[Shreyfiesta]

In my opinion, EcoSport Titanium+ AT is the option which suits all your requirements. It is actually a little beyond your budget, even if you stretch the amount, the EcoSport is worth every penny. I agree that the 'EcoSport' has become an outdated brand in our market now, but it still retains the typical Ford DNA to an extent. Also, Ford vehicles are nowadays less expensive to maintain as compared to other brands.

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

REQUIREMENTS

There is one car that ticks all your needs other than a sunroof, it’s none other than the Ertiga AT! Gets a torque converter 4 spd AT which gets the job done without any fuss and is fuel efficient at the same time.

Few cars offer similar space for the price. When 3rd row is not needed, can be folded and one can get a massive boot.

VXI AT I believe is under 12Lakhs on-road Bangalore. ZXI AT touches 13Lakh and it would be my pick of the range, better buying the top-spec trim.

[jithin23]

For under 12 Lakh, you can get the Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite. Even Honda Jazz would fit the bill.

If the budget is increased a bit higher, you can get the Ecosport Titanium+ AT(I'd suggest to go for a used one because you will get less than 30k km run cars with sync 3 under 10L.). The only downer is the single digit FE(common to all petrol AT's) and that el-cheapo flyaudio system. Maintenance and reliability is proven and very affordable.

You can also consider waiting for Skoda Kushaq or VW Taigun. Both are well loaded and will be fun to drive.

Duster 1.3 Turbo AT and Nissan Kicks AT can also be considered (both these engines see applications in Mercedes-Benz hatches) but the downsides are sparse dealer network and outdated interior for the duster. Kicks is well loaded though. Coupled with discounts, both these cars will be a shade above 12L.

Forget about getting a used innova for 12 lakhs, even if you get it'll be way above 1.5Lakh km.

[vredesbyrd]

So basically a new Ecosport AT or a used Crysta AT?

[wildsdi5530]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

Most trips are likely to involve two adults and two uber active kids. However, highway runs will take in two elder members of the family - aged 60+.

Does this mean you need space for 6 people?
A car that will match all your requirements is a Mercedes B class. You can find a good example of 2013-14 vintage which will meet everything you ask for. Maintenance costs will be high though.

You will never find an Innova in 12 L, not even a manual unless you go to the early 2007 models, which have run 1,50,000 kms.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

[*]Spacious 5 seater with adequate boot space or 6/7 seater with modifiable boot space

What has happened to TBHP! People have been suggesting Magnite/Sonet/Ecosport etc, when one of the primary requirement is Spacious 5 seater with a large boot, or a 7 seater.

I would suggest taking a look at the Ertiga VXI AT. It satisfies almost all your criterias. You will miss out on the sunroof, and I am not sure how responsive the 4 speed AT of Ertiga is on inclines, but since you also mention that users are not a speed freak, I believe it should be sufficient for non enthusiasts.

But other than that at 11.47L (before discounts), the VXI AT satisfies all your other requirements. If you can stretch a bit more, the XL6 is a bit more polished Ertiga, with the core values retained.

I am actually surprised no one apart from CEF Beasts has suggested Ertiga here. (PS- Not a fan of Maruti cars, but Ertiga fits perfect in this scenario)

Hope this helps!

[Abhinav667]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

REQUIREMENTS

1. Automatic under 12 lakh rupees on road in Bengaluru
2. Should handle the Shiradi and Charmadi ghats with ease and comfort, specially when fully loaded
3. High ground clearance preferred due to bad patches in the native place (frequent destination)
4. No AMTs, IMTs or MTs please
5. Hill hold and Creep mode needed
6. Spacious 5 seater with adequate boot space or 6/7 seater with modifiable boot space
7. No body style restrictions as such
8. Dual airbags and ABS-EBD are a must
9. Seat height adjustment and/or telescopic as well as tilt steering
10. Kids would love a sunroof; not an absolute need though
11. Fuel efficiency of around 15kmpl in city and 18kmpl on highways.
12. Petrol vehicle preferred due to less running
13. Fuss free ownership. Can't keep visiting the service centres to address niggles; have neither the time nor the inclination (specific about this as any issues might need my intervention and presence )

I don’t think a car that meets exactly all your requirements exists, so you will have to compromise on quite a few aspects here. The major one being fuel-efficiency. It I was in the market for a car with your requirements, I would look at the entry level variant of the Toyota Yaris CVT. With discounts, you might even be able to stretch to the slightly better kitted mid-spec G trim, but even the base J spec is reasonably well equipped and gets all the safety kit you need. Plus it’s a Toyota, so it should be extremely reliable and fuss-free to own.

No sunroof on the Yaris though, so if that’s something you absolutely need then maybe something like an i20 CVT or a Honda Jazz CVT might be worth a look. Both of them are a segment lower however and have smaller engines vs the Yaris, which might not be suitable for your highway runs with a packed car.

Lastly if you’re going to need those extra row of seats often, then the Ertiga VXi Automatic is your only option.

[VS1811]

Originally Posted by dailydriver

REQUIREMENTS

1. Automatic under 12 lakh rupees on road in Bengaluru
2. Should handle the Shiradi and Charmadi ghats with ease and comfort, specially when fully loaded
3. High ground clearance preferred due to bad patches in the native place (frequent destination)
4. No AMTs, IMTs or MTs please
5. Hill hold and Creep mode needed
6. Spacious 5 seater with adequate boot space or 6/7 seater with modifiable boot space
7. No body style restrictions as such
8. Dual airbags and ABS-EBD are a must
9. Seat height adjustment and/or telescopic as well as tilt steering
10. Kids would love a sunroof; not an absolute need though
11. Fuel efficiency of around 15kmpl in city and 18kmpl on highways.
12. Petrol vehicle preferred due to less running
13. Fuss free ownership. Can't keep visiting the service centres to address niggles; have neither the time nor the inclination (specific about this as any issues might need my intervention and presence )

Wow! We want it all, don't we

As others have mentioned, there isn't any car that will meet all your requirements yet cost less than 12L on road. Heck, i dont think any car would meet all your requirements even at 15L on road. However, i do think Ciaz Delta AT is one car that really ticks most of your requirements and isn't a deal breaker for where it doesnt.

1. Delta AT is ~ 12.5L on road, Bengaluru however would still suggest to extend budget if you can and get alpha to be future proof.
2. The car is not a corner carver however, as per your requirement of comfort and ease, thats where Ciaz score big time.
3. The ground clearance is definitely not same as compact UVs, however, it is not a deal breaker at all and i have driven Ciaz to quite a few extreme places in Himachal and ground clearance was never an issue.
4. 4 speed AT is quite ancient however is also very well suited to the car and scores big in terms of comfort and ease. It is not a deal breaker by any means.
5. Not sure but i think it comes with hill hold as well as ESP.
6. The car is as spacious as it gets in the segment both inside the cabin as well as boot.
7. Dual airbags and ABS will be available in all cars
8. Not sure about Delta but you do get seat height adjust and tit steering in Ciaz.
9. The car is extremely fuel efficient and probably would come closest to your lofty expectations. I get ~ 15-16 kmpl in city. Mine is manual, however.
10. Being a Maruti, reliability is a given and should be fairly fuss free and easy to maintain.

Further, i feel Ciaz also has a big car feel and isn't as tinny as cheaper Marutis.

[PrideRed]

A used Creta Diesel AT can be one of the option, which ticks almost all your requirements. Fuel efficient, has good ground clearance. If new car, Ertiga AT or if space can be compromised you can get a sub 4M SUV. I know the state of Shiradi/Charmadi ghats which can be brutal on cars during monsoon and will definitely not recommend a sedan or low GC hatchback.

[VT-RNS]

As others have said, there is no perfect answer given your requirements are for a perfect car.
But hey, always good to start from wishlist and then pare down to what is most important to you and challenge it vs the price.

Cannot comment on pre-owned car market, so will stick with new cars. Assuming a little flexibility around price (INR 12 L OTR BLR), here is how I would go about it:

1) Ertiga VXI AT: Fits the budget, has AT, becomes a 6/7 seater at will, no issues on service/reliability, can cover ghats and city. Ofcourse, it lacks the fun factor for the driver, but gets the job done. If you plan to keep the car for a longer period of time, this is your best bet (esp as kids grow up!)

2) Baleno Zeta CVT: Much more fun to drive than Ertiga IMHO. Space management is fantastic, better than Ertiga. Ride is so smooth and engine noise is much better contained than Ertiga. I have driven it on many long drives (2k - 4k Kms each) and it packs a good amount of luggage. Yes, it will lack power at times, but cruising on roads is easy. The real drawback I see for you is that once kids grow up (or even now), 4 adult + 2 kids will not fit in. 5 adults can be super comfortable in Baleno (avg sized)

I am not recommending the Brezza as I did not like the space management in it. Second row as well as luggage space is much tighter than Baleno.


Full disclosure, my family has the Baleno. When dad was buying the new car in 2019, he was split between Ertiga & Baleno. Our use case was similar to yours. The car is barely driven on weekdays. But due to Mumbai & BLR both having crazy traffic & parking space at a premium, we decided for Baleno as its better efficiency and more comfortable. For the occasional ride when we need a 6/7 seater, we simply hire an Innova; it makes so much more sense for the occasional use, esp the self drive options available nowadays.

Lastly, I was pushing my dad to go for Skoda Rapid or Ford Ecosport (which is absolute fun to drive). But he prioritizes ease-of-mind and thus, Maruti Suzuki triumphed. I didn't look at Korean Twins due to DCT issues (iMT wasn't available then).

Last point: Yes, Maruti Suzuki cars are light (Baleno is especially light in shell). I had the safety concern. But then we drive carefully. And avoid taking risks on the busy highways. Thus far, I have done the majority of 15k kms in drive, and I am happy with Baleno Zeta CVT. If i knew I would be staying with my dad (unexpected pandemic circumstances in life) for long, I would have put in additional money for a bigger car. But for the budget and needs of my dad (or even myself during the pandemic, and not needing a daily ride), I felt Baleno works just fine (or Ertiga, if we were a bigger family)

Good luck!!

[gasinveins]

You should be looking at Camry for those mileage figures. It's really hard to find a car for the above requirements. Buy a car is validating the ones you need the most and the ones you don't prioritise.

[smsrini]

Might be worth checking out the Nissan Magnite. It has a decent CVT and at least looks bigger than most of its competition in that segment.

[Pkumarblore]

Hi @dailydriver,
You have asked for all under a 12 lac on-road budget., that too in Bangalore. Hard or maybe impossible to find the right car/suv. I think your requirement pre-dominantly speaks of a mid-size SUV. Considering your requirements of good FE, luggage hauler with 5/6 people comfortably on board, good drivability in ghats, even though its just a weekend car, I can't think of any other type of a vehicle apart from a diesel AT/MT SUV/MUV. Like a few fellow TBHP'ians have mentioned, considering your budgets, maybe the Ertiga fits in, but trust me its boring to drive(no offence to Ertiga owners). At some point of time you may feel the need for some thrill in the power band which will be sorely missing in the Ertiga. If you are OK with used cars, then maybe you can find a well maintained, low run XUV 5OO AT in your budget. It has space, returns good FE, perfect for ghats and bad roads and fairly reasonable on maintenance. If it has to be a new car, then you may have to stretch your budget by about 2-3 lakhs. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

[karavadi143]

Since you are looking for a car under 12 lacs, one of the options you could look at is the Renault Kiger. Top end turbo petrol with CVT comes a little around 12 lacs on-road. This way, you get a good, spacious 5 seater with good safety along with the new kid on the block. The engine, though noisy pulls nicely during the test drive.

[Equus]

You will need to compromise as you cant get all of these.

Unless space is a deal breaker - Venue S DCT is a good one but mileage wont be anywhere near your expectation. EcoSport Titanium+ AT & Jazz VX CVT are decent options although I would pick the Ecosport. In any case, do drive each of these and the make the call.

PS: A used Creta Auto (3 yrs) should be in your range in you are game..

Good Luck!