[thedoctor31]

Hi all,

I am looking to buy a new petrol car in the next 15 days and I am torn between a dealer discounted Abarth Urban Cross (they're trying to clear inventory) and a Hyundai Verna. My current Polo 1.2 TDI has already clocked 1.4L kms and it is about time for the veteran to move into retirement. Please advise!

Helpful info -

• Cars short listed - Verna, Ciaz, Ecosport, Urban Cross (this is a very late entry in the short list)
• Price range - strictly below 10L (ex-showroom, Hyderabad)
• Maintenance & After Sales Service (A.S.S.) expectations - Not much. Bare minimum expectation from A.S.S. is for them to have a good understanding of the car and not just check the boxes when given for servicing.
• Average distance traveled per month - 500-1000km/month
• Where car will be mostly used (city / highway / rough roads etc) - Highways mostly and bit of rough roads (when I visit my grandparents in their village). Limited city commute.
• Chauffer driven / self driven - Self
• Whether the vehicle will be shared by other members of family- My dad occasionally.
• Any specific requirements from car (ex. Better luggage space, responsive engine, rear seat comfort) - Responsive engine in low gears, good A/C, leg room (front and rear), decent AVN, rear parking sensors/camera (not a deal breaker but good to have)
• How long you intend on keeping this car (and how important resale is to you) - 5 years minimum. Resale is not particularly important. Looking forward to running down the engine for at least 1.5 - 2L kms.

My inputs so far -

• Ciaz: I ruled this out almost right away as it had the least power of the lot and the the engine did not seem as responsive as other ones.
• Ecosport: I loved the Ecosport's petrol engine and the responsiveness in low gears. However, having gotten used to the turbo on the Polo, the power delivery felt a bit linear and lacked the surge in power which bummed me a bit. I would have gone for the Ecoboost if it was still available. Also, the top end Titanium+ petrol variant comes only in AT and I didn't like the fact that Ford reserved the nice-to-have features only for the AT variant.
• Hyundai Verna: The new Verna looks amazing and the test drive experience was great. It is the most well-equipped car in the shortlist (and probably in the price range) and had all the bells and whistles. Despite being naturally aspirated like the Ecosport, I was much more comfortable with the power delivery on the Verna and it breezed through city traffic during the test drive. I could not find any deal breakers with this car for the money I am prepared to spend.
• Abarth Urban Cross: Now comes the big guy. Urban Cross was not on my radar until a couple weeks ago when I received a call from the FIAT dealership in Hyderabad who said that they were giving a discount of 1.5L on the on-road price. They apparently got my number from some third party because I looked it up online (thanks Google!). I haven't considered FIAT earlier because I did not trust Fiat's A.S.S. and was worried that any major repair for this car would result in a big hole in my wallet. I agreed for the test drive having already assuming that I will love this car because of all the good things I heard about the Abarth engine on Team-BHP and Wildy's passionate review of the Urban Cross. As expected, I am blown away with the car's engine and the solid build of the car. I purposefully took the test drive on a road with a fair share of potholes and it breezed past them without breaking a sweat.

THE BIG QUESTION - Does the discount on the Urban Cross sufficiently offset potential maintenance costs in the future? I am certain that the Fiat A.S.S. here in Hyderabad is not up to scratch and the cost of upkeep for the Urban Cross will be quite high after the warranty period (they're offering 3 years warranty). I am not able to decide if the trade-off is going to be worth it.

On a side note, a very special female friend of mine absolutely hates the looks of the Urban Cross and does not want me to buy it. I am not able to convince her to look beyond appearances and see what's beneath (sigh!). Any advise?

Thank you!

[GTO]

The singular advantage of the Abarth Urban Cross will be driving pleasure - awesome steering, European build & suspension and 140 horses. In all other areas (including ease of driving, quality, space etc.), the Verna wins. So it really comes down to deciding what your priority is.

How old is the Abarth Urban Cross? Don't buy if it's been sitting on the dealer lot for too long.

Originally Posted by thedoctor31

Highways mostly and bit of rough roads (when I visit my grandparents in their village). Limited city commute.

The Abarth is at home on the highway. In fact, more so than in the city. The open road is where you will truly enjoy the Abarth.

Responsive engine in low gears, good A/C, leg room (front and rear), decent AVN

The Verna is superior in all of these areas.

Looking forward to running down the engine for at least 1.5 - 2L kms.

The Verna will be the more fuss-free to own (reliability, after-sales) over 2 lakh km.

On a side note, a very special female friend of mine absolutely hates the looks of the Urban Cross and does not want me to buy it

You are going to drive & own it, not her. Don't give too much weightage to such opinions.

I'll recommend the Abarth Urban Cross to you for 3 reasons:

1. Your driving is primarily going to be on the highway.

2. You are only 27. You can always buy family sedans later in life.

3. Your existing car is a Polo. Once you've owned a European car, it's very difficult to move to Japanese / Korean cars.

[nkrishnap]

If you like the driving pleasure, kick of turbo petrol and can live with Iffy service go with by Abarth Urban Cross.

If you value fuss free ownership, resale value, fancy features go with the Verna.

Head Vs Heart thingy here.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by thedoctor31

On a side note, a very special female friend of mine absolutely hates the looks of the Urban Cross and does not want me to buy it. I am not able to convince her to look beyond appearances and see what's beneath (sigh!). Any advise?

At least you are considering an Urban Cross. In matters of the heart - both regarding cars and of the female kind, there is very little one can do. However, you can let her know that this is what would make you happy and seeing you happy might make her accept the UC?

Originally Posted by GTO

How old is the Abarth Urban Cross? Don't buy if it's been sitting on the dealer lot for too long.

+1. Just check on this. And if its standing for a while, insist on a complete fluid change + tyre change (or additional discount).

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Head Vs Heart thingy here.

Rightly said. The only thing OP should realize is that once he buys any of the two cars, he shouldn't regret about the choice after seeing the other car later in the future.

The 1.4L engine in this avatar is simply too good. You get superb highway dynamics, good GC for your village trips and quite a rare car if you go for the Fiat.

[ACM]

Forget the Special Friends views, you have to drive this car.

At this stage of life going by your heart which seems inclined towards the Abarth would be a good Idea. We only live once and more importantly we only live the present age once.

Verna would also not be a bad choice but may feel light overall. I would go for the Verna between the two only for the better service experience, if that can be managed it is the Urban Cross all the way.

The EcoSport has the AT in the top trim as that will be the transmission of choice going ahead. It appears as if you test drove a lower MT variant. If that is the case then do test drive the top AT variant itself before deciding.

With the Verna you are likely to drive in a more sedate manner vs the EcoSport or the Abarth.

[Aaron:)]

I think you should consider the Ecosport more seriously. It's fun to drive and also quite practical as compared to the Urban Cross.

The Urban Cross is great to drive, but it isn't as complete a package as the Verna or Ecosport. It's really old too.

[Vinodh_Gowda]

Originally Posted by thedoctor31

Helpful info -[list][*]Cars short listed - Verna, Ciaz, Ecosport, Urban Cross (this is a very late entry in the short list)

I would suggest the Urban Cross too however, I might be biased as we got two cars in our family and both FIATs - A Grande Punto and a Linea TJet. Incase, you do consider buying the FIAT, do check if you can live with the long and hard Clutch, a not so perfect gearshift - By no means bad but then not as slick as others and the seating position. Do take a long test drive again with the FIAT. Just don't want you to be cursing yourself for all these factors once you have got the car. As for the other things, It's been 2 years since I got my Jet and she has already clocked 37,000 kilometers

Originally Posted by thedoctor31

On a side note, a very special female friend of mine absolutely hates the looks of the Urban Cross and does not want me to buy it. I am not able to convince her to look beyond appearances and see what's beneath (sigh!). Any advise?

Thank you!

On this point, It boils down to if you are sure about this special friend of yours lasting with you for life. If not, then your decision should be final else you do not have any other choice other than listening to her. If you do give in, do not blame yourself as there are many like you and frankly there are more special things/people in life buddy. Hope you get the point. And also, it's by personal experience as well

[narayan]

Addition to what others have mentioned, in case you are in the habit of changing cars in about 3-5 years, whatever you gain in terms of discount in the FIAT will be more than lost when you sell the car. So if that is your only reason to pick up the FIAT - pls skip it.

Alternately, if you like the FIAT for all its attributes, and you normally keep your car for long - ( and you have done all the due diligence as other members have pointed out ) - go for the FIAT - AND DON'T FORGET TO BARGAIN FOR MORE !

[thedoctor31]

Originally Posted by GTO

How old is the Abarth Urban Cross? Don't buy if it's been sitting on the dealer lot for too long.


I'll recommend the Abarth Urban Cross to you for 3 reasons:

1. Your driving is primarily going to be on the highway.

2. You are only 27. You can always buy family sedans later in life.

3. Your existing car is a Polo. Once you've owned a European car, it's very difficult to move to Japanese / Korean cars.

Thanks, GTO! I am told that it is a 2016 model. Given that it was launched in Sep 2016, I am guessing it should be about a year old. Thanks for letting me know about the European vs Japanese/Korean part. I did not know that.

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Head Vs Heart thingy here.

Thanks, Krish! That is absolutely true. The more I think about it, the more I find myself finding a reason to justify the Urban Cross.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

At least you are considering an Urban Cross. In matters of the heart - both regarding cars and of the female kind, there is very little one can do. However, you can let her know that this is what would make you happy and seeing you happy might make her accept the UC?

Haha. I would like to think so. We are planning a road trip to Bangalore next month. Maybe doing the trip in the UC would change her mind.

+1. Just check on this. And if its standing for a while, insist on a complete fluid change + tyre change (or additional discount).

Will do. Thanks for the tip! I guess I can insist on the fluid change in my presence to make sure that I am not being conned. How do I tell if the tyres are newer as they would look new either way?

Rightly said. The only thing OP should realize is that once he buys any of the two cars, he shouldn't regret about the choice after seeing the other car later in the future.

I don't think I will regret buying a UC because I will be the one behind the steering wheel. As GTO mentioned, I can set up the Verna or any other family sedan for later as a replacement for the Polo.

Originally Posted by ACM

Forget the Special Friends views, you have to drive this car.

At this stage of life going by your heart which seems inclined towards the Abarth would be a good Idea. We only live once and more importantly we only live the present age once.

Verna would also not be a bad choice but may feel light overall. I would go for the Verna between the two only for the better service experience, if that can be managed it is the Urban Cross all the way.

The EcoSport has the AT in the top trim as that will be the transmission of choice going ahead. It appears as if you test drove a lower MT variant. If that is the case then do test drive the top AT variant itself before deciding.

With the Verna you are likely to drive in a more sedate manner vs the EcoSport or the Abarth.

Thank you! I did not TD the Ecosport AT as the showroom did not have one at that time. Will try to test drive the AT before I decide. My heart is pulling towards the Abarth but I am trying to make sure that the upkeep does not burn a hole in my pocket.

Originally Posted by Vinodh_Gowda

On this point, It boils down to if you are sure about this special friend of yours lasting with you for life. If not, then your decision should be final else you do not have any other choice other than listening to her. If you do give in, do not blame yourself as there are many like you and frankly there are more special things/people in life buddy. Hope you get the point. And also, it's by personal experience as well

I sure hope the journey is for life! But I think it's too soon to give up my choosing privileges yet.

Originally Posted by Vinodh_Gowda

I would suggest the Urban Cross too however, I might be biased as we got two cars in our family and both FIATs - A Grande Punto and a Linea TJet. Incase, you do consider buying the FIAT, do check if you can live with the long and hard Clutch, a not so perfect gearshift - By no means bad but then not as slick as others and the seating position. Do take a long test drive again with the FIAT. Just don't want you to be cursing yourself for all these factors once you have got the car. As for the other things, It's been 2 years since I got my Jet and she has already clocked 37,000 kilometers

I too noticed the long clutch during the test drive. However, I did not find the gearshift to be as uncomfortable as I have read online. The seating position was definitely odd but I have no complaints from the 30 minutes of test drive. I will take a longer test drive as you suggested. Thanks!

Originally Posted by narayan

Addition to what others have mentioned, in case you are in the habit of changing cars in about 3-5 years, whatever you gain in terms of discount in the FIAT will be more than lost when you sell the car. So if that is your only reason to pick up the FIAT - pls skip it.

Alternately, if you like the FIAT for all its attributes, and you normally keep your car for long - ( and you have done all the due diligence as other members have pointed out ) - go for the FIAT - AND DON'T FORGET TO BARGAIN FOR MORE !

I am not big on changing cars and I personally get a bit too attached with my vehicles. As of now, I do not have any intention to sell the car in the next 5 years or so.

[keroo1099]

Anyone thinking of buying a Fiat today must be slightly nuts, but in a good way. Buying a Abarth UC is definitely not the logical choice but will certainly give you more driving pleasure than any other car at the same price point.

Since you don't change cars very often I would say go with your heart. I did, and it's worked beautifully for me in my 3+ years of owning a T-Jet.

[aditya.bhardwaj]

I was in the same boat 2.5 yrs back. I was 26 then and was upgrading from a Hyundai i10 1.2. Main criteria for a new car was space for my dog and a good back seat for my parents.

Ultimately finalized the Maruti Ciaz and Ertiga. Out of the blue saw a Punto Evo in red. Drove the car and I was sold. Unfortunately did not have the Abarth at that time and my requirements were more tilted towards a diesel as my running was more. So then ! in about two weeks, had the Punto , even my parents are absolutely happy with the comfort and ride quality.

Trust me, if you enjoy driving, there is nothing better and that turbo petrol is just fantastic. You will love each and every bit. And surprisingly, the maintenance cost has been affordable as well ( No idea how will it be once the warranty expires though ) and the dealers/service centres have been extremely helpful and courteous.

All the best with your decision.

Cheers

PS: Thats me ( on the right with a black jacket ) and my Punto.

[thedoctor31]

Update (14/12):
Thanks to one and all for the inputs! I went to the showroom yesterday with the arsenal of information I received from this thread and spoke to the salesperson about the fluid change, tyre replacements and how long the car was sitting in the yard.

I was told that Urban Cross didn't even manage to sell it's first batch and all the units are Q4 2016 manufactured. He said that they will take care of the fluid changes at the time of delivery but the tyres cannot be replaced as they are manufacturer fitted. His point was that the discount here is taking these things into account anyway, which I thought was a fair argument. Overall, after negotiating hard, I got the price down to 9.5L on-road which I believe is a great price for an Abarth! I am planning to book the car today and delivery will be in about a week. Is there anything else I should be looking out for?

QUESTION: The showroom guy said that the RTO would charge the life tax (12%) on the non-discounted ex-showroom price of the car and that means I have to pay the difference tax at the time of registration. Is this true? That would mean an additional 25k during registration, but I am okay with that.

Thanks all for your help!

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by thedoctor31

Overall, after negotiating hard, I got the price down to 9.5L on-road which I believe is a great price for an Abarth! I am planning to book the car today and delivery will be in about a week. Is there anything else I should be looking out for?

Congrats on the car!

The showroom guy said that the RTO would charge the life tax (12%) on the non-discounted ex-showroom price of the car and that means I have to pay the difference tax at the time of registration. Is this true? That would mean an additional 25k during registration, but I am okay with that.

Not really, when I took my Abarth, I got invoice of the discounted ex-showroom. Insist on getting a lower ex-showroom invoice as that'll help you lower the tax. If the showroom insists on this, ask them if they'll give you the invoice and you can do the registration yourself.

I got a 2015 make car in May 2016. Ex-showrrom for new car was over Rs. 10 lakh, but as part of the deal, I had asked them to provide me an invoice of sub 10 lakh and they obliged. This helped me save a considerable cost as the tax on cars above Rs. 10 lakh was quite a bit more. What is the current ex-showrrom? IIRC it should be under Rs. 10 lakh.

[thedoctor31]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

What is the current ex-showrrom? IIRC it should be under Rs. 10 lakh.

Got it. Current ex-showroom is Rs. 9.67 lakh and it comes to around 8 lakh after the discount. I will ask for the discounted invoice. Thanks!

[Wildy]

thedoctor31, hearty congrats for rounding on UC Abarth. And I'm glad to know my review was helpful to you to some extent.

As I said in my review, it was made for some special purposes and it ain't no pseudo crossover either. It does its job with an ease and pretty effortlessly.

Please feel free to contact me if you need any help.

All the very best

Regards,
Raaj