[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by DevSunit

But what about it's safety(Venue)? Its sibling Creta is more unsafe than the Seltos and we can see both share the same platform. He also stated that mostly the car will be driven in City conditions only.

What is the basis for saying that the Creta is more unsafe than the Seltos ? Creta has not even been tested by GNCAP yet. And with the upcoming GNCAP norms in 2022, all current 5-star rated cars will likely not retain their ratings if tested.

[souvikjana83]

Originally Posted by JagMan

Have you considered the upgraded Tigor EV? Similar range as the Nexon EV but at a cheaper price. The base version is close to your budget.

I didn't like the idea of spare tyre eating into bootspace. I would actually like a low cost hatch with high ground clearance if going for EV. Besides I will have to sell my City if I go for it since my budget of 12 is after selling the City

[souvikjana83]

Originally Posted by youngknight

I recently bought the top variant of the Kiger RXZ CVT, it's a lovely car to drive and slice through the traffic of Hyderabad. The driving modes help so much, I'm so thankful for them - eco mode in bumper-to-bumper traffic for that slow crawl, normal mode for smooth movement and smooth acceleration and finally, sports mode for that killer step up for fantastic acceleration, good torque and super sensitive throttle response.

About the issue you said, I talked to the Service Manager of Renault SC Amberpet before buying the car itself, he said the company already has found a solution and is gradually fixing the cars. I too thought it was a big issue, but honestly, it's not a deal breaker because it won't matter when the rains end(which is soon.) Still, I am going to ask the showroom to apply the fix for the hairline gap that is causing that flow, in my next visit.

Thanks so much for the update. I agree that the Kiger CVT drives beautifully. And it feels really good inside the car. Though I fail to understand why they removed safety features like Brake Assist, Traction Control and others when the International model gets them and Magnite in India also get them. It would definitely undermine the 4 star safety rating that the International Kiger got at ASEAN NCAP

[Kick'OKicks]

A CVT vehicle with ₹12 lakhs budget means Nissan Magnite or Renault Kiger. Both are great value for money. Nissan Magnite especially has that attractive looks along with excellent performance. A Nissan Magnite over taking my vehicle effortlessly while I was doing 107KMPH in the below link!

https://youtu.be/wrksXyFGbyE

[DevSunit]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

What is the basis for saying that the Creta is more unsafe than the Seltos ? Creta has not even been tested by GNCAP yet. And with the upcoming GNCAP norms in 2022, all current 5-star rated cars will likely not retain their ratings if tested.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...dai-creta.html (Kia Seltos body structure facts & comparison with the Hyundai Creta)
Also IIRC All three is based on the same platform.

[arvindgrathore]

Originally Posted by souvikjana83

I have been driving my Honda City 3rd Gen for the last 12 yrs. I was happily driving it on the wide open roads of Pune Suburbs and had no intention of letting go of it even after such a long time.

However 2 months back, I relocated to Hyderabad and instantly the traffic situation changed. Big traffic jams near my place is common due to Flyover construction. Since I am not used to driving in so much traffic, I feel the need for an automatic. Also due to the low ground clearance of my city, it always touches the bumper near my home whenever more than 2 people sit in the car. Hence, I am making up my mind to sell my City for a CVT.

Till now I haven't started looking into options. But some of the must have features I would like are below:

1. Must be a minimum 4 star rating
2. Good amount of boot space
3. Wide enough to sit 3 passengers at the back
4. High ground clearance due to high bumpers near my home
4. Reliable after sales service
5. Should not lag or feel lazy on highways

My budget is around ₹12 lakhs. My monthly run is less than 1000 kms so would go for petrol option. The cars which came to my mind are below:

1. Renault Kiger CVT: My dad owns the Kwid in Delhi and I find the car very practical to use in the City for daily usage. Kiger looks quite good and very practical. I just love Renault for its practicality aspect. Besides, the Xtronic CVT of Renault-Nissan is one of the best CVTs out there. Though I would have preferred some of the missing features in the same.

2. Honda Jazz CVT: Although its ground clearance is low but I love Honda for its smooth engine and reliability. My 12 yrs of fuss free ownership also helps putting it in my list.

3. Nissan Magnite CVT: It has some more features than the Kiger but long waiting time is a bit of bother. Still I would want to check it out.

Till now I have thought of these 3 only. There is one more car which I would like to look into before making a decision. That would be the Astor CVT. Although it might stretch my budget to ₹15 lacs or more but I think it would be a great upgrade on my Honda City. I am waiting for its prices to be announced before making any decision.

Any other recommendations please suggest the same??

I don't know why you are skeptical about AMTs.. Pls do take a test drive of the Mahindra XUV 300 W8 O Diesel AMT.

It has the best in class engine, a very good AMT and a very plush ride. Do drive it once on a highway and also in the city. Returns a good mileage too!

[fhdowntheline]

If you can stretch a bit, you can get a Kicks or Duster CVT which have an incredibly powerful engine, (!56 PS/254NM) in the class of Jeep Compass and the Taigun/Kushaq. Plus you get very good ride and handling, and ample ground clearance, space for 4-5 adults (depending on size) and boot space as well!

[carN00B]

I am also in process of finalizing an automatic, in and around the 12 lakh price range (but am a first time buyer unlike you).
I have test driven - Nissan Magnite CVT, Nexon AMT, Urban Cruiser AT, S-Cross AT, Tiago AMT (for checking out Punch as an option).
I initially liked, and booked, the Magnite. But official mail states the waiting period is 14-16 weeks, +/- 2 weeks. So during this long wait, decided to check out the other options. I know that my driving experience is vastly inferior to the members here, but my 2 cents:

Nexon AMT - I guess, it is not as below par as regular AMTs (not a fan of Tiago AMT). Was smooth for most of the part (driver will feel the shifts, passengers mostly won't).
[I guess someone pointed out an issue about 3rd gear shift on highways, but I did not personally face it. Maybe because I was driving too carefully.]
However, the price premium for an AMT is something I am concerned about.

S-Cross AT - Drove the Alpha AT variant. Interiors are plush and feel very premium (soft touch all over the place). Great driving manners, spacious and seat comfort is probably the best among all above options. But the top variant is around INR15 lakhs on road (can be negotiated I guess). Even the Zeta one was around 13.5 lakhs (Zeta does not have the (faux-)leather seats and soft touch materials, projector LEDs, DRLs etc.)

Urban Cruiser AT - Drove the Premium variant. Interiors are fine (more or less similar to Magnite, maybe slightly better). Seat comfort is a touch above Magnite. Refined engine (definitely more silent than the 999cc turbo engine of Magnite).
Surprisingly, from what I see online, the mileage or Urban Cruiser is really good (probably better than the Magnite/Kiger).

The Premium variant goes to around 13.5 (too pricey). High variant seems to be a a better proposition, priced around 12.7 (can be negotiated closer to magnite price range, around 12.25 or so).
The important missing features like rear view camera, fog lights, extra tweeters (music system), Arm Rest, Leather wrapped steering wheel can be added to minimize the gap with the Premium Variant (you can even negotiate these as part of your deal).

However, that said, some cons/misses in Urban Cruiser are

• Dated looks - Exterior and interior
• No ESP/ESC (Magnite has this, Kiger doesn't)
• Lower Torque (compared to competitors)
• 4 Speed AT (enough most of the time, but I think it won't like spirited driving)
• No TPMS
• No Traction Control (not sure how useful this is in regular scenarios)
• No 360 camera (Magnite has this)
• No Rear AC vents (but the cooling seemed good enough)

All these things said, I am still inclined to go with the Urban Cruiser (even though it misses on quite a few features), because

• Earlier availability
• Toyota service
• Reliability (Brezza is tried and tested, has been around for quite a while)
• Silent engine (relative to Magnite) + Potentially better mileage
• Drives a bit better (just my perspective. I felt that Magnite steering has some play in it, not very accurate).

Highly appreciate if any one can contribute to the above analysis.

From an upgrade perspective, I think nothing apart from S-Cross would seem like an upgrade (City, even the older generations, will probably feel better than all other options).

[.sushilkumar]

Been in same boat and my limited research stopped at Good old JAZZ. It makes for a compelling case for itself with ongoing discounts from Honda. I am also not willing to compromise on proper CVT & there is no cross over from mainstream player under 12 lakhs with proper CVT. I am ignoring Nissan / Renault here. Unfortunately, It's AMT galore in market.

[rhsakarp]

Originally Posted by carN00B

From an upgrade perspective, I think nothing apart from S-Cross would seem like an upgrade (City, even the older generations, will probably feel better than all other options).

I was in the same boat a while ago, bought the urban cruiser.
I found the suspension to be abysmal.
You feel each and every bump and the absorption was very poor.
Tried all manner of things like reducing the air pressure, cushions, weight in the boot etc. Did not help much.
Ended up with lower back pain each time I drove the car, had to sell it off.

[ike]

Originally Posted by souvikjana83

That way I can keep my City for Outstation Trips and use the EV for daily city commutes. Honestly speaking it's not a bad idea.

A 12 year old car exclusively for outstation trips may not be a good idea, a newer car will be more reliable and safer too IMHO. If you are retaining the city, isn't it better to use it exclusively within the city?

[souvikjana83]

Originally Posted by ike

A 12 year old car exclusively for outstation trips may not be a good idea, a newer car will be more reliable and safer too IMHO. If you are retaining the city, isn't it better to use it exclusively within the city?

I am still using the City till date even for outstation trips and it has never failed me ever. With regular servicing, the Honda has been a reliable workhorse even when my trips go beyond 1500-2000 kms

[sany0023]

I don't want to compromise on driveability in highways while overtaking and in hilly areas. Since Nissan Magnite CVT doesn't come with paddle shifters, Do I miss the convience of manual mode while overtaking ?

[souvikjana83]

Unfortunately due to my busy schedule, I haven't been able to test drive many cars. I have also extended my budget to 15 lakhs so that I can also consider those cars which are high on safety. Here are some of the observations for the cars that I tested in recent times:

1. Kia Carens: As soon as the mouth watering prices were launched, I went to see the car. The icing on the cake is 6 airbags standard on it. I was quite disappointed that DCT was available in Prestige Plus in Petrol and AT was available in Diesel top end. Nonetheless I test drove the manual turbo petrol and found the performance to be quite good. However the paltry average in city (around 7-8 kmpl) was discouraging. Also the Prestige variant coming with 1.5 NA petrol was not available for test drive. It definitely wont be a fun to drive car for sure due to lack of power. The Prestige Plus DCT was coming at Rs 15.67 lakhs. I was not willing to buy the DCT due to long term reliability issues and DCT heating problems in stop and go traffic. Hence rejected.

2. Tata Nexon EV: Even though on road price of this car is around Rs 18 lakhs but the running cost is quite less. I have considered this car for city drive only for now since we hardly do long road trips nowadays. Kept it in pipeline.

3. Kia Sonet iMT: The iMT is a new technology and I got completely bowled over by this. A manual without clutch. The performance was good and all the car features was nice. Kia is also planning to bring 6 airbags as standard in its cars. However, the back seat was totally cramped and good for 2 adults at the back making the car a 4 seater instead of 5 seater. My wife is still keen on it. Hence not selected and not rejected.

The cars which I am considering and still need to take test drive:

1. Kia Seltos iMT: While I have not test driven this yet, this is a strong contender now. Kia is also planning to bring 6 airbags standard in all its cars. The backseat hopefully will be good for 3 adults. Will be test driving this soon. My only concern is the lack of Hill Hold Control on this. Wish they would have provided that to avoid rollback on hills.

2. Mahindra XUV300: This is my favorite on paper. Even though Mahindra has removed the knee airbag from top variant, but I still think the top model is a very good car. Will test drive the manual first to see if the clutch is a concern, then only would go for AMT. Although heard this AMT is the best out there.

3. Tata Nexon: Heard from lot of people that AMT is jerky. Will check the manual to see how hard is the clutch and if it is a good option. But the lack of CVT or a proper Auto is definitely an issue.

4. Renault Kiger CVT: A great car for city drives. The top most model under Rs 12 lakhs is quite good. While my concern with mud behind tail lights has temporarily been resolved by Renault using Foam but it is definitely not a long term solution. Still keeping this as an option since it has scored 4 stars safety rating recently.

5. Toyota Urban Cruiser AT
6. Next Gen Maruti S-Cross AT
7. Maruti XL6 AT

[souvikjana83]

I do have a question while selecting cars. While many people are buying cars which cost ₹ 20+ lacs on road, they will be able to use it maximum for 10 yrs in case of diesel and 15 yrs in case of petrol (I believe the Delhi NCR rule will be applicable to entire India in few years).

Doesn't it bother that we can't keep our cars for as long as we want.

I would definitely think a lot before spending so much money on something which I won't be able to use as much as I want.