep will fetch you a better resale value compared to Kia, for sure. I am driving a 2019 Wrangler Sport, and I tell you, the build quality of a typical American brand is a differentiator. All the best!

[arindam.dino]

A New car is the best conundrum to have!!
Anyways, if you want the 'optimum experience' would suggest you go for the top spec ugly Creta as GTO also suggested. And if you think you are okay with a VW would suggest you give the T-Roc a look.
And between the two of Kia and JEEP, would suggest you go with the top spec Jeep..
Also, any chance going the pre-worshipped way??

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by sgmuser

Kia has some way to reach even Hyundai quality!

I feel it's the other way around on this one though they're from the same family. One can say they're almost there with the fit and finish finesse of Germans , not with the build quality though. It's a brand on an upward curve at least in India. Numbers speaks for them.

Originally Posted by sgmuser

In the long term, Jeep will fetch you a better resale value compared to Kia, for sure.

I beg to differ with you here. Jeep despite being a superior product to Seltos , one can't guarantee it's resale value for the simple reason FCA's long term existence in India is really questionable especially with just a single product and no commitments on investments from them so far. Needless to say, resale value would plummet if a manufacturer shut shop.

On the other hand Kia is really bullish on Indian market and has invested heavily and more importantly they're walking the talk. Being a Hyundai subsidiary is an added advantage too. Hence I would say Kia would fetch more residual value than Jeep(Jeep 's superior product not withstanding). In that sense Kia is better placed than Jeep.

[Stribog]

Quick question though, are you talking 20 lakhs otr? Because for that price the compass is ruled out entirely. The lowest priced, base variant will come in at 21 lakhs

[Zen Av8r]

Between the two cars in your shortlist, KIA Seltos would be better. Since you are looking to replace the accent, I suggest you also look at the Nexon and Venue. You will have more options and at the same time will not be stretching your budget.

[Brishti]

I am attaching a comparison of Compass to the Seltos below its a very close between these both. Another point to remember is that this data is off the BS4 Compass and not the BS6 which from my recent TD has become more linear to drive and that may have an impact on the roll on acceleration timings among other things.

Originally Posted by Samba

But, as you want to use it for a long term, staying with Kia will be a safer bet than Jeep. At-least we know the future plans of Kia and we have already seen their commitment towards the Indian market in such a short period.

That is exactly the problem I already have no idea about Skoda and dont know if my Octavia will get service 5 years down the line. Also this car would be driven by a driver or me or wife so it has to be easy to drive without a steep learning curve.

Originally Posted by Mik

Since you live in Shimla and the requirement being a city car, the Compass will be a pain. The turning radius is humongous and you will have to shield yourself from all the angry stares The Seltos will make a fine case of itself there.

The turning radius is a small issue but the heavy clutch while taking a 3 point turn would definitely will be. My TD of BS6 Compass did confirm that the clutch is still heavy sadly.

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Since you indicated you you would primarily use the car in Shimla, it's always better to have a 4x4 to combat the snowy terrains which is part of the motoring life there.

Let me throw something else into the equation - a 4X4 Duster if you can manage it (Hoping that SC would extend the March 31 deadline for BS4). That would be a worthy buy if you can find one in the given circumstances.

4x4 is not required you will see 1000's of Altos here and they are used everywhere. Driving style is paramount and when there is snow all around no one should drive anywhere even if they have a fortuner or prado. There is always a huge gorge on one side of the road and snow covered road are always unpredictable.

Originally Posted by turbo

While I agree with everyone that the turning radius if the Compass will be a problem, yet I also think that the Seltos is not a solution, especially in the underpowered 1.5 Diesel,

I have attached the running acceleration figures 20-80 & 40-100 for both Seltos and Compass so the 1.5D is not underpowered at all. Even the 0-100 figure for Seltos 1.5D is around 11.67secs which is not bad at all. Its not as fun to drive as Compass but still better than Harrier or Hector.

Originally Posted by GTO

However, your requirements seem to be mixed. If you are looking primarily for a city car, you should consider the Seltos AT. You should also consider the new & ugly Creta. The newer ATs have manual mode which can pretty much help with any kind of situation. Heck, the best offroaders today come with AT gearboxes. It's just a matter of learning & getting used to.

My requirements are mixed as such I require a Jack of all trades. The Seltos AT while great is an AT without paddle shifters and even in the case of my Octavia AT with paddle shifters I cant figure out how to do engine breaking. I hate the new Creta it looks off and down right hideous and I cant buy a hideous car for the long term. I have seen a Compass Trailhawk engine braking but it could be a delay effect of the gear box or something.

Originally Posted by arindam.dino

And if you think you are okay with a VW would suggest you give the T-Roc a look.
And between the two of Kia and JEEP, would suggest you go with the top spec Jeep..
Also, any chance going the pre-worshipped way??

I already own a Skoda and I don't want to have all my eggs in the same manufacturer basket. Top spec Jeep is out of budget and going pre-worshipped is taking a big risk because I would have to buy it from Chandigarh and while it maybe ok there on the hills it might be a different story. The extra stress and wear and tear and show problems which were not there initially and then explaining all this to the original owner is a problem.

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Jeep despite being a superior product to Seltos , one can't guarantee it's resale value for the simple reason FCA's long term existence in India is really questionable especially with just a single product and no commitments on investments from them so far. Needless to say, resale value would plummet if a manufacturer shut shop.

The bigger issue is availability of spares. I have the Mitsubishi Outlander in the family and its spares are a pain to get, I know Compass spares would be more readily available but still Seltos spares would be more available with a fairer price 8-10 years down the lane.

Originally Posted by Stribog

Quick question though, are you talking 20 lakhs otr? Because for that price the compass is ruled out entirely. The lowest priced, base variant will come in at 21 lakhs

I am talking OTR and here I would like to point out Himachal Pradesh RTO charges are 3-3.5% so the SPORT PLUS is the only Compass I can buy. Plus for insurance I am going with Amex they give great deals and an asset to have.

[Reinhard]

Between these two - if you don't mind the LHD oriented wiper & lighting stalks - Compass without a second thought.

But if it is a downer for you & your style is to drive with 1 hand resting around the gear stick - Seltos it is. It doesn't outscore the Jeep on many factors other than maybe cheaper repair costs in case of fender benders.

[vsbabu]

It is a tough choice. I picked Seltos
I had pretty much the same things shortlisted last year. Bought a Seltos HTX+ AT Diesel. Except MG, all other dealership experience (at least in Bangalore) were not good at all. Kia was not a smooth experience, but at least they were very polite. Harrier -> rejected it because at that time no one had any clue about when will BS6 will be launched and it is a bit bigger for my needs (my previous one was an Innova, so I wanted something that is a bit shorter). Jeep -> Best driving dynamics of all these, but way too overpriced compared to Kia and narrower seats; and the AT version was getting to Fortuner territory in pricing. Loved how Seltos looked and its super refined diesel AT. HTK+ is the best VFM in my opinion, but decided to get one with sunroof, ventilated seats and LED headlamps since most of my drives are on highways either in afternoon sun or at night. Ventilated seats have been such a pleasure during hot afternoon drives. Yes, Bose was a disappointment, but once I spent some 1 hour playing with settings, it is absolutely superb (for my taste - I don't like inflated bass). It has a bit harsh suspension, but I feel it somewhat comparable to Compass unless your regular roads are not smooth. I can imagine Compass to be much more engaging to drive on hilly roads, but I go to Ooty often and Seltos wasn't bad at all - just didn't have that thrill factor, which I can live with at my age.

End of the day, didn't see the need to spend some 28L on road for Compass compared to Seltos which was 20L. At 28L, Innova 2.8 AT seemed much more sensible choice than Compass in terms of reliability, comfort and resale value. Hence rejected Compass.

[YashD]

Both belong to different segments but seeing your requirements @Brishti, I would suggest you the Seltos or Creta eyes closed. Yes! It doesn't drive as well as your german and American alternatives but It's still one of the best car from the Korean stable India has seen.

Both the Creta and Seltos are extremely well equipped, looks are subjective, being 115 HP 1.5L Engines, it shows that the manufacturers wanted to offer a frugal diesel and both the vehicles are just that! The Seltos drives beautifully, it has an extremely balanced suspension setup for both highway and city use. Moreover, it has made the overall handling much more matured which definitely is a good thing and you'll appreciate it coming from an Octavia. The engine doesn't have the outright performance but in no way it feels slow or out of breath, it's tuned brilliantly and you've power all the way to 4000 rpm, for hills I personally prefer a Strong mid range and bottom end which the Seltos provides and the in gear acceleration figure shows the same.

I might be criticised for my opinion but I strongly feel, the fit and finish and overall interior appeal lacks in Compass, it's a cabin that didn't impress me and felt too generic.

[arun_josie]

If priority is driving experience/pleasure + the build quality, then it has to be the Compass. I have lived with Compass for 40K+ Kms and it has never disappointed me. Each and every drive just strengthens my bond with this machine. It may not be as spacious as other vehicles that its compared with but it’s sufficient enough and we have never faced any issues due to space.

If city driving is going to rule the usage + features + service network is the criteria, then I will go with Seltos / Creta.

Is Compass worth the price difference that they are demanding?! This again comes down to personal preference. In my opinion, it is definitely overpriced and if you can wait for some time, then there are chances for some good discount.

One good alternate to Compass is Harrier which is more VFM.

[Kuldeep31]

Jeep Compass will be the choice for 100% T-Bhp members in that segment if performance and dynamics are the sole criteria.
The nature of the terrain + reliability makes the Seltos a better choice for you.
After the warranty period, even a stage 1 remap will result in a p/w ratio of 120!! All this with a savings of over 4 lakhs.

[na_agrawal]

Hi Brishti,

If you love driving, go the Jeep way(blindly).
As a Seltos (P) owner, who TDed the Compass (P) extensively and had my heart on it, I didn't go for it just because of my tight budget. Otherwise, Jeep is way superior in terms of solid feel and straight-line highway stability. Also the steering feel, seat bolstering was felt better in the Jeep.

I've driven both of them on highways at ridiculous speeds (won't mention the figures, it might bring frowns on some foreheads ) and the Jeep inspired much more confidence, probably due to it's higher weight, American build standards, and 225 section Firestones.

Can't say much about the difference in the rear seat comfort or spaciousness, didn't bother about it. Rest all the specs and figures are available everywhere so judge wisely, but going forward, I will suggest to go for Jeep.

Do let us know.
Cheers - NA

[Jakku]

No comparison for Jeep Compass. However, I would suggest Harrier over Compass only due to the uncertain future of Jeep as a brand in India. If that is something you can swallow, then please go ahead with Compass.

If I were in your place with that kind of a money at my disposal and a need to buy a car now, I would go ahead with Harrier only, even if my preference is for Compass.

In my opinion, neither Seltos, not Hector is a comparison to Compass & Harrier.

BTW, in July 2018, I moved on from a Hyundai Accent to Nexon; Petrol to Diesel; manual to Auto; Sedan to CSUV (or pseudo SUV).

[H Karter]

I was in the same boat but the budget was capped much lower at 12 lakhs. Took a decision with my head and got myself a Seltos Diesel HTE manual. All the positives of Seltos have been discussed here already; the only drawbacks I see are stiffer suspension and long travel clutch (but it is light to operate). The suspension still performs well on undulations and patchy roads. It gets unsettled on Concrete roads where there are wavy formations perpendicular to direction of travel of vehicle. Also it crashes badly in potholes and on no roads.

Presently I live in Konkan which is a hilly area in western ghats. Handling of Seltos is fairly predictable in ghat sections if speeds are below 60kph. This I am saying being a previous owner of a Swift diesel. You are sat much higher in Seltos compared to a sedan and that creates a sense of top heaviness but nothing to an extent of freaking out.
All above observations are from my 42xx km drive in last 4 months.

If you are planning to replace your Octy sooner then go for Seltos and the extra cash/budget left will be at your disposal.
Otherwise Compass is the way to go, as base variants are much more than being just satisfying for we Diesel lovers.