Skoda Kodiaq
What you'll like:
The ultimate value luxury SUV! Classy styling, solid build & superb quality
Cabin offers space, practicality and lots of intelligent features
Impressive 2.0L turbo-petrol is mated to a quick 7-speed DSG automatic
Cushy ride quality in Comfort mode (L&K variant)
Sorted handling & road manners in Sport mode. Adjustable suspension is a USP of the L&K
3rd-row of seats is an advantage over some 5-seater competitors
Massive boot with 3rd seat row down. Boot is useable even with the 3rd seat row up
Impressive kit (12-speaker Canton ICE, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, auto parking...)
AWD available to get you out of tricky situations. Tourers will love it
5-star safety rating & equipment (9 airbags + a host of electronic aids)
What you won't:
Workhorse 2.0L turbo-diesel is no longer available. Heavy users will miss its low running costs
Single digit fuel economy of the turbo-petrol AT in the city. Drops drastically if you drive aggressively
Its sibling, the
VW Tiguan, is priced a couple of lakhs cheaper
Expensive! Worse still, Skoda increased the Kodiaqs pricing within days of the launch
Cramped 3rd row of seats is strictly for small children. A 5+2 SUV, not a 7-seater
Styling does look
Estate-ish from some angles. Doesn't have that much street cred or presence
We feel that the Sportline variant shouldve been offered with the DCC & other L&K features
Skodas ill-famed dealership network & after-sales horror stories
Skodas patchy long-term reliability track record (
including, but not limited to, the DSG)
Silly feature deletions from older Kodiaq (rear door sills, 1 umbrella, 1 blanket, chrome tip on power window switches, removeable torch in the boot, red warning lights on the front doors
)
Review Link Volkswagen Tiguan
Review Link Review Link - The 2021 Facelift Toyota Fortuner
What you'll like:
Fantastic 2.8L diesel engine has gotten even better. More power, more responsive!
Smooth and competent 6-speed automatic gearbox
Contemporary styling & imposing street presence
Tough build. Toyota body-on-frame UVs are known to have very long lives (400,000+ km is realistic)
Smooth petrol also available, if you want more refinement and / or are from Delhi-NCR
Features such as Quad-LED headlamps, powered tailgate, wireless smartphone charging, ventilated seats & more
Impressive offroad capability (
by big SUV standards) is superior to its direct competitors
Top-notch safety kit. 7 airbags, ESP, TC, hill assist, ISOFIX & 3-point seatbelts for all
Outstanding long term reliability. And you get great resale value as well
Toyota's excellent after-sales quality, fuss-free ownership experiences, low service costs & up to 7 years of extended warranty coverage
What you won't:
The already-expensive Fortuner has gotten even more expensive! Top variant costs over 51-lakhs OTR
Legender variant has many limitations (no petrol, no colour options, no MT)
Firm & bumpy ride quality. Bad roads in the city are prominently felt inside
Heavy steering at low speeds will bother you
Lots of body roll. Go easy on the curves
Missing sunroof, lumbar adjustment, auto-wipers, TPMS, adaptive parking guidelines etc.
6-speaker sound system is terrible for a 40-lakh rupee car!
Cost-cutting evident in a couple of areas; some interior plastics, ICE audio quality, camera display
Fortuner's petrol variant is a guzzler. We've seen merely 6 7 kmpl on the AT
No longer a full-time 4x4 like the 1st-gen car. Also, 4x4 carries a Rs. 3 lakh OTR premium
Review Link Review Link - The 2021 Legender & Facelift MG Gloster
What you'll like:
Huge & imposing size! Bigger than even the likes of the Fortuner
Splendid long-distance mile muncher. The Gloster is built for expressway cruising. Just set the adaptive cruise control and let the Gloster waft along
ADAS safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitor and lane change assist are cool & work well
Suspension is tuned for comfort. Gloster owners will enjoy its ride quality
Spacious cabin with captain seats at the back and a usable third row too!
Interior ambience is nicer vs the competitors which are utilitarian in comparison
Loaded with features - panoramic sunroof, 12.3" touchscreen ICE, driver seat with massage function, 360 degree camera, three zone climate control, PM 2.5 air filter etc.
343 liter boot even with the 3rd-row seat being used
What you won't:
Engine and gearbox tuning are shockingly terrible inside town. Turbo lag and the gearbox's reluctance to downshift make things awful in city traffic
Massive size can be a handicap in urban India. Quite cumbersome in tight areas
While the interior looks premium, you know it is not as well-built as a Toyota or Ford
Top-end Savvy variant is optimistically priced at par with the well-established Fortuner
4,000 rpm redline is too early. Engine has a very narrow powerband
Urban fuel economy is mediocre due to the power & fat kerb weight
Twin-turbo diesel, 8-speed AT & gizmos bring a lot of complexity. Long-term reliability is unknown (unlike the Fortuner)
Review Link Kia Carnival
What you'll like:
A truly luxurious MPV thats also high on practicality
Top quality, spacious & comfortable interiors. 3rd-row is usable for adults too
Fantastic engine & gearbox combination! 2.2L diesel & 8-speed AT impress
Comfy ride quality & neutral road manners
Available in 7, 8 and 9-seater configurations
540L boot space with all three rows up and 1,624L with the third row down
Impressive kit (
2 sunroofs, premium Harman Kardon sound system, electric rear doors & more)
5-star safety rating. Kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, HSA, CBC etc.
What you won't:
Massive size can make it cumbersome in the city, while parking & in narrow lanes
Ordinary urban fuel economy due to the 2.2 ton weight, 197 BHP engine & AT gearbox
Underbody does scrape on bad roads & large speed bumps, especially with a full load
Top
Limousine variant isn't sold as an 8-seater & its 3rd row access is difficult
Steering is a level too firm at parking speeds & a level too light at 120 km/h
Some misses such as paddle shifters, a skinny spare tyre, no auto-wipers or front camera...
Model is now 7 years old in the international market; next-gen Carnival is being tested
Stylish 4x4 SUVs like the Fortuner / Kodiaq can be had at the same price
Review Link Citroen C5 Aircross
What you'll like:
A superbly engineered & properly premium crossover
Very stylish exteriors & interiors! We love the design. It's matched to solid build quality
Good quality cabin with comfortable seats, lots of storage & fantastic insulation
2.0L diesel engine is quick, efficient &
extremely refined
Smooth 8-speed AT gearbox impresses
Excellent ride comfort and mature road manners. High speed behaviour is sorted too
Large, well-shaped 580 liter boot gobbles up holiday / airport luggage
Loaded to the gills with features such as a panoramic sunroof, handsfree tailgate opening, customisable instrument cluster, double laminated front windows, terrain modes...
4-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test. 3-point seatbelts for all five occupants, 6 airbags, blind spot monitoring system, ESP, hill hold, hill descent control and more
What you won't:
Rear legroom is strictly adequate. Two 510" adults can sit behind each other, but not two 6-footers
No turbo-petrol engine (big miss), no AWD for tourers & no manual gearbox for MT fans
Not really sporty to drive. Cars like the Compass are more fun
Missing some features we expect today (
connected car tech, wireless charging, ventilated seats, 360-degree camera, subwoofer
)
The bolstering of the 3 individual rear seats is suitable for slim passengers, not heavier ones
Audio sound quality is alright, but nothing special as youd expect in a premium car
Many competing crossovers & SUVs offer a 3rd-row of seats, which the C5 Aircross doesn't have
The LHD orientation of many controls (gear shifter, e-brake, bonnet release, engine start button)
Long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are big unknowns
Review Link