[SilverSmoke]

Kodiaq 2.0 TSI VS GLC 300:

One of our family members purchased the 2023 GLC 300. I drove it to my heart's content.


Hybrid battery - Varta 80 AH is kept in the boot.



Ambient lighting is among the best I have seen.



Plastics on the steering wheel are cheap.



Projected logo looks dope - has good definition.



Interiors surely look inviting.



Paint quality is pretty good.



Engine bay looks nicely packed & organised.



No rear temperature & fan controls.



Steering feel is just right & sporty.



Automated seat adjustments related to height is good but not accurate - needs to be fine tuned.



Wheels look decent & sharp - not overly fancy.



Real time air quality monitoring is a good addition.



Sound quality is very good - even at higher volumes.



Air vents infused with some metals feels premium.



Upholstery color doesn't get dirty easily - good for family with kids.



Blind spot detector in work - sorely missed in Kodiaq.


Dashboard design is premium & doesn't catches dust or fingerprints.

Better than Kodiaq:

1. Peppy engine with electric motor support - acceleration & handling is better. 255 BHP 400 NM.

2. Body roll is minimal.

3. Premium interiors.

4. MBUX is way better & works very smoothly & controls a lot of car.

5. Steering feels sturdy & has better feedback.

6. Ambient lights are on different level.

7. Burmester is definitely north of Canton.

8. Badge value & social status.

9. Real time cabin air monitoring.

10. Blind spot warning system - a great addition for Indian traffic.

11. Gear shifts via a steering stick at a flick of the finger.

Worse than Kodiaq:

1. Headlights - literally 1/3rd of Kodiaq's. Even at high beams I was sure that they will increase further, but they didn't.

2. Space - Less in front - lesser at back.

3. Seats - only heated seats - not even simple ventilation is provided - useless for mid & southern India - a sore.

4. No temperature / fan controls at rear.

5. No keyless entry - was amazed.

6. No tail light animations.

7. Suspension is stiffer than Kodiaq's & even small undulations filters into the cabin.

Honest Conclusion:

Can I go for it?

- Yes at around 65 L OTR - with better headlights.

- But at 85 OTR, a definite NO.

From now on, my respect for Skoda has increased for delivering an amazing machine at such a price.

Time will test the reliability of both.

[Old Dude]

Very interesting comparison with the GLC, thank you Silver Smoke for making me feel good ( or say better) about my Kodiaq.

I had an Aha moment about DCC settings the other day - was returning from Mysore to Bangalore late night after attending a function and entered Bangalore a tad past midnight. As I exited the expressway, I cleverly ( or so I thought) switched the DCC to comfort considering the pathetic Bangalore Road condition and that I had my passengers sleeping like a baby. As the traffic was fairly light, I was able to do insane speeds of 40 to 60KMPH ( by Bangalore city standards) between Kengeri to Hudson circle. That is when I realised the pathetic situation of Bangalore road surfaces - which is suitable only for the crawling speeds we can do during normal hours. My passengers were rudely awakened by the tossing and bouncing around and I was yelled at being such a rough driver :-(. As I proceeded further, I played with the DCC settings and realised the tossing and bouncing significantly reduced with the DCC in normal and Sport modes - Lesson learnt: In bad road surfaces, the Comfort mode is comfortable only at low speeds, while even at speeds of 40 to 60, the stiffer modes are better.

[GTO]

Thanks for sharing, SilverSmoke! Moving your post out to a new thread. A new thread means 100X the views & 100X the visibility in search engines, including Google. Will add to homepage soon .

In just a few pictures & pointers, you have perfectly summarized the value equation provided by cars like the Kodiaq & gang. The cars in the 35 - 50 lakh range have greatly improved their offerings & provide you with all the utility / luxury you need. Anything above that is driven purely by desire, badge etc.

@ BHPians, if you should spot any good post in an existing thread that deserves its own new thread, please report the post and we'll move it out for greater visibility.

Thank you!

[RaiAnish]

Originally Posted by SilverSmoke

Kodiaq 2.0 TSI VS GLC 300:

I love the Kodiaq for what it offers at the price but interiors looked slightly outdated now. With the reveal of the new one, I think it's going to be a perfect all rounder. Any views on what is the price increase that we can expect for the 2024 variant?

[CEF_Beasts]

Would like to present a very similar comparison between a 2023 Tiguan Elegance 2.0L TSI (A close friend picked one up yesterday) vs my 2021 pre-LCI X3 30i.

What I Liked in the Tiguan:
- Looks gorgeous in Kings Red
- The animated IQ headlights and tail-lights are one of the best I have seen in the business!
- Some very thoughtful touches like felt-lined door pockets, which are missing on my BMW.
- Physical buttons on the steering and touchscreen, present in my BMW as well.
- A very potent 2.0L TSI mated to the DQ381.
- More ambient colour options than my BMW
- A far better and customisable instrument cluster than the iDrive 7’s instrument cluster.
- Large and well shaped boot
- Better rear seat under-thigh support with the option to slide the rear seats forward as well to prioritise bootspace if needed.
- Keyless entry is present which is absent in my X3.
- Proper space for 3 at the back except the large transmission tunnel that intrudes into the legroom, but is present in all German cars.

What I didn’t like in the Tiguan:
- Touch AC controls
- Miss the DCC on the Indian Tiguan, something which the Kodiaq L&K gets. The ride is quite stiff!
- The Park Assist feature has been deleted.
- The front seats and rear outer seats have a contour that can make heavy built people feel unwelcome.
- The DSG lag while starting off is very apparent, especially on a slope.
- The ‘Frankfurt’ alloys look quite boring, TBH.

Experiencing a Tiguan in person actually made me question myself if I made the right decision by paying almost 30Lakh for the X3 !! Not that I don’t like the X3, but the value of money quotient is important in life as well…

What the X3 gets over the Tiguan 2.0L TSI 190hp available in India:
- Adaptive Dampers; having experienced them on City and highways together for the past 2 years, this is something I am a really big fan of now!
- 62hp and 30Nm more from the 2.0L B48 Petrol engine compared to the 2.0L TSI with 190hp and 320Nm. International Tiguans get more powerful option as well compared to the Indian Spec model.
- The ZF8 is unparalleled! Only Porsche’s PDK betters it.
- Slightly more premium interiors with more leather touch points.
- Can’t beat a BMW in the handling department.
- Manually adjustable rear seat sunshades
- 16 speaker 600W Harman/Kardon Surround Sound system
- Welcome Carpet light and door handle lights
- Electrically adjustable co-passenger seat.
- Almost perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
- 360 degree camera and Gesture Control (offered with the MSport LCI)
- A larger 12.3 inch touchscreen (which the LCI X3 gets compared to the 10.25 inch one on the Pre-LCI)















For all these additional features I would happily pay 15 to a maximum of 18 Lakhs over the 43L OTR of the Tiguan for the X3. Rest of the money is just for the premium badge!! In reality you can barely get a new U11 X1 after paying 20L over the 43L OTR Tiguan. Which is worthless to me, TBH.

The Tiguan/Kodiaq easily put to shame these luxury marques entry level X1s, GLAs and Q3s !

PS: Mods please move this post, if you feel it doesn’t belong in this thread.

[SilverSmoke]

Originally Posted by GTO

Anything above that is driven purely by desire, badge etc.

Also, GLC doors feels weaker & are lighter in comparison to Kodiaq's - European thud is surely missing.

Previous generation's were better.

Seems A/B/C class aren't providing with true Mercedes experience anymore.
Quality cut down is evident at places - nothing like no compromise 'tank like' game.
It's Mercedes running on Eco mode.


For that one has to go for E or S class, atleast.

Originally Posted by RaiAnish

Any views on what is the price increase that we can expect for the 2024 variant?

Expect increase something in range of 5L for pure petrol version.

If hybrid is introduced, may cost dearer.

[inwester]

Originally Posted by SilverSmoke

1. Headlights - literally 1/3rd of Kodiaq's. Even at high beams I was sure that they will increase further, but they didn't.

4. No temperature / fan controls at rear.

5. No keyless entry - was amazed.

Completely agree. These 3 omissions are kind of unjustifiable at any price and beyond ridiculous at the ~ Rs.90 lakh OTR price!

Was reading somewhere on the forum yesterday, the ISUZU D-Max cab comes with Bi-LED projector lights at Rs. 15 lakhs, come on Mercedes with those cheap reflectors.

And a luxury car without keyless entry in 2023, I can't...

[aeroabir]

Interestingly the US version of GLC-300 has keyless entry. I am also satisfied with the headlights performance.

In addition to temperature/fan control at the rear, what is also missing is the ability to control the fan for the driver/passenger side individually (this can be done for the temperature alone).

[Hayek]

Not entirely surprising. The luxury brands deliver a combination of brand, interior quality and driving dynamics which are still superior to mass brands. And VW keeps narrowing the gap by using common components between Audi and their mass brands.

My family prefers to ride in the Tiguan Allspace versus the X3. Mainly because of the presence of 3 zone climate control and better rear seat under thigh support and leg room. Plus better luggage room makes it a default for trips as well.

What the X3 offers is better driving dynamics - best enjoyed when I am alone in it.

[SilverSmoke]

Originally Posted by aeroabir

Interestingly the US version of GLC-300 has keyless entry. I am also satisfied with the headlights performance.
In addition to temperature/fan control at the rear, what is also missing is the ability to control the fan for the driver/passenger side individually (this can be done for the temperature alone).

Maybe Merc in India has decided to cash in on its brand name only.
Surprisingly, all of this missing when it's a CKD unit.

[aseem23]

Originally Posted by aeroabir

In addition to temperature/fan control at the rear, what is also missing is the ability to control the fan for the driver/passenger side individually (this can be done for the temperature alone).

Originally Posted by SilverSmoke

Maybe Merc in India has decided to cash in on its brand name only.
Surprisingly, all of this missing when it's a CKD unit.

Agree with both views, and I think this is standard across the CKD variants of all the brands. Example: Hyundai Tucson outside India has rear blower control, dual front driver/passenger blower controls, rear sun-blinds, etc., but all this is missing from the India spec Tuscon although it is CKD.

[Sandeep M]

Originally Posted by aseem23

Agree with both views, and I think this is standard across the CKD variants of all the brands. Example: Hyundai Tucson outside India has rear blower control, dual front driver/passenger blower controls, rear sun-blinds, etc., but all this is missing from the India spec Tuscon although it is CKD.

Sorely missing the rear blower controls and sunblinds (even though we have installed the dealer accessory, it's inconvenient to remove it everytime rear passengers have to roll down the window).

[SilverSmoke]

Originally Posted by Sandeep M

Sorely missing the rear blower controls and sunblinds.

Rear window sun blinds are present.

[Sandeep M]

Originally Posted by SilverSmoke

Rear window sun blinds are present.

I actually meant Tucson, not Kodiaq.

[abaliga]

/

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

The Tiguan/Kodiaq easily put to shame these luxury marques entry level X1s, GLAs and Q3s !

I agree with this completely when it comes to entry-level offerings from the German Trio, but when it comes to X3, the Tiguan doesn't stand a chance. I have driven both of these extensively. The X3 with 250 odd BHP is way more fun and the interior quality is also a segment above, on the pricing front, ideally, the X3 should not have been more than 15-20 lakhs higher than the Tiguan. However, ambitious pricing by BMW, the depreciating Rupee and our slab-based tax structure are factors that don't allow this to happen!