[raj_5004]

Go for the Scorpio SLE buddy. Given your requirements & since you will be the one driving, it should be the scorpio for you. Its fun to drive, the engine is responsive, nil turbo lag, refined & the car is very chuckable in city too.

I would recommend an innova to only those who want a people mover only, personally i find it to be boring. just my opinion. it feels like a typical 'van' which is just more refined & has the 'toyota' tag & reliability with it. oh yes, the scorpio is more refined than the innova (NVH & engine noise), believe it or not.

i would never recommend a safari to anyone unless he is a hardcore safari fan, in which case, he wont bother looking at other options! the car is not entirely trouble free & niggling/quality issues in a 12L car does not sound good.

coming to your questions-

1) Does scorpio climb hills with ease on full load? not off-road, but regular sultan battery, Ooty type tarred/semi-tarred roads.

the mHawk motor is a jem. power keeps flowing & flowing for which you dont need to downshift. uphills you can easily overtake many petrol sedans.

2) Is ABS an absolute requirement in this car? Since I am not completely thrilled about the car, I might as well buy the base version if ABS doesnt matter.

yes, the ABS is a must for such a heavy vehicle.

3) What are the must have accessories for scorpio? eg: rain visors, bull bars, change of horn, bulbs etc.

nothing as must have apart from seat covers! the cheaper scorpio has everything as standard which the expensive toyota offers as paid accessories. examples - floor mats & mud flaps!

the ones you have mentioned are optional & its upto you to decide.

4) Since we are not 100% convinced of the scorpio, we want to know what options exist. Second hand cars are out of question. Xylo, sumo Grande also ruled out on basis of looks alone. Any other suggestions that are worth waiting a max of 5-6 months for? Xenon also ruled out. Overriding requirements are that the car takes on bad roads (shirdi ghats as an example) without the owner feeling bad for the car. Seating layout is important and 3rd row bench seats are a must.

apart from the innova & scorpio, i would ask you to look at the xylo.

[agbenny]

Originally Posted by prithvi_seln

Even i was also searching for the new launches when i was planning to buy a new SUV. 3 cars are in foray
1. TATA ARIA - model released in AUTO EXPO and reviews available its a MUV (they call it a cross over since it has full time all wheel drive) and almost a replica of INNOVA price band 13-14 lacs ex show room add 2lacs for registration and insurance.
2. Mahindra W201 World car a true SUV scoop pictures are out and has been test driven by one of our fellow TBHP members. price 14-15lac ex show room
3. Force Motors - SUV based on a Chinese maker's model photos are out search in motoroids.com cost must be somewhere between 11-13lacs
All these are due for launch later this year or early 2011 .

And 15-20 Plus segments SUVs are going for a facelift

We need to wait since all these models are indigenous development from the indian car makers stable and everyone pretty well knows it takes anywhere between 6-12 months for stabilization of the product and to solve the initial glitches so we need to wait and watch.

Can we add Skoda Yeti too. Expected to come later this year.

[diwakarmuthu]

@ak 916, the typical dilemma one has before making a decision with respect to SUV, I quite agree with Raj and 4x4 addict on the drivability and durability of the Scoprio. I too had very similar thoughts and with my budget considerations, I booked a Scorpio.

The vehicle apart from its proven off-roading / semi-offroading capabilities is very convenient to drive inside the city. So my choice would be to look at the Scorpio.

With respect to Innova and Safari, my personal opinion is that it is priced heavily for the features on offer. Xylo fits into this range, if you like the shape of the vehicle.

The Yeti I assume is likely to be priced at 15L plus and for a car of its size and service availability, I believe it is too much.

All the best for your search

Note from Mod : There are innumerable threads on the Scorpio, Safari, Innova et al. Please search. This thread is closed.