Re: Mahindra Scorpio-N vs Tata Safari vs Hyundai Alcazar vs Mahindra XUV700 vs Others The Innova makes the best choice for today. It's not the first choice if all things were equal.
Why not these,
1. Scorpio-M : I don't see this as a car that I can keep for 5 years. It's changed to make it relevant, but there is generational change in what it is. It's still in the scorpio but refreshed. It's bigger, but does not translate to better sitting comfort or space in the middle. Has some new electronics, but I don't see that making it relevant with how Mahindra has delivered it. The ride is a little better, but the construction shows in the drive, handling passenger comfort etc. Everything else is just a little here and there but not something I makes is a must buy. Over all its a a little improvement on each aspect, but not a generational change. Will already start to feel dated in a couple of years. The rate of change in this industry is higher than it was a decade ago. Personally, don't see how this can be a proud buy a couple years from now, or feel practical for all purposes a little into the future too.
2. Safari: This is already dated. The name only takes you into the showroom and for a drive. The only place where this wins is in the space and middle row comfort, in all all other areas its already two years old and it shows. At the asking rate this is not where I would put my money in. This is a 80% car, for what I would like, maybe XUV has spoilt this segment. This could have been so much more with such little effort and would have been a segment leader. It has the right size, the right build, the right looks and its positioned so correctly, but it just falls 20% short is every other metric.
To start with, the ride and handling, the steering is too hard, hydraulic, could have been better. I am not a purist with mechanical v/s electric, but this is just too old tech and basic. The driver ergonomics are bad with all the interior shaping, such a waste, on something that need not have to be spoiled. Engine, no effort made by TATA to make this really correct for its size. Should have been 2.2 atleast, why? Not because it's a 20L+ car, just because there is an ideal ratio of CC to weight plus gear mapping that will get the best performance and economics. The XUV is bigger in CC and gets better milage, why because it's just the right engine size for that car. This size of the car has to be either rear wheel drive or AWD. Even though majority people buy FWDs in this segment, I am not sure many people even look for this when they buy. For a 1.5 Ton+ car and 300+ NM FWD has its own restrictions on drivability and stability. You can feel the torque steer. While the XUV is also sold in FWD, I would not buy that version anyway.
The electronics is a catch up game, when market moved ahead the safari is constantly moving with what it can, a little touch screen here, one there etc. Still below today's acceptable standards. Lastly, the suspension, for a car this size and the comfort of the seating for a car built on the D8 platform no multi link? That changes the entire passenger experience. Everything else in the new safari is so correct, including the price. I almost bought this, but then just stopped short. This would be the No.1 choice if that last crucial 20% was different. I don't think TATA is looking this way, they seem to have wanted one car in the 7 seater and then they just modified the harrier.
3: Hector : Don't trust the brand, the car, enough to pay 20L+.
4: Alcazar : This is really not in this segment, its just a Creta with some additional seats. Too small, too cramped, too under powered. Its just a budget buy. Would seem practical on the day you bought it. Might feel like a smart 7 seater buy, but would not meet so many requirement a month down the lane.
5: Carens: Smart car, makes a lot of sense. It's actually an ertiga with the right relevant features. Like, if I would take the ertiga and say what are the changes that I would like to see to make it the perfect car? since ertiga has the right value for what is offers at the price point, I get the Carens. I would first take the NA engine and get the Turbo in there for better output per drop of fuel, check. Would get better size tyres, check. The size is ideal would not change it, check. Would add a sun/moon roof just for the heck of it, check. Would add ventilated seats, check. Get a better drive train, maybe a DSG, check. Get today's electronics, some digital dash etc, check. Get more than average sound system, check. Get better braking, add all disc, check. And Hey, presto we have the ideal Ertiga, err...I mean the Carens to drive. This is a very practical amazing value for money car, maybe my beater car for next 5 years, but still if this takes the parking space for a real 7 seater, maybe we will wait on this one and come back if nothing else fits.
6: XUV 700 : Its like buying an apartment now. You pay a initial deposit, then watch it getting build, see some price hike, change a couple of houses and then you get an OC. I see no point in waiting for this when you want something in a reasonable time. Everything ticks, maybe a little of M&M's philosophy on letting the customers do the final 10% testing of the vehicles is a grouse, it's just window shopping only now. It might as well have been a concept car. For those who have this in their garrages, lucky!
7: The Innova : The current most practical choice.
This has been around for so long, yet big T has tried to keep it relevant to a large degree. This is how the other T (TATA) should have handled the Safari. Does not fit my basic requirement of a middle bench seat (any one with little kids will knowhow critical that is) but then what ever it looses is not a deal breaker if the right seating option was available. The 2 WD Fortuner is 30% more for just a bench seat, with the same usable features, like space etc, and does a little more. Its not motivation enough to add 10L more just for that. The innovation is the rightly engineered car for that size. Right amount of space, height, sitting comfort including the last seat (this is similar to the safari, so the safari is the loser here), power/torque to weight/wheelbase size, the tyres could have been a size bigger and maybe a rear disc would insprie more confidence, but its not a deal breaker. Its RWD, multi link and long wheelbased. The electronics is old, some additions like LEDs, charging etc, are just to keep it relevant, but when you buy and drive and Innova you will get an Innova mindset and not a Jeep Meridian mindset so you think differently of who you are as a driver of this car, and expect both the ownership and for those who care the outlook of being an owner of this car differently from a SUV owner/driver. So just from a practicality if you need to put 25L+ I would put it here. (may be the Carens will save a lot of money here, hence its still on the N-1 list). |