[naru80]

My friend has shortlisted two cars and their specific variants as a daily driver:

XUV 700 AX5 AT (P) and Kia Seltos GT Line

Where XUV scores: safer, bigger, powerful

Where Seltos scores: features, reliability, city drivability

The prices are similar for both.

The use case is 40km Noida to Delhi commute on weekdays in peak rush hour. Please suggest. It will be 100% self driven by an enthusiast driver.

My recco is the Seltos HTX+ which is a lakh cheaper on road, comes with the beautiful tan upholstery and more comfortable 17in wheels minus ADAS.

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by naru80

It will be 100% self driven by an enthusiast driver.

For this reason alone, my vote goes for the XUV700 petrol. An acquaintance has the same car from the early batches, a manual variant, and I've only heard praises about the engine. Also, a torque convertor will be a safer choice than DCT given the traffic condition in Delhi and Noida during office hours.

[vattyboy]

Both cars have good performance, but the Seltos has a slight advantage due to its new 1.5 Tgdi engine, which provides a better power-to-weight ratio and stiff suspension.

If you're driving the 40 km route from Delhi to Noida during peak traffic, the smaller size of the Seltos will make it easier to drive. Personally, I would recommend the Seltos, which was also recently updated and its top variant is loaded to the brim with all the features and ADAS.

[VtechSupreme]

I've been dealing with the same dilemma recently. I am currently in the process of purchasing my daily driver. I narrowed it down to Seltos GTX+ (Turbo Petrol DCT) vs ScorpioN Petrol AT. XUV700 and Scorpio are pretty similar in that they share the same engine, only major difference being the body on frame vs monocoque. I considered both but liked the butch appeal of the Scorpio more. After doing 2 test drives each, I finally made the decision to book a Seltos.

While on paper ScorpioN made 200 horsepower, the tighter suspension and power to weight ratio made the Seltos feel more quick and nimble. The new 1.5 TGDi is ultra refined and gives you more grunt than you need in the city. The 18 inch wheels didn't really compromise on ride quality either from my experience. The steering also has better feedback with the Seltos than with the XUV/Scorpio.

I loved the Scorpio predominantly for it's road presence and ride height. It also helps that Mahindra has come a long way and gives ample kit and features in their cars. While Seltos has more features on paper, none of them will be frequently used in daily drives and most are good to have at best. I would recommend a ScorpioN Z8 over an AX5 XUV or bumping up to AX7 if you wish to go that route, as there are certain essential things that are missing in that variant. In a 20L+ car I expect folding ORVMs, Leather upholstery and leather wrapped steering wheel. Some great to have features are also missing such as Rain Sensing Wipers and Auto headlamps. I would easily swap these for the sunroof.

Why I booked the Seltos was that practicality won. The Seltos feels like a more premium package. It is plenty fast, drives well, has better fuel efficiency and is much more reliable. If you can be happy with the understated road presence, I think you'd be happy with the Seltos as your daily driver. You spend most of the time inside your car and the Seltos definitely has a nicer cabin, not just in features but in touch points as well (Turn indicators, steering wheel, metal pedals etc). Being 6'1 I also found the seats more comfortable in the Seltos.

I don't think either is a bad choice, they're both enough to make an enthusiast happy. Looking forward to seeing what your friend decides.

[naru80]

Originally Posted by VtechSupreme

I also found the seats more comfortable in the Seltos.

Thanks for this feedback.

The daily route is fast moving traffic for 10 km on Noida Expressway, then a massive jam, and then open road again on DND. The engine grunt (while moving) & the in-cabin experience (while stuck) are both important.

I personally felt the XUV's driving seat to be a better place to be despite the lack of bling because the seats seem to be slightly bigger/more comfortable. The sense of space is also superior.

[VtechSupreme]

Originally Posted by naru80

Thanks for this feedback.

The daily route is fast moving traffic for 10 km on Noida Expressway, then a massive jam, and then open road again on DND. The engine grunt (while moving) & the in-cabin experience (while stuck) are both important.

If your going to be stuck in crawling traffic daily then XUV is a better choice as DCTs don't do well in stop and go traffic. Torque Converters are super reliable, and much better in lower gears. I haven't heard reliability in KIA DCTs but better to be safe than sorry.

[Asoon]

Safety, Practicality, Utility, Space & Reliability (DCT vs TC) - XUV700 >>>>> Seltos
Features, Slightly high Power, Fuel Economy - Seltos >> XUV700

I would pick XUV700 over Seltos any day / any variant, XUV is a much more versatile car which can be a tourer, city car, highway/ longtrip car, family car, utility car than a regular compact SUV.

[naru80]

Originally Posted by Asoon

Safety, Practicality, Utility, Space & Reliability (DCT vs TC) - XUV700 >>>>> Seltos

Originally Posted by VtechSupreme

If your going to be stuck in crawling traffic daily then XUV is a better choice as DCTs don't do well in stop and go traffic. Torque Converters are super reliable, and much better in lower gears. I haven't heard reliability in KIA DCTs but better to be safe than sorry.

Originally Posted by self_driven

Also, a torque convertor will be a safer choice than DCT given the traffic condition in Delhi and Noida during office hours.

We have talked to a few people who own the pre-facelift GTLine. Though a small sample size, no one has complained of any DCT issues so far.

OT, but for some reason DCT seems to be more popular in Seltos and CVT in Creta.

I am personally more inclined towards the DCT with 17 inch wheels in the HTX+ for a better ride quality. Also, the tan interiors give a much more premium feel. Not sure about the ADAS utility in daily drive.

[BhayanaV]

Originally Posted by naru80

OT, but for some reason DCT seems to be more popular in Seltos and CVT in Creta.

.

Because Seltos has only 1 variant of CVT vs 3/4 in Creta.

[GoBabyGo]

Hi, I live in Noida Extension and drive to ITO (approx 32km one way) in the morning at around 8.40am and return home at around 6.15pm (from ITO). I drive a Honda City VMT.

Now on your specific requirement. I believe you drive from Noida to South Delhi via DND, Lajpat Nagar & South Ex (or Okhla phase 3) which are notorious for heavy traffic from 8.30am to 10pm. If you buy 1.5 NA of Seltos than it will not be fun to drive and if you go with 1.5 Turbo Petrol then it will give you equal headache like XUV700 from drive point of view due to bumper to bumper traffic.

XUV 700 is a tested 5 star rated SUV (I am very much hopeful that new Seltos will score minimum 4 stars whenever tested) therefore it is more safe to drive.

Fuel efficiency wise both will give you 8-10kmpl in your route. I don't think there will be huge difference in FE.

XUV700, is a better buy from driver's point of view as well as family point of view because it offers excellent space for driver & passengers.

It will take only one week for you to get used to of XUV700 size. However, whenever you drive it in the open areas of Noida & other expressways, you will love your XUV700.

All the best for your purchase, go for XUV700.

[FAIAAA]

Hi. As others have opined,
XUV700 petrol AT if primary considerations are performance, build quality (5 star rated), driving comfort (ride and handling balance), reliable gearbox ( TC over DCT), 3rd row and FE is NOT a CONCERN. I dropped the XUV700 petrol AT from my consideration set when I saw FE drop to 5-6kmpl in rush hour traffic during an extended test drive.
Seltos 1.5 Turbo AT if primary consideration is features, size /nimble to drive and park in crowded city conditions, 2 rows AND can live with stiffer ride ( I find it harsh and cannot bear cars with stiff suspension anymore)
If s/he's still sold on the Seltos, then here's a wildcard suggestion - how about Verna 1.5 Turbo SX DCT? It's the same engine and gearbox, better ride comfort and 3.5 Lacs cheaper before factoring discounts ( make that a travel+ DCT fund). Yes s/he will need to nurse the gearbox in bumper to bumper traffic but it's the cheapest entry point to Hyundai - Kia turbo petrols and great VFM.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by naru80

The use case is 40km Noida to Delhi commute on weekdays in peak rush hour. Please suggest. It will be 100% self driven by an enthusiast driver.

My recco is the Seltos HTX+ which is a lakh cheaper on road, comes with the beautiful tan upholstery and more comfortable 17in wheels minus ADAS.

If there is no requirement for 7 seats, it's easy to recommend Seltos in this case. Better power to weight ratio results in better acceleration for Seltos and the steering feel is better than XUV. The body roll is also much better due to lower height. It beats XUV700 in equipment by miles. NVH is spectacular. FE would be about 25% better, and Kia beats mahindra in Aftersales and reliability.

I would advice against the HTX+, because with just 1L, he would get ADAS, 360 degree cam, blind view monitor and EPB with Auto Hold, rain sensing wipers. ADAS isn't just for namesake, and has proven very useful in my 3.5K kms of usage till date.

[shreevardhan]

I am currently going through the same dilemma. Having test driven both cars, I am finding it really difficult to decide. Somehow leaning towards the Seltos because I feel XUV700 is a bit too huge for my liking and given Bangalore's notorious traffic, I prefer something a bit smaller.

Also from experience, I've spoken to quite a few people and get a different opinion every time, so it is better to go with your gut feeling based on your priorities.

[wooka]

The fact that Hyundai/Kia treats us as a third world country with watered down safety parameters (and even a 30 kmph head on collision with a guy going 30 or above is PLENTY chaos for a 3 star car), would be enough for me to steer me towards better brands. What I think the OP's friend is missing is the Skoda options, esp the TSI.

If you're ready to compare a C2 with a D1/D2 segment car, then size and fuel efficiency isn't a problem for you, is it?

Setting all of those things aside, the DCT is not for me or anyone with an inkling for reliability esp in bumper to bumper traffic prevalent in the region. I'd know, I'm in NOIDA most of the time. When the OP says the Kia is more reliable with *that* gearbox, I am at a loss..

Ventilated seats? Mild upgrades bringing the xuv700 up to spec - get the xuv700 AX7. With a 20L budget, you're almost there.

I'm sorry but a Scorpio-N v/s a C2 monocoque is something I cannot stomach - apples to oranges at best.

[naru80]

Originally Posted by GoBabyGo

Fuel efficiency wise both will give you 8-10kmpl in your route. I don't think there will be huge difference in FE.

We Tded the XUV on partial route. The FE dropped to as low as 4.5 overall was 6.5 Safe to say XUV petrol AT is out. Trying to get our hands on a manual to check if FE is any better.

OT: the updated 2024 AX5 gets reverse camera and cruise control at no extra cost.

Originally Posted by FAIAAA

Hi. As others have opined,
here's a wildcard suggestion - how about Verna 1.5 Turbo SX DCT? It's the same engine and gearbox, better ride comfort and 3.5 Lacs cheaper before factoring discounts ( make that a travel+ DCT fund). Yes s/he will need to nurse the gearbox in bumper to bumper traffic but it's the cheapest entry point to Hyundai - Kia turbo petrols and great VFM.

Verna rejected over looks. The wildcard is Virtus GT. But friend's heart set on an SUV.

Originally Posted by 07CR

I would advice against the HTX+, because with just 1L, he would get ADAS, 360 degree cam, blind view monitor and EPB with Auto Hold, rain sensing wipers. ADAS isn't just for namesake, and has proven very useful in my 3.5K kms of usage till date.

This is good advice. Thanks. Even the SA wasn't sure of the feature differentiation.