[PaddleShifter]

Is the 40km daily driving mainly in the city limits? And do the roads that he uses have proper dividers? If yes, I dont see Seltos/Creta at any disadvantage at all vompared to 5 star rated solid cars.

1. As your father is a senior citizen and a sedate driver, I see no reason to not consider the Seltos. The facelift has a panoramic sunroof, ADAS and a digital display. It is very comfortable to drive too. The body shell may not be as solid but it is not an unsafe car. You can not go wrong with a Seltos.

2. The Toyota HyRyder is a better prospect that Grand Vitara as Maruti does not honor warranty for broken interior trims.

3. XUV700 can be used as a 5 seater with the rear last row seats folded. The interiors are upmarket and it has all the nice to have features too. The only issue is that little niggles keep on happening as per what I read in the forum.

4. Avoid Harrier/Safari: Not at all niggle free from a senior citizen’s perspectives (plenty of evidence in the forum). Plus they are more truck (large SUV) like to drive compared to other smaller cars (Seltos, HyRyder etc).

5. Honda Elevate: Looks like a very good package but at a budget of 25 lacs, it is better to consider Seltos if you have a desire to get something with more nice to have features.

[CArspeed]

70 years - Ground clearance - Low running - Feature rich - No niggles - 25 lakhs
= ZS EV(if within city or intercity highways less than 300 kms)

or = Seltos CVT (If mostly city runs)

or = Grand Vitara/Hyryder Mild Hybrid (If 50% city and 50% highways)

Your choice of cars is absolutely spot on and I have only bifurcated in the different use-case scenario.
I have selected mild hybrid as you may not be able recover the 2.5 lakhs initial cost of strong hybrid. The extra little power boost the strong hybrid gives is also not really relevant for a 70 year old.
I have not selected Elevate as it is yet to launch and is totally unknown except the manufacturer credentials.

[Iyencar]

Thank you all for your insights. A few clarifications and thoughts from my side: The car will only have 2 passengers 90% of the time (including my dad who will be driving), hence only need a 5 seater. Roads are 60-40 highway and the quality of roads is good except for multiple really large speedbreakers nar the factory so need good GC. Plus the high seating will help Appa.
Rejected: Skoda, VW, Tata and Jeep are nowhere in the reckoning despite how good their cars maybe. It's their history of customer service and QC in India that worries me. I don't live in the same state as my parents and wouldn't want to put them at the dealer or manufacturer's mercy if and when something does go wrong. Also as mentioned in the earlier post we cannot afford any downtime with the car. Renault, Nissan and Citroen aren't being considered because they don't have aspirational cars. sales, or a good service network. No clue about MG but the Astor itself is not much of a leap from the Venue in my personal opinion- size, tech or feature-wise.
EVs are not feasible as he keeps travelling to smaller villages occasionally and the charging infra is not as good as we would like yet.
Other cars suggested by Bhpians among the brands shortlisted
Sonet: It is a Venue in nicer clothes and hardly an upgrade
Karens: No need for a 7 seater MUV
XUV300: Really poor boot space and quite bland for a 2023 car
ScorpioN: No use case for a BoF or a 4x4. The XUV700 is a much better fit for our requirements

Coming back to the Hyryder, Toyota Chennai has informed us of a waiting of atleast a year if not more for the Hyryder due to production constraints. My brother who drove the car said the NVH was intrusive on the highway because of the 3 cylinder. I'll test drive the vehicle myself and take a call. Meanwhile, the new Seltos will be out in 2 days and quite a few Bhpians are recommending that too so we will wait and watch for the same. Having said that the 17-30L segment is one where the customer really seems to be getting the least bang for their buck. Will update here after the Seltos is launched.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Thank you all for your insights. A few clarifications and thoughts from my side: The car will only have 2 passengers 90% of the time (including my dad who will be driving), hence only need a 5 seater. Roads are 60-40 highway and the quality of roads is good except for multiple really large speedbreakers nar the factory so need good GC. Plus the high seating will help Appa.

You should stick to the initial lot you had selected and mentioned in your post as beyond 30 Lakhs, the value for money starts diminishing as prices rise without such an increase in features/comfort. Considering your genuine interest in the Hyryder, my opinion is why not check out the Grand Vitara when the Hyryder has a waiting period of years, whereas the Grand Vitara is available much sooner, Yes, I know the Hybrid system is from Toyota, and that Toyota has the better nameplate and lower prices for the Hybrid, but still I don't think going for the Maruti would be such a bad choice.

As regards the Seltos, the launch is just a couple of days away, and you can get a clearer picture post that, your choices now must be basically between these two, or if not then go for the XUV700, but it's pretty big and is a 7-seater, something that is not your requirement.

[Mad Max]

I got my mum in Kanyakumari a Renault Kiger CVT. She's in her late 70s. She doesn't drive but has absolutely fallen in love with the ride and the comfort. So much that she has started going on longer drives (100kms+ and three trips to Chennai and back in 2 years) now.

I drive it when I am home and it's a brilliant little car for what it does. Renault, at least in TN, has been good to us so far from a servicing and repair perspective.

I think you have quite a long list of requirements. Maybe whittle it down a bit based on what is important to them? I prioritized

1. Safety
2. Front seat comfort
3. Air conditioning
4. Local servicing
5. Mileage

In that order. All other things were just "good to haves". For you, it may not be an upgrade from the Venue to the Kiger but then again, maybe it's time to ask Appa if he really wants an upgrade (or is it you).

[RDS]

If I were to buy a car for my dad, Elevate would be the clear choice (of course after proper TD).

Here are the key reasons:

1) Reliability - Honda's warranty, Engine Reliability is top notch. I don't want car to be in Service centers for long + I want pan India coverage. I don't want EVs for my old man and give him battery anxiety etc.

Whatever we may think, patterns in old age are set. We need to provide comfort, not new tech which is yet to mature that requires him to look at charge and worry in traffic jams.

Idea is simple - My dad must enjoy the vehicle, not be anxious or worrisome about charging at night or having to look at maps to find a place to charge.

In fact, he would say after some time, buy me an Alto, WagonR whatever and you can keep this EV!

2) Easy to Maneuver - Elevate has an amazing turning radius - 5.2 m as compared to others.With trusted CVT, my old man would need easy peasy maneuverable vehicle in city as much as possible.

3) Safety - ADAS for old age is a big plus. You can look at reviews on YouTube of Honda Sensing against others. Honda is very reliable as compared to others that can be a hit or miss.

Also, Kia, Hyundai, Maruti don't match the structural safety of Honda. I have a close friend whose real bro met an accident at 100km/hr+ in top spec Honda City. He and son both survived- nothing major. Car got wasted.

The point is not only sedate driving but also how others drive, so safety is crucial.

4) Comfort - Again look at the seats of Elevate. They are not seats, they are sofas. Seat ventilation doesn't matter till it is a great upgrade in many other areas.

And really, Sunroof, who actually uses that after initial excitement of few weeks, in fact car without sunroof should be more structurally safe in case car turtles etc. It is a no-no feature for my old man. Comfort and safety first.

Add great Ground clearance to the mix. Easy choice.

5) Maintenance Cost - With Honda iVtec, we know what we are getting into. I don't know about you or others but how do I really know EV maintenance costs after 5 years, or battery replacement cost after 8 years, that also much higher upfront payments. May be for me I might try something else but not for my dad.

In long term, one doesn't really save in EVs until and unless running is 20,000 KMs + per year, and even that saving we can't be sure because we are paying upfront and because of battery replacement costs. Any saving will take 6-8 years and by then battery replacement time.. savings, really??

Kia and Hyundai are clearly out due to safety reasons. If they are not giving me the right foundation of structural safety and ADAS (except in top models), then gimmicks such as ventilated seats and sunroofs don't matter to me.

[Iyencar]

We have finalised the Seltos! Going for the diesel as it justifies his running costs and the turbo petrol has more power than needed for him and could be an issue. Will decide whether to go for GTX+ 6AT (for the 360 cam and ADAS) or the HTX+ iMT (no AT here ) if price is too prohibitive. The cam, ADAS and panoramic sunroof should keep him happy and interested for the foreseeable future. Thank you so much everyone for your inputs!

[aseem23]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

We have finalised the Seltos! Going for the diesel as it justifies his running

Great Choice. Wishing you and the family happy miles and memories.

[mgastor2022grey]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

We have finalised the Seltos! Going for the diesel as it justifies his running costs and the turbo petrol has more power than needed for him and could be an issue. Will decide whether to go for GTX+ 6AT (for the 360 cam and ADAS) or the HTX+ iMT

Hi @Iyencar, lovely decision! Don't worry, your father will definitely love the car. There is not a single human who does not drool over a Seltos. Moreover, the new Seltos looks more badass and stylish. The panoramic sunroof and the ADAS are just perfect for him.

Wishing you and your father many more happy miles of motoring!

[bijims]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

We have finalised the Seltos! Going for the diesel as it justifies his running costs and the turbo petrol has more power than needed for him and could be an issue. Will decide whether to go for GTX+ 6AT (for the 360 cam and ADAS) or the HTX+ iMT (no AT here ) if price is too prohibitive. The cam, ADAS and panoramic sunroof should keep him happy and interested for the foreseeable future. Thank you so much everyone for your inputs!

An excellent choice and a choice that our family members have gone for as well, Your father will definitely love it, Do check it out in person as soon as possible and get your K-Code ready if you are booking online!

[Nalin1]

Many congratulations!.

You have chosen the perfect compact SUV in India. It is badaas is every possible way. Great mix of comfort, safety, and luxury features. Excellent service network and reliability .

Hope you have great relationship with Kia and a long term ownership experience!.