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Old 8th November 2020, 21:53   #46
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Due to my work nature I could take a test drive only on weekends or public holidays.

I approached the dealer "Trivandrum Motors" at Trivandrum for a test drive of Nexon and Altroz. I reside approx 25kms from the dealer point. I called them on 29th October (a public holiday in Kerala) sometime around 10.30 am, for a test drive at around 1.00pm. They agreed to have the vehicles ready for TD. Once I reached there, I was told that only Altroz was available.

The Altroz was feature rich, but sadly the fit and finish were not upto the mark. When i pulled or released the hand break, the whole console moves slightly. I tried to start it from a moderate incline, and had to make the engine really work for it to pull up. Thankfully I didn’t stall. Since I had been driving only automatics for the past 1.5 years, I thought it would be my driving style that needed to change. However the SA confirmed that it’s a bit underpowered for its weight and the engine needs some getting used to. Tata please plonk the Nexon Turbo Engine into Altroz, at least in the higher variants and still you can still undercut the new I20



On my request they assured that Nexon would be made available on 1 Nov 2020, a Sunday. However when I called on 31 October, they asked me to confirm on 1 Nov again. I did so and came to know that the vehicle couldn't be arranged as they were holding a stock verification exercise.

I visited the Tata motors website and found about a second dealer in Trivandrum, Derik Motors. Unfortunately the number listed was not working. So I raised a TD request mentioning that I would like to have the TD on that day, i.e. Sunday (1-nov-20) itself.

Derik motors representative called me on 2 Nov 20. However I couldn't make time for a TD in the weekdays. TaMo representative called on 02 Nov 20 seeking feedback on the response from Dealer end. the caller was not really interested in bagging a sale. All they wanted to know was whether the dealer had contacted the customer. TaMo need to train its telecallers. A representative of Derik Motors called me again with an offer to provide TD Vehicle on weekdays, which I declined on account of my work schedule.

On 5th November, (Thursday) I called up Trivandrum motors again to book a TD appointment for 7 Nov (Saturday). They promised to have the vehicle ready. Since I reside 25kms away from dealer location I called to confirm the availability of the vehicle on 7th November. Unsurprisingly the wonderful folk at Trivandrum Motors didn't have the vehicle again. Thankfully I escaped from a futile 50km commute (1 side 25kms).
Trivandrum motors did say that they will arrange a vehicle for TD if possible in the afternoon or evening. I wanted to speak with the showroom people regarding vehicle documentation; hence I declined their unreliable offer.
I contacted Derik Motors, but their TD vehicle had crashed and won't be ready for 2 days at least. I hope to have a TD on Nov 14th at least.

That's almost 3 weeks to arrange a TD vehicle.
These kind of pathetic dealers are bringing down the sales and reputation of TaMo despite having some great cars.

For reference I am sharing my TD experience with other brands:

VW: Requested TD on 17th Oct (saturday) and TD was arranged on 18th without any follow up or fuss despite EVM Volkswagen motors being the sole dealer in almost 5 Districts of kerala

Maruti: TD request was placed by me on 17 Oct 20, well after 6.00 pm. They promised to have a vehicle ready on 18th. Though the TD vehicle wasn't available, the SA got a brand new Brezza of his friend for TD. I was pleasantly surprised.

Ford: Contacted Harry Ford on 26 Oct (public holiday in kerala) at about 10.00 am, fixed appointment for 12.00 pm got TD of Ford Freestyle, Ecosport and Aspire.

Unless and until TaMo dealers are agile, all the enquiries and buzz around Altroz and Nexon will simply fizz off. And the crores spent on advertising in IPL will not really convert into sales. I am feeling very let down by the TaMo dealers who seem to be hell bent on spoiling the brand name

For reference, sales of market leader Maruti in Oct 20 were 1.63 lacs units, whereas Tata had managed 23,600 units only (a meagre 14%). The willingness to walk the extra mile for the customers by Maruti Suzuki dealerships is a prime reason for them to retain the No 1 spot since inception. Hope TaMo takes a leaf out of these and instructs their dealers accordingly

TaMo should have more dealers rather than encouraging monopoly and duopoly in tier 2 and 3 cities.

Lack of volumes could be a factor for lesser number of dealerships per city for TaMo. Maybe allowing the sales of LCV like ace and winger along with passenger cars at the same premises will encourage more people to setup dealerships. Since infra and other expenses can be shared among CV and PC, costs could be rationalised further.

Last edited by moralfibre : 9th November 2020 at 08:42. Reason: Updated as requested.
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Old 17th November 2020, 07:48   #47
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Took a test-drive of Nexon on 14 Nov through Derik Motors. Though it was a holiday on account of Diwali, they arranged a TD vehicle. +1 to the dealership.

Power and handling was good. Deliberately stopped vehicle at a sharp incline and managed to ascend it without straining the engine (the altroz had trouble in this department)

Unfortunately 3rd gear had slotting issues. The issue was more felt by wife.

Any Nexon owners have an idea whether this issue exists after the break in period / first 2 services ? The problem was noted in our official review also. Since 3rd gear is inevitable in city commutes, this may become a deal breaker.

I had facing getting TD vehicle of nexon for 2 weeks. Had mailed, tweeted and DMed TaMo. I got a standard reply for twitter DM expressing regret and requesting contact number to resolve this issue. Though number was provided, TaMo hadn't followed up. TaMo seriously needs to up it's game in CRM department.

On a more positive note, my company agreed to make purchase on our behalf directly from OEM and hence could offer higher variants. End result; more models available now and confusion increased.

These are my shortlisted models now:

Maruti Ciaz Delta SHVS Petrol
-GC plus long wheel base is a cause of worry
-4 star Ncap rating in overseas markets not an indication of indian model
-TD pending

4th Gen Honda City SVMT
-GC plus long wheel base is a cause of worry
-4th gen city more prone to niggles compared to previous gen
-5 star Ncap rating in overseas markets not an indication of indian model
-TD pending

MARUTI VITARA BREZZA VXI 1.5L MT

Polo TSI

Honda WR-V SVMT

-Puny engine as per feedback from owners and reviews
-Need to TD before finalizing

Tata Nexon XZ (P)
-3rd gear slotting issue

MAHINDRA XUV 3OO W6
-Need to TD before finalizing

Please pitch in with your experiences, ideas and suggestions
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Old 18th November 2020, 16:05   #48
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

XUV 300 W8(O) Diesel

Positives:
1. Safe car (7 airbags in W8(O))
2. All 4 disk brakes (standard in all models)
3. Good built
4. Amazing Cabin space
5. Very peppy engine.
6. 0 Maintenance till date. (I wen't for 3 year service package which is all inclusive).

Niggles:
1. Creaking noise in the drivers' door while moving.
2. Lowest bootspace.
3. White seat upholstery (Applicable for W8(O))
4. Cant put seat covers due to airbags.(Applicable for W8(O))
5. Roof-rack not available for w8 (o)
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Old 21st November 2020, 03:13   #49
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Safety comes top priority and need 6 air bags when such cars are available

As you are strict on budget, consider ford freestyle which is under your budget and strong on safety
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Old 22nd November 2020, 10:07   #50
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Finally completed TD of all shortlisted cars.

Tata Nexon - In the first TD there was a gear slotting issue. Got TD in a different vehicle. 2nd to 3rd gear slotting issue was minimal in the new car. But reverse gear issue seems to exist. Clutch requires additional pumping and gear to be engaged twice. At times the rear view cameta gets engaged, but not the gear. Also NVH was higher , and wife vetoed it.


Honda WRV - Compared to the nexon, the gear throws were precise and a pleasure to row. Reminded me of the Ritz. Was expecting it to be underpowered, but was pleasantly surprised. Keep the rpms above 2000, and it easily pulls through. Tried on a very steep incline, by completely stopping the car and then moving forward. It cleared the test. 1000 to 2000 rpm and the motor struggles. Drop below 1000 , and it goes into coma. Rear cam of 2020 WR-V has lesser clarity than the 2019 Jazz. I tried fiddling with the brightness, colour and contrast settings but to no avail.

4th Gen City - TD vehicle of 4th gen BS6 was not avbl. Hence took a TD of BS4 4th gen. Compared to the WR-V, it's simply more powerful. To assess the impact of low GC , drove a bit harshly(without slowing down at about 35 kmph) over a relatively small speed breaker and was awarded with a scrape on the engine guard. Again hit a pothole at similar speed without slowing down. The suspension took the impact fully with a this, but without underbody scrapping. SA confirmed that tyre pressure was as recommended by HONDA. Surprisingly the turning radius of City is same as that of WRV despite being almost half a meter long. Even though it was listed on the brochure, i needed to experience it myself to get convinced. Visibility through rear wind screen is very limited. Since the base variant which I falls in my budget doesn't have it, i will have to install one. Coming to the power, it's leagues better than WRV. The additional 27 HP makes all the difference. Why can't Honda offer 1.5 litre IVTEC on the WRV ?

Honda was TDed at Perfect Honda. The SA was very patient with all my queries and showed me the underbody protection in a City that was in the Service Centre (was lifted up for some repairs).

XUV 300 - TD was done at 6.15 pm. It was dark and got a chance to test the headlights also. I found the rear bench of XUV 300 to be wider than City. On the other hand, the boot is tiny (almost similar to our 2005, 1.1 litre wagon r). Adding a parcel tray would further decrease the boot space of XUV300, though it may marginally increase the AC performance in cabin. However the brakes were a bit worrisome. Had to almost pump it fully for the brakes to work. And when it finally bites it's very strong. Confirmed by another BHPian owning XUV300. https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ml#post4864124 Would have like the braking effect to be a bit more gradual. Other than the braking issue, no major problems with it.
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Old 22nd November 2020, 12:11   #51
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Final shortlist folks after nearly a month of TD:

VW Polo TSI MT petrol - Heart is all set for it for the driving pleasure and Incredible build quality. But cramped rear seats, huge central tunnel, small boot space are the cons

XUV300 w6 petrol - Good road view (a typical CSUV trait) , wide rear seats, and awesome NVH for a 3 cylinder are the pros. Boot space and the brakes are the cons

Honda City SVMT Petrol- Insanely comfortable back seat, a humongous boot, and 1.5 litre IVTEC are the posts. This is where the head is pointing. GC is the only spoilsport. Also not sure whether the 4star rating in other markets is valid for indian city.

Honda WRV VMT petrol- No need for any aftermarket accessories like rear cam. A compromise between the city's low GC and XUV300's brakes, at the cost of a little power

Help me to decide
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Old 22nd November 2020, 13:22   #52
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Quote:
Originally Posted by Voodooblaster View Post
Final shortlist folks after nearly a month of TD:

VW Polo TSI MT petrol - Heart is all set for it for the driving pleasure and Incredible build quality. But cramped rear seats, huge central tunnel, small boot space are the cons

XUV300 w6 petrol - Good road view (a typical CSUV trait) , wide rear seats, and awesome NVH for a 3 cylinder are the pros. Boot space and the brakes are the cons

Honda City SVMT Petrol- Insanely comfortable back seat, a humongous boot, and 1.5 litre IVTEC are the posts. This is where the head is pointing. GC is the only spoilsport. Also not sure whether the 4star rating in other markets is valid for indian city.

Honda WRV VMT petrol- No need for any aftermarket accessories like rear cam. A compromise between the city's low GC and XUV300's brakes, at the cost of a little power

Help me to decide
If I were you I would have gone ahead with the XUV3OO as it has a good mix of all the cars you have shortlisted. Boot space is on par with the Polo but then you get better rear seat experience compared to the Polo and City SV is already a generation old.
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Old 22nd November 2020, 13:54   #53
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Tata Nexon will be the best suited in my opinion. It's a proven product and robust. The one and only downside I see is the infamous service of Tata. But if you can manage that, then Nexon is your best choice.
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Old 22nd November 2020, 14:36   #54
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Quote:
Originally Posted by Voodooblaster View Post
Final shortlist folks after nearly a month of TD
Listen to your sane head & get the City. You’ll never have trouble finding parts for it even 15yrs from now, since the car & engine is so popular. Since you already have the Jazz, the WR-V won’t give you the butterflies like the City would.

Honda with 2 airbags hasn’t given us any reason to believe that the structure wouldn’t compare to the model sold abroad, of course only an actual crash test will make things black & white.

The City with a standard transmission will basically last you forever, as long as you replace the engine oil religiously every 6months/5000kms.

Good luck!

Last edited by ChoosetoCruze : 22nd November 2020 at 14:38.
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Old 22nd November 2020, 15:48   #55
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Quote:
Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz View Post
Tata Nexon will be the best suited in my opinion. It's a proven product and robust. The one and only downside I see is the infamous service of Tata. But if you can manage that, then Nexon is your best choice.
Nexon foliage green was my choice. Unfortunately wife vetoed nexon for slightly higher NVH, and slight issues with transmission.


For the record , she is gunning for Honda City. Other than GC i couldn't really find anything to dissuade her
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Old 22nd November 2020, 16:29   #56
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Nowadays GC is sold as gold in India. There can be no substitute to the aerodynamics of a sedan. Suggest you to go with Honda city for long term happy ownership.
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Old 22nd November 2020, 19:05   #57
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Quote:
Originally Posted by tirumalavoleti View Post
Safety comes top priority and need 6 air bags when such cars are available

As you are strict on budget, consider ford freestyle which is under your budget and strong on safety
Structural integrity in a 2airbag car with higher score vs extra airbags in the 3 star rated freestyle. I really don't know which is safer ?

Last edited by Voodooblaster : 22nd November 2020 at 19:07.
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Old 22nd November 2020, 19:40   #58
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Quote:
Originally Posted by Voodooblaster View Post
Structural integrity in a 2airbag car with higher score vs extra airbags in the 3 star rated freestyle. I really don't know which is safer ?
Which car are you referring to when you say 'structural integrity in a 2 airbag car'?

Also keep in mind that not all cars you have TD'd have undergone crash tests with their Indian versions. Don't be misled by the export versions' test results.

A colleague of mine has bought a Freestyle Petrol top end model a few months ago and is very happy with it.
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Old 22nd November 2020, 19:58   #59
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

Quote:
Originally Posted by vnabhi View Post
Which car are you referring to when you say 'structural integrity in a 2 airbag car'?
Polo,Xuv300 and Nexon

Quote:
keep in mind that not all cars you have TD'd have undergone crash tests with their Indian versions. Don't be misled by the export versions' test results
Unfortunately true. Indian spec 4th gen City and WRV haven't been crash tested as far as I know.
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Old 11th December 2020, 15:09   #60
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Re: Petrol car under 8.20 lakhs ex-showroom

I would suggest that you buy Tata Nexon, as it has following benefits over the other cars you specified:-

1.Impressive ride quality-
It rides quite high off the ground with a clearance of 209mm. Amongst all compact SUVs, it's got one of the best-in-segment ride qualities at both slow and high speeds.

2. Good handling-
The Nexon's steering now provides a better feel and feedback with improved handling as well. It weighs up adequately and feels precise with instant response to the turn-in provided.

3. Safe car with solid build quality-
The quality of materials used do give it a built-to-last feel. Besides, its robust underpinnings have proved its solid build quality over time. Gladly, the new one also continues to boast of a five-star NCAP safety rating ensuring owners and prospective buyers of a very safe car.
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