[anthusiast]

I would suggest Brezza or the S-Cross.
The Brezza has a decent and solid suspension set up and well built (4* NCAP) than most hatchbacks. There are lakhs of those on road and it won't pull any eyeballs. The front seat gives commanding position being a CSUV. Should be able to retain the car easily for 10+ years too.

The S-Cross offers comfortable ride compared to Brezza and more well-built than it. It is also has understated looks in the segment. The Zeta is VFM and should come under 12L OTR in any state. The K15 is very smooth and offers silent ride.

[sunilch]

Why has anyone not recommended Honda products - Jazz or WRV? They both fit in this budget and except for the Honda badge, everything else about these two is 'normal' or ún-flashy'

[Emvi]

How about lower trims of Maruti Brezza or Hyundai Venue? I said lower trims because the higher trims do look a bit flashy thanks to bright DRLs. Maruti Ignis is another good option owing to its tall boy design. Albeit a tad smaller in comparison, it provides easy ingress/egress.

[TorqMaster]

Any other manufacturer other than Maruti or Tata may make him look expensive than his clients.
I think he would have to stick to a model from either of these manufacturers preferably TATA since they offer better front seat space than maruti, in my opinion.
How about a Used Zest or a Bolt. The newer Tiago seems too flashy.

If he likes maruti then he may have some more choices.

[SmartCat]

In Bangalore, lots of real estate folks (brokers, interiors contractors etc) seem to use Maruti Brezza. For this gentleman, Brezza fits all the criteria (price, ease of entry/exit, ride comfort & anonymity)

Also, if he doesn't want his clients to know what car he owns, he could just park the car 100 feet from destination and walk!

[haisaikat]

Maruti S-presso, this ticks all the right areas be it FE, High Seating and GC, good suspension and even being cost effective, barring the one area - safety. So the options package must be opted at higher cost for additional airbags. The GC in S-Presso matches that of Ignis (another option).

Frankly in a 12 lakh budget, its the premium hatches only, even Honda Amaze in sedans looks damn classy. Unless I buy a yellow plate white DZire that everyone will be mistaking it for cab rest all in that budget are eye catchy only.

As for me, if I had been in a similar situation, I would have looked at personal 3 wheeler for running errands, its modest and everyone tends to ignore. Even a Bajaj Qute for that matter. The only downside will be ride quality over bad roads but with lesser width they will have an advantage to maneuver and dodge potholes and traffic.

[Akshay6988]

The S - Presso or Brezza makes the most sense for the gentleman. Brezza looks understated enough and he could take it out on highways easily say compared to the S - Presso. I believe with better tyres and suspension, Brezza will be most suitable for him. I would not suggest any sedans, as a sedan is still considerd as "bade sahab ki gadi" by many people.

[nitkel]

An Ertiga Vxi in white/silver suits his requirements to the T. Comfortable ride, high seating and GC, unassuming looks, Maruti badge, good service and well within the budget. It is a well accepted people mover in the hinterlands, so, none of his clients will feel he is somehow superior to them when he goes in an Ertiga to the site.

[asit.kulkarni93]

The following cars should fit the bill-

1. Ford Freestyle TDCi
2. Honda Amaze Diesel
3. Used Toyota Etios Liva

All three have one thing in common- They do not attract unnecessary attraction.

[sierrabravo98]

Options best suited to specified parameters:

1.) Maruti Ertiga: Extremely comfortable with high set seats and soft suspension. MS badge means no snob value. Reasonably safe with a 3 star GNCAP rating. Name and form factor synonymous with Taxis. Fix a roof rail and no one will give a second glance. Don't buy one in white though if you are not going to add random stickers/decals all over the vehicle (must have for a taxi look).

2.) Renault Triber: Compact dimensions means most people will assume it is a cheap car. Practicality quotient is very high with this one. A 4 star GNCAP rating does not hurt either.

3.) Tata Nexon: Tata badge again means no snob value. Seats are comfortable and suspension set up is quite good too. 5 star GNCAP rating is an added bonus.

I would recommend him to stay away from sedans like Ciaz etc. A white Ciaz (especially chauffeur driven ones)screams POWERFUL GOVERNMENT BABU which, IMHO, would work at cross purposes to what he is trying to do here. Another problem with the Ciaz is its length which gives it a somewhat big car vibe which is what the gentleman is trying to avoid.

[MASK]

Originally Posted by nitkel

An Ertiga Vxi in white/silver suits his requirements to the T..

Totally agree! In fact any variant would do.

Originally Posted by sierrabravo98

I would recommend him to stay away from sedans like Ciaz etc. A white Ciaz (especially chauffeur driven ones)screams POWERFUL GOVERNMENT BABU which, IMHO, would work at cross purposes to what he is trying to do here.

I, on the other hand, was about to propose the radical idea of getting a used Ambassador- fraction of a cost, old soul, comfortable, wouldn’t shout rich (May whisper - once upon a time rich)

[VKumar]

Originally Posted by GTO

He is 50 years old and has a delicate back, so needs a comfortable car to visit the sites of his clients.

Since he has a delicate back, two things are important:
1) Lower back support with an overall supportive seat
2) Soft suspension setup, particularly the rear. And light controls, especially the foot controls.

Ask him to get a Hyundai Venue diesel, he will be thanking you for this lifetime. Would have recommended S Cross with closed eyes if the "it needs to look basic" clause wasn't there.

• Softest set up, has very nice and softer low speed ride than anything else in this segment. Rear suspension matters more to people with back issues.
• Nose heavy diesel engine makes it further compliant up front.
• Hyundai seat is unlike Maruti and Tata, it's more flatter, hence better lower back support even at lowest set position.
• Hyundai cars have light controls and tight foot controls are felt a lot by the people with back issues. Ingress and egress is also good.
• A Venue in white color looks nothing more than a bigger hatch from any angle. Tell him to get the S trim which has 15 inch wheels with thicker side walls. Or if he wants more features too, he can get SX, that too will come around 12 lac itself.

[Axe77]

I think the Honda Amaze is quite a nice car. Doesn’t attract attention but punches above its weight. Understated, comfortable, reliable. Perception wise will sit in below the Jazz.

[i_see]

First option should be Bolero Neo.
Cheap, not flashy, rugged, a true workhorse.

[iamahunter]

Originally Posted by GTO

His clients primarily have 2-wheelers, B2 hatchbacks, compact sedans and (a few) sub-4 meter crossovers.

He cannot arrive in a better car then theirs.

Lets see..
1. we have a elderly guy with a delicate back - need a tall car, should be able to enter without much bending and effort.
2. Innova is too much of showoff - that means we have a bigger bracket
3. Client have 2 wheelers, B2 hatch, CS and small Crossovers - oh the bracket just got way smaller.
4. Doesn't want a flashy car. - a common car will camo him.

So based on his location, I would suggest him to take a look at the cars around him, the most common car would be the one for him.

With his budget I would suggest

1. Hyundai Venue
2. Maruti Brezza
3. Tata Nexon
4. Ford Ecosport

These cars as they more of less very conventional shape which does not attract much attention especially in white they do mix with the crowd. They are tall and have a decent ride quality(apart from Ecosport - hard suspension for handling). They also sit higher and entry and exit is perfect for a 50 year old person.

If I were in his place I would have gone for the Venue/Brezza depending on which one of these I see around more.