[Ripcord09]

BYD eMax7

What you'll like:

• The only electric full-size 7-seater MPV in the market with potentially no direct rivals
• A well-rounded product that looks good and has decent cabin space
• 201 BHP motor packs a punch. Does the 0-100 km/h dash in just 8.6 seconds!
• 400-450 km real-world range is great; forget urban commuting, this is enough for road-tripping with the family
• Both battery options (55.4 kWh & 72.8 kWh) are available with 6 and 7-seater configurations
• Good low-speed ride quality, zero emissions, cheap running costs, no gears, and light controls make it an ideal city car
• 8-year / 1,60,000 km battery warranty, 8-year / 1,50,000 km warranty on motor, 6 years of roadside assistance
• Features such as the vehicle-to-load function (A/C power for appliances), powered tailgate, panoramic glass roof, NFC key card, 12.8-inch rotating touchscreen & more
• Safety features include 6 airbags, TPMS, hill-hold, 360-degree view camera, ESP and level 2 ADAS

What you won't:

• At ~Rs. 30 lakh on-road, there is price overlap with the mighty Innova Crysta as well as the even mightier Innova Hycross. Also, there are cheaper 7-seater ICE rivals offering better value
• Conservative exterior & interior design may not appeal to everyone. Doesn’t have a lot of standout elements
• Interior quality is mediocre; seats and some plastics feel budget-grade
• 6-speaker sound system is ordinary at this price point. No subwoofer at 30-lakhs is surprising
• Missing features such as connected car tech, a spare wheel (please buy one yourself), wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, auto wipers, auto-dimming IRVM, dead pedal, sunshades, etc.
• BYD's dealership & service network is currently very small
• The usual EV challenges (charging infrastructure, range anxiety, setting up home charging etc.)

Review Link

Toyota Innova HyCross

What you'll like:

• A great-looking MPV. SUV’ish styling packs appeal
• Nicely designed interiors, good comfort in all 3 rows and usable boot (even with 3rd row up)
• Loaded to the gills with features such as a panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, electrically adjustable rear ottoman seats, multi-zone climate control, connected car features, leather upholstery, drive modes, etc.
• Hybrid powertrain makes it lighter on the pocket than a diesel and future-proof too. Very good fuel efficiency (expect city FE of 15-17 km/l)
• Impressive performance with a sub-10 second 0-100 km/h time (Toyota claims 9.5 seconds)
• Monocoque construction results in sorted handling and comfortable ride quality
• Brilliant NVH levels result in a quiet and serene experience inside the cabin
• Toyota's bullet-proof reliability, excellent after-sales service and fuss-free ownership experiences
• Safety features such as 6 airbags, Toyota Safety Sense (ADAS), ABS, ESP, TC, all-wheel disc brakes, hill hold, TPMS, Isofix & 3-point seatbelts for all

What you won't:

• Expected to be even more expensive than the already-pricey Innova Crysta. Will be premium-priced
• Top-end variants are only available with captain seats in the middle row. No bench option is inexplicable!!
• 18" wheels with 50 profile tyres compromise the overall stance; they look very small
• Monocoque construction won’t be as rugged & abuse-friendly as the Crysta's body-on-frame build
• Interior plastic quality is very mediocre, some parts feel budget-grade
• Rear seat ottomans are useless for taller passengers
• Average sound quality from the JBL system, poor camera resolution and a basic infotainment system display
• Missing features such as rain-sensing wipers, lumbar adjustment, boss lever on the front passenger seat...
• The already-good ride quality could be even better with higher profile tyres (e.g. on craters). 225/50 sidewalls are on the shorter side

Review Link

Hyundai Alcazar

What you'll like:

• A 3-row family car that's well-built inside out & now looks better (cleaner design than the pre-facelift)
• User-friendly interiors look really good and have quality parts
• Fast and refined 1.5L turbo-petrol mated to smooth 7-speed AT and 6-speed MT
• Economical 1.5L diesel offers good driveability. Available in MT & AT variants
• Comfortable ride quality with neutral road manners
• Unladen ground clearance of 200 mm is perfect for Indian roads
• The Alcazar's safety package includes ADAS Level 2, hill descent control, 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, auto-hold, TPMS etc.
• Impressive kit (ventilated 1st & 2nd row seats, captain seats with extendable under-thigh support & bolstered headrests, boss mode, digital key, drive and traction modes, fully digital instruments, 360-degree camera, 2nd-row wireless charger, panoramic sunroof, rear window sunshades, paddle shifters, Bose sound system & loads more)
• Hyundai's wide dealer & service network

What you won't:

• 2nd row legroom is mediocre (captain seat variant). Compromises have been made to accommodate the 3rd row & boot
• 3rd row access is too difficult in the captain seat variant
• 3rd row seat is best suited to kids only. Not really a place for adults
• Competitors like the Carens, XUV700, Scorpio-N, Safari & Hector Plus offer more spacious cabins
• No all-wheel drive option available for enthusiasts / overlanders
• Long-term reliability of the 7-speed DCT is a concern (related reading)
• Turbo-petrol revs to just ~5,750 rpm. It's a powerful motor with 158 BHP on tap, so we wish it went higher for driving pleasure
• Diesel’s 114 BHP & 250 Nm – although adequate – are the lowest in the segment
• A few misses (no sunroof and spare wheel in the diesel, wireless Android Auto & Apple Carplay, illuminated window buttons etc.)

Review Link

Kia Carens

Review Link

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[mgastor2022grey]

I would probably pick the competitors over these cars. Reasons:

1) Tata Safari: The car looks simply awesome and is paired with an amazing engine. TASS's service is a hit or miss, but not a problem for me. Space inside is good and feels like a premium product, truly punches above its weight.

2) Mahindra XUV700: This is one heck of a car. Blisteringly fun petrol, equally good diesel and all paired with a big bodyshell is what it is. This is a stonking H-O-T machine!

3) Skoda Kodiaq: Slightly above the capped budget, but definitely a chief competitor. With all the discounts, this makes itself a good opposition. The new one is a icing on the cake, hope Skoda India prices it right.

With all that aside, if I were to pick one, I would probably go ahead with the eMax 7 as it is a very niche product, EV = somewhat good future stability and finally, good pricing. I would also take the Hycross, but definitely not the Korean Twins.

[Sensible_Speed]

I picked the Innova based on space and longevity. It is the biggest inside by far, and very cheap to run and maintain. Rides reasonably well too.

[abs182]

Being a Kia Caren Diesel AT owner I voted for the Kia. For my purpose of ferrying the family comfortably in the city and on the highway is fulfilled. Hycross Hybrid would be my next choice.

[GTO]

With no limitation on spends, the Innova Hycross Hybrid. It's the best MPV out there, with extremely high practicality & user-friendliness. Not too bad to drive either. In fact, I would buy an Innova Hycross Hybrid over many 40-50 lakh SUVs (including the Fortuner).

If I was looking at pure VFM, then the Kia Carens. Love that car and its masterclass packaging. Have recommended the Carens to many people who call me for advice and they're all super happy.

[car-o-holic]

Voted "Others" considering we love our 7-seater Jeep Meridian which suits our driving style and feature requirement!

[LeoMachine]

Voted for Carens. Unbeatable in terms of what it offers for the buck. Acres of space inside. All 3 three rows are comfortable for adults. I had cancelled Kodiaq and Hycross bookings to buy this no nonsense value for money car. Plush interiors, decent power + mileage and great service network. Super happy with the purchase.

[aamishdhingra]

Although i’ve voted for Hycross, but i’d personally love the Fortuner with Hycross recliners for the middle seat setup.
My parents are gonna be happy with the recliners and i’ll be happy with a dedicated 4x4, beautiful off roader!

[swami69]

No car is 100% perfect and each weighs a particular attribute more than the other. Some would prefer a sliding 2nd row, some a panoramic sunroof, some high quality interiors, some better engine & tranny, some usable 3rd row, some a better air con, some flat folding last row etc and SOME the best value for money and all of these cars even including XUV, Safari and Scorpio would fail in one or more.

To me, I preferred a Carens to all the above based on my priorities (ticks most attributes) and this is a car which provides the best value for the money spent. The next in line could be the XUV and Safari, also the HYCROSS, but all of them are incrementally much higher priced, but could work for others

Swami

[Axe77]

Budget no bar I’d buy a Hycross ZX(O). If I was on a tighter budget I would really consider a Carens as I’ve said in some previous similar threads also (or Alcazar, whichever sibling at any given point has the better overall package although I’d generally prefer the Kia).

The two key aspects that would push me to stretch from a Carens to a Hycross are:

- the pure petrol engine of the Carens will be much less fuel efficient. It’s nice for a workhorse people mover to be economical.
- mental peace of mind (perception if nothing else) of owning a Toyota with a 10 - 15 year outlook.

PS: Interesting to see that the Byd electric is almost neck and neck tailing the Korean siblings on an aggregated basis. (19:22 at the time I voted; or ~16% to ~18.5%)

[BHPjunkie]

Well with money no bar it would be the Innova Hycross Hybrid. However where the budget comes in, we opted for the Kia Carens. An absolute value for money 4 wheels. Abundance space, comfortable to drive and decently well featured for the mid-variants. Only downside is the fuel efficiency in the city. Even on the highway, the 160 bhp, 1.5L petrol is thirsty if driven hard!

[Knightrider]

This comparison seems to be in two separate budget segments. BYD eMax7 and HyCross in higher segment, and Carens/Alcazar in the lower segment.

Being a very happy owner of Carens, and for it's sheer VFM factor and versatility, I voted for it. Well, the Carens can do and has almost 90% of features that a higher priced HyCross has.