[ron178]

Originally Posted by akashgurnani

I am looking for a safe automatic car

Along with a crash test rating, please also try to consider a car that is equipped with ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and at least four airbags (double frontal, side torso) if not six (+head-protecting curtains), which are available aplenty in this segment at least as optional equipment.

Originally Posted by shancz

If its GNCAP then none of the cars you mentioned have been tested. If its the feel of things then its a personal choice.
Example the untested S-Cross feels better built than the 4 star GNCAP rated Brezza.

It would be best if he could wait till a relatively large round of results is published in just a few weeks (from a reliable source, not speculation this time) which will be the last publication of results under this assessment protocol.

[FiatDiesel]

Originally Posted by akashgurnani

I am very much confused between these cars. I am leaning towards Pre-owned Hector and Creta SX CVT.
Would like to have advice from the community, which car I should go with?

Petrol Mileage figures mentioned by owner of Hector are realistic. If owner has taken 5 year MG shield then it gives your further protection. 5 year warranty is anyway standard. So overall you do get another 2-3 years of coverage.

If you are comparing it with Creta then you should also check out Astor. Hector is segment above in terms of space, features and quality.

[gandharjc]

1) How much would you be running? If it's around 1500ish kms / month, do consider a diesel. DPF regeneration can be taken care of with a spirited 20minute highway run.

2) All cars you mentioned are untested - in which case, you may want to consider a base / mid variant harrier - depending on how important in car features are to you.

3) If you aren't too keen on this segment - I'd suggest you to wait a little - Tata, maruti and a few others have more C-SUVs planned for 2022, I hear.

4) Again, if you're comfortable with a segment below this, and if safety is of prime importance, you would maybe want to check out Nexon/XUV 300 and their likes.

[jeganatu]

Originally Posted by akashgurnani

I am very much confused between these cars. I am leaning towards Pre-owned Hector and Creta SX CVT.

Would like to have advice from the community, which car I should go with?

Why don't you test drive Nissan Kicks CVT. It's an wonderful option under 18 lakhs!

You may also find your luck in sourcing an used Compass AT.

Hector may be a large car to drive in city limits, while a creta will feel like driving a large hatch than giving a feel if an SUV.

Remember, you and your family can be the best decision maker!
All the best for your hunt.

[akashgurnani]

Originally Posted by gandharjc

1) How much would you be running? If it's around 1500ish kms / month, do consider a diesel. DPF regeneration can be taken care of with a spirited 20minute highway run.

2) All cars you mentioned are untested - in which case, you may want to consider a base / mid variant harrier - depending on how important in car features are to you.

3) If you aren't too keen on this segment - I'd suggest you to wait a little - Tata, maruti and a few others have more C-SUVs planned for 2022, I hear.

4) Again, if you're comfortable with a segment below this, and if safety is of prime importance, you would maybe want to check out Nexon/XUV 300 and their likes.

1. My monthly running would be about 600 KMs, mostly in city.

2. I know there is nothing like a perfect car, but harrier's interiors and fit n finish don't look upto the mark.

3. Yes, fingers crossed. Let's what they have to offer. Creta is still leading the segment. I find T-roc to be a near perfect SUV. If they can import and offer that at 26 lakhs on road. I think if they would have assembled it here, it could have been a better product then taigun. And pricing would have also been below 22 lakhs.

4. Instead of going a segment below. I was thinking of considering kushaq which is a bit small then competition but has good features and build quality.

[mytbhp_turbo]

Originally Posted by akashgurnani

Hi Guys, I have been reading lots of ownership reviews and posts by senior members here.

It has brought a lot of insights to me in the car buying process.

I am looking for a safe automatic car with a decent amount of features and interior quality. My budget is 18 Lakhs and can stretch up to 20 Lakhs on road. My monthly running will be about 600 KMs.

Just don't bother to keep fuel efficiency in Hector calculation, for 600 KM monthly, if you buy Hector for 15.5L , your monthly fuel spent will be ~7-8K ( worst case milage ) so basically 84K/year, ~3 lakh you save compared to new Creta, those can be used as fuel expenses for next 3-4 years !

[gandharjc]

Originally Posted by akashgurnani

4. Instead of going a segment below. I was thinking of considering kushaq which is a bit small then competition but has good features and build quality.

Okay, sounds fair. But please be aware of the fuel pump issues in the India 2.0 twins - I *think* they now come with better ones from the factory but can't exactly remember.
Happy miles

[morphique]

Have the same dilemma. I had a Jazz Diesel for the last 5 years - The only complaints I had were - the way it handled while cornering, and the boat-like ride at low speeds. High speed straight line stability was great though. And the quality of interiors and the space inside were great.

Now looking for a SUV. Must have:
- Sharp handling
- Good quality interiors (as good or better than Jazz)
- Good low end torque (preferably lag free)
- Automatic
- Low waiting period

Test drove the following:
- Taigun 1.0 AT: Weak on the highway. Average quality interiors when compared with Seltos.
- Taigun 1.5 DSG: Loved the power and handling combo. Average quality interiors. Way behind on the features front, given what Seltos offers for the same price (21L on road Pune)
- Sonet Diesel AT: Except for the cramped inside, the missing rear wiper (nice trick Kia!) and the 4 months waiting period, it is great for what it offers for HTX at 14L.
- Seltos DCT: No complaints on the handling front. An all rounder with the most complete package for the price. But looks pretty steep for 21L when I'm comparing it with what I'm getting in Sonet for 7L less.

Must admit that these test drives are not enough to take the final call. I just do not feel confident that I have actually captured the characteristics of each one correctly. E.g. I don't find many recommendations for Seltos and Sonet for handling, but I somehow felt they both were pretty good when it comes to cornering and power. Am I missing something? Please help by sharing your experiences.

Also I fail to understand why so many folks discard Seltos citing safety - Other cars like Creta / Taigun / Kushaq are not even tested / rated, so how are we so confident that they're better than Seltos when it comes to safety?

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by morphique

Have the same dilemma. I had a Jazz Diesel for the last 5 years - The only complaints I had were - the way it handled while cornering, and the boat-like ride at low speeds. High speed straight line stability was great though.
....
Must admit that these test drives are not enough to take the final call. I just do not feel confident that I have actually captured the characteristics of each one correctly. E.g. I don't find many recommendations for Seltos and Sonet for handling, but I somehow felt they both were pretty good when it comes to cornering and power. Am I missing something? Please help by sharing your experiences.

If you are after handling and sharp cornering, it would be a good idea to focus more on vehicles with a lower centre of gravity. I expect the upcoming Skoda Slavia to be very good in this respect, but that is without ever having tried it.

Of the ones you have mentioned, the only one I have tried is the Seltos (Might try Tiagun after the Covid wave subsides). IMO, it had pretty good handling for a vehicle as high. Ride quality is another matter. Details of my drive experience can be found here

PS: If you're okay with 21L, also consider the Harrier, and if willing to stretch further, the Compass, which truly is a joy to drive despite it's high centre of gravity. One can feel a difference sense of connect with these two vehicles, which one won't find at least in the Seltos. That joy might come at the cost of features, if one wants to restrict the budget. More details in the aforementioned link.

[morphique]

Originally Posted by Poitive

I expect the upcoming Skoda Slavia to be very good in this respect, but that is without ever having tried it.
.....
PS: If you're okay with 21L, also consider the Harrier, and if willing to stretch further, the Compass, which truly is a joy to drive despite it's high centre of gravity. One can feel a difference sense of connect with these two vehicles, which one won't find at least in the Seltos

Aware of Slavia, but like I mentioned, I'd like to go for a SUV this time, plus don't want a long waiting period. And looking at the interiors quality of Kushaq, I doubt that they'd improve much in Slavia.

Harrier doesn't have a great AT gearbox, plus it is too big for me

Compass would be quite costly, and that automatic gearbox isn't impressive.

Thanks for the link to your thread - great insights!

[RiverRanger]

Originally Posted by akashgurnani

I am very much confused between these cars. I am leaning towards Pre-owned Hector and Creta SX CVT.

Would like to have advice from the community, which car I should go with?

It depends on what you want more- safety or mileage.

Hector has great build quality. The simple act of closing the doors and lifting the bonnet hood will tell you that. Although the NCAP ratings aren't available, you will feel safe inside it.

Plus the Hector Sharp variant comes with the safety of 6 airbags. Another handy feature is the 360-degree cameras- this helps manoeuvre a big car like Hector effortlessly.

On the other hand, the Creta has similar build as the Seltos (barely 3 stars, the kerb weight itself can be a giveaway). Hyundai has also given it only 2 airbags. But this lighter weight also means good fuel efficiency. Owners in my circle report 14-15 kmpl on the highway for Creta/Seltos NA petrol IVT.

If it's road presence you are gravitating to then the Hector has loads of it. It also means that despite the size, you don't really get stuck anywhere (one course, once you have gotten used to driving the vehicle)

[ron178]

Originally Posted by RiverRanger

Hector has great build quality. The simple act of closing the doors and lifting the bonnet hood will tell you that. Although the NCAP ratings aren't available, you will feel safe inside it.

'Feeling safe' does not mean being safe. If I had to take a guess, GM-SAIC's new safety philosophy even for emerging markets might mean a good thing, but there's no way to know for sure. Some clues point to the Hector's NCAP rating being published before the end of this month and it would be best to wait. If you're considering NCAP ratings as an important part of your purchase you shouldn't want to regret your purchase because of an educated guess, unless you're willing to come to terms with any rating the car might score. It happened when the Kia Seltos diluted the expectations of many with its result.

What slightly concerns me is that unlike other GM models launched in Latin America in 2019 (Onix, Cruze), they didn't sponsor a test on the new Captiva (rebadged Hector) though there's a good chance it means nothing.

[RiverRanger]

Originally Posted by ron178

'Feeling safe' does not mean being safe.

What slightly concerns me is that unlike other GM models launched in Latin America in 2019 (Onix, Cruze), they didn't sponsor a test on the new Captiva (rebadged Hector) though there's a good chance it means nothing.

With a kerb weight of ~1300kg, it could have been guessed that Seltos would not score very highly- and it didn't.

With Hector, the kerb weight is nearly 1600+. This is only lesser than Harrier in the segment. Of course, Hector has 10-15% larger dimensions but still, it has substantial weight.

Both Harrier and Hector have not gone for the crash rating results but both can be considered reasonably (though not fully for sure) safe cars.

I myself have known about an unfortunate situation where a Tata Indica at a speed of nearly 100kmh collided sideways with a Fiat Linea. The Linea barely felt a shudder but the Indica covered a couple of meters on 2 tires only and had its axel broken (no one hurt or injured). The build quality of Linea, the extra 100kg that it has over, say, Verna, saved the day, even if its mileage was never great.

[Abhi.Nittor]

Dear BHPians!

I am very new to the forum. Although I used to read TeamBHP a lot never registered for it till now. Thanks to the admins for admitting me.

I currently have a Hyundai Xcent SX (O) Petrol which I have used it for 7+ years with a 70K mileage. I am in the plan now to upgrade to an SUV, below are my requirements

1) A Feature loaded SUV which has good power (my Xcent struggles especially with AC On, its really difficult to overtake). When I say power I am not an enthusiast driver, I just want to have car that can easily overtake and go to 120-130 speed and also climb up a hill on occasion
2) Don't want a huge SUV as I have parking limitations
3) Comfortable ride for both driver and passenger
4) Sunroof, preferably panoramic as my son won't budge for anything less
5) FE to be decent
6) Prefer Petrol, somehow have an aversion to diesel. Does BS norms could have an impact on diesel engines? Not sure on that aspect
7) Has to be automatic, done with manual driving in Bangalore

I started my Test drive journey few days back. I test drove Taigun and Astor, and have Creta and Alcazar Test drive planned.

Although Taigun 1.5l was fun to drive, I felt that the interior and the overall inside experience wasn't that great and for some strange reason it doesn't have leather and ventilated seats in the 1.5L version. Also the sunroof is not panoramic, which I could have compromised if other features were there, but for now its ruled out. Since Skoda Kushaq is same won't be looking at that as well, also auto folding ORVMs is a must for me.

Next comes the Astor, I had looked at the car on road and felt it to be a smaller SUV, but when it came for the test drive it looked pretty big, its very comfortable and loaded with features. 1.3 turbo had good response as well, although not as great a Taigun but was decent overall. I was not a fan of that AI stuff inside though. Also the car back seat didn't look wide enough for occasional 3 adult usage, although it was very comfortable and had great view from sunroof, felt bit small. Also I would have preferred beige interiors, which sadly isn't an option turbo version

Now I have Creta and Alcazar left. I have read tones reviews and videos but I am very confused between Astor, Creta and Alcazar

Astor - Seems good fit but will it be an upgrade for my Xcent in terms of seating is my worry. I would have my parents occasionally travelling with me and would need that 5 seater capability. Its also missing wireless charging and ventilated seats.

Creta - I love this car (at-least on paper), my only worry is the upgrade coming in mid of 2022 and the wait times. Also, blind spot monitoring would have been nice along with a 360 camera. which may come in mid 2022

Alcazar - It wasn't an option, till I saw the car. It has all the features and love the captain seat option, but again since I have heard the 3rd row is cramped it defeats my purpose of a proper 5 seater. Will have to see how the test drive goes.

So overall I am very confused now and not able to decide which one to pick.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to hearing from BHPians

[Falcon_blr]

Hi folks!

I own a Renault Duster 85 PS RXL Plus - 2014 November model, 91,000kms on the ODO. The car has served me very well through the 7+ years. It still runs well except for the rising maintenance costs for the wear and tear parts which is expected with the age. The ride too has become a little rough off late.

Here is a picture of the white horse. As a Team-bhpian you know that your car has served you well when the yellow 'Live To Drive' sticker is now White



The age of the car and the thought that the car might not fetch me a decent resale price if I delay any longer makes me think about getting a new car. Also, being on the other side of 40 now, long drives on the duster are getting tiresome. I was never a big fan of automatic cars, but now looks like I need to listen to my shoulders and knees and go for an automatic.

So, here I am seeking advice from all the experts on which should be my next buy. The requirements:
- A SUV which is fun to drive
- Has all the required safety features
- Decent fuel economy (diesel preferably)
- Good ride quality, handling, ground clearance
- Spacious 5 seater
- Coming from a duster - good boot space, good second row seating space, should be able to handle bad roads well
- Modern premium looking interiors, infotainment, dash etc.
- Automatic preferred, a smooth easy to handle manual should be fine too
- Some nice to have features - wireless charging, ventilated seats, sunroof
- Easy on the pocket in terms of maintenance and insurance
- Not too keen on features like ADAS


I was very keen on the Tata Harrier, Safari or the XUV 700. However, the on-road price which is around 25 lakhs or more for variants with decent feature lists made me drop these. Also, the high insurance costs and the feeling that I don't need such a big car made me drop the idea of going for these cars.
This is when I decided it was mind over heart and I am going to stick to a budget of under 20 lakhs.

The purchase time frame I have in mind is April 2023.
I look forward to your recommendations and suggestions - any good SUVs of the existing lot or any new ones that will be launched in 2023.