[SoumenD]

You have already booked the correct car mate. No point thinking anymore. XUV700 is the best you can get under 30L today for your needs of safe, FTD & spacious crossover

Only other alternatives are Safari & Innova. Former isn’t GNCAP tested yet and latter isn’t as fun is what general consensus is.

[Waspune]

With your priorities I am afraid there aren’t many cars.
I would suggest to look at Slavia/Virtus 1.5 TSI DSG.
1) Budget - check
2) Ground clearance - check (almost like SUVs @ 179 mm).
3) Fun to drive - check
4) Safety - Should be safe. Comes with 6 airbags as well.
5) Rear seat space - Slightly wider than Taigun/Kushaq but still can’t seat 3 people with ease.

If it has to be a SUV then only Compass base variant seems to be a close contender. If you were open to driving a manual then the Sport diesel variant is pretty well specced up. But yes the rear seat again is suitable for 2.

After that you can look at Safari/XUV 700. Both are big SUVs with ample room at the rear. However don’t expect them to drive as well as the Compass.

[midazolam]

I suggest you to wait for the Creta/Seltos rival coming from MS/Toyota- Hyryder. It should be launched during the festive season and unveiling could be done before that.

We should expect it to be rated NCAP 4 or 5 star considering it’s based on international Vitara platform, will have Toyota’s strong Hybrid and should be sufficiently loaded.

Some renders and leaked front pictures are already available on the internet and I believe it looks good.

[joeva1706]

My personal view is if you are looking for a complete VFM package mainly including Safety, Solid build quality, comfort in terms of space and features then the MG Hector Top end (Sharp) CVT is perfect.

No doubt Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Harrier are great machines much better in performance than MG but if you are only ready to shell out 30L and 27L OTR for their top end automatic then XUV700 makes sense any day.

However, for 23L OTR top end Sharp CVT the Hector is a complete VFM package. I agree that they are missing out on the Diesel AT which is very much needed.

All the best for your final purchase!!

[car-go]

I recently sold my SX4 and bought a Jeep Compass Sport Petrol DDCT (alert; so that you don't catch me biased while I put up my points). It definitely felt to be an upgrade. Though I have not owned a Vento, but have ridden one quite a few times. As for your pointers:

Safety: EuroNCAP and ANCAP are both 5 stars, though the India model is yet to be tested. The test drive itself was very confidence inspiring.
Performance & Handling: Jeep design philosophy has not been about throttle response, but traction to pull out the car from mud. Living with it (but no qualms as my wife no more nags me for quick overtakes!) Drives are well controlled, very balanced and smooth on highways, and no/limited body roll if any.
Automatic: Yes
Comfortable seating for 5: Though a lot in the forum and outside complain, for me it has been fine. I stay with my wife, daughter and mom-in-law, and here is my experience on a long drive: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ml#post5331500 (My 2021 Jeep Compass Petrol AT Ownership Review)
Solid & lasting build quality: Yes; the body itself seems to justify the price delta
Features: The more you put the ghee, the higher the fire! For me vis-a-vis your points, Sport does not have auto climate control. Higher variants = more of such including sensor based electronics (and sun roof).
Headlights: Has been good enough for night driving on highways for me. Higher variants have projector headlamps (mine has reflector).

Prices though are slated to increase by 1st July again.

I once owned the Indica; though Tatas have improved substantially, my experience with Safari or Harrier were not so confidence inspiring (feeling of roughness somewhere still there). These were the first ones I saw, given that I am a Tata employee. Personally, the design also did not have any vibe for me.

Hector and the Hyundai/Kia group are not the ones I checked out. Saw the XUV700; though looks great, somehow the bulky design (again personal opinion) did not go well with what I wanted.

[Durango Dude]

Considering all the deliberations above and your need for space, first car that comes to mind is the MG Hector. It's VFM and has that high driving position from where you can actually see the left front end of the bonnet, comes kitted well and you can play soccer inside there's so much space. But from your present ride and your leanings towards Compass you may not take well to the Faux Brit lineage.

[lamborghini]

Honestly, the XUV700 is the best bet given your requirements if it has to be an SUV : it's the newest in the market, has the comfort, performance, features, safety etc. and is an upgrade from the Vento, though the only let downs could be niggles and service support.

The Compass is another vehicle that you should think about, apart from it's size. I won't lie - after a ride in a trailhawk last night, I too came away impressed with the ride, build, interiors - and this is coming from the viewpoint of a Tiguan owner (which we ended up picking up due to lack of safe + fun options in the creta segment + heavy discounting). The Tiguan is definitely up on space, and fun to drive compared to the Compass : but the Compass arguably had nicer looking interiors (I was in the back seat so couldn't touch and feel much), and better ride comfort as well.
Hopefully Jeep considers launching a lower spec Compass diesel auto : same benefits without the frills like 18" tyres, AWD, etc.

The last option is a discounted Hyundai Tucson current generation if they have stock / good deals running. The new generation could carry a jump in price. Back in 2018 when we test drove it, the Tiguan was picked up due to better VFM : it had nicer interiors, AWD, panoramic sunroof, etc.; however the Tucson Facelift addressed all these issues & carried forward the strenghts : mature ride and handling, relatively decent value for money pricing, powerful engine, etc.

[josephilip]

Originally Posted by WindmillsFly

My suggestion is please do not buy car based on the baby seat. I have 2 kids aged 6yrs and 2.5yrs. My younger one sits in the backseat buckled from last 1 month (it took 3 months of training) If you intend to own your next car for 10 years then my recommendation would be to continue using your current for 1 more year. Max by the age of 3 your child will insist on their own space. Keep some toys in the backseat, it will help.

Hope this helps.

Is your 2.5 year old kid sitting on the rear with ADULT seatbelts(the factory fitted) around them?
I don't want to seem like I am lecturing and pardon me for saying this but even a small crash might be fatal to the child. The child is not grown enough to take the insane amount of force that a car crash is gonna put on them through the seatbelt. My 50 yr old father had a not so minor crash and he couldn't do much with his hands and upper body for a while.

I would never do that to any child. The childs' internal organs are not gonna be in a good place after a small crash. I've read some incidents like this where children aged less than 10 wearing seatbelts has actually caused death due to internal organs being smashed (couldn't find a better word). I would highly recommend getting a child seat for young children.
Again pardon me if the facts came on a little blunt.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by The Alchemist

[*]Performance & Handling: I enjoy driving and while I can enjoy any car, a powerful engine & tight handling capabilities would make it even more fun.

Hold onto your XUV booking.

That is If you've enjoyed snapping in and out of lanes , carving through corners in your Vento, you can continue doing it with XUV.

[The Alchemist]

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts.

Originally Posted by SoumenD

You have already booked the correct car mate. No point thinking anymore. XUV700 is the best you can get under 30L today for your needs of safe, FTD & spacious crossover

I'm leaning to the same conclusion as well currently. The existing booking takes out the waiting period problem as well.

Originally Posted by Waspune

With your priorities I am afraid there aren’t many cars.
I would suggest to look at Slavia/Virtus 1.5 TSI DSG.

If it has to be a SUV then only Compass base variant seems to be a close contender. If you were open to driving a manual then the Sport diesel variant is pretty well specced up. But yes the rear seat again is suitable for 2.

After that you can look at Safari/XUV 700. Both are big SUVs with ample room at the rear. However don’t expect them to drive as well as the Compass.

Slavia/Virtus twins didn't feel like an upgrade from Vento when I watched the reviews. Anyways, I will check them out in person once again.

Manual is not an option. So the options available from Compass are Petrol and Diesel AT. I will have to increase my budget again for Diesel AT as it doesn't have 2WD version and Petrol felt slow. I will try it out once again.

Originally Posted by midazolam

I suggest you to wait for the Creta/Seltos rival coming from MS/Toyota- Hyryder. It should be launched during the festive season and unveiling could be done before that.

I will keep an eye out for the same.

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

Considering all the deliberations above and your need for space, first car that comes to mind is the MG Hector. It's VFM and has that high driving position from where you can actually see the left front end of the bonnet, comes kitted well and you can play soccer inside there's so much space. But from your present ride and your leanings towards Compass you may not take well to the Faux Brit lineage.

Originally Posted by joeva1706

My personal view is if you are looking for a complete VFM package mainly including Safety, Solid build quality, comfort in terms of space and features then the MG Hector Top end (Sharp) CVT is perfect. I agree that they are missing out on the Diesel AT which is very much needed.
All the best for your final purchase!!

Thank you for the wishes. Hector was in the initial consideration list until I noticed that they don't have a Diesel AT. From the reviews, Petrol AT is too slow. I'm yet to test drive one though.

Originally Posted by car-go

I recently sold my SX4 and bought a Jeep Compass Sport Petrol DDCT
Hector and the Hyundai/Kia group are not the ones I checked out. Saw the XUV700; though looks great, somehow the bulky design (again personal opinion) did not go well with what I wanted.

Thank you for the detailed response. What didn't appeal to me in Compass is the performance of Petrol automatic. That engine didn't feel like an upgrade when I drove it for the first time. Maybe I should try it once again as a couple of you have recommended it again. Diesel AT would have been ideal if it was available at a lower price point.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Honestly, the XUV700 is the best bet given your requirements if it has to be an SUV : it's the newest in the market, has the comfort, performance, features, safety etc. and is an upgrade from the Vento, though the only let downs could be niggles and service support.

The Compass is another vehicle that you should think about, apart from it's size.

The last option is a discounted Hyundai Tucson current generation if they have stock / good deals running.

Seriously considering finalizing on XUV700 now. I have already commented on Compass above. I'm not considering older generation Tucson as it would feel outdated almost immediately as an all-new version is coming soon.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Hold onto your XUV booking.

That is If you've enjoyed snapping in and out of lanes, carving through corners in your Vento, you can continue doing it with XUV.

Oh, I most definitely did enjoy those things in the Vento. I will hold on to the XUV booking

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by The Alchemist

Seriously considering finalizing on XUV700 now. I have already commented on Compass above. I'm not considering older generation Tucson as it would feel outdated almost immediately as an all-new version is coming soon.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...-august-424875

[Livnletcarsliv]

Your requirements scream for a Harrier/XUV700. No Safari, Innova, Compass, etc. Period.

More than enough space for 5, SUV, top notch in safety, driving dynamics are good enough (cannot replace your Vento obviously), 700 is has all the bells and whistles compared to Harrier, headlights of both do solve the purpose.

Regarding the performance and handling, neither of it can replace a Vento. 700 is longer and heavier compared to Harrier, but 700's steering is better compared to Harrier's. Also 700 is slightly powerful and with better powertrain compared to Harrier. Probably you may want to do a thorough test drive to decide on the handling and performance.

Harrier is few lakhs cheaper than 700. And the other (show-stopping) concern is the waiting period for 700.
PS - Regarding niggles, ASS experience and reliability both Tata and M&M are same (poor) and have a long way to go!

[SaiSW]

Considering you mentioned safety before everything else, I'd say the 7OO is the best bet for your family. Its feature loaded and is a 5 star rated car, that is like having your cake and eating it too

Mahindra diesels are generally pretty reliable, only thing to look out for would be the electricals, i know the 5OO had issues with electricals for some time after launch, I'd expect the same for the 7OO, especially since it's exponentially more feature packed compared to the 5OO. But I guess taking the extended warranty would give you peace of mind about that.

[manpreetsj]

If safety is a must, then my recommendation would be to avoid Kia and Hyundai India based cars which are back to back getting 3 star rating and have unstable bodyshell. No point in spending 20+ Lakhs and still fear about poor build quality.

Basis points given, following qualify:
1) XUV700 - safe and complete package
2) MG Hector CVT - engine has decent power to suffice 90% of use case
3) Wait for Hyundai Tucson (budget may go up)

[Geta]

If only the waiting period of XUV700 is a concern, you can book the Scorpio N in a couple of days (27th June) and expect delivery in 3-4 months. A Z6 diesel AT 2WD Scorpio N, with 175 PS power, should definitely cost less than Rs 23 lacs on road.
The Z6 variant also gets 4 airbags and a sunroof. So not a bad deal at all.