[anirudhbb]

Just back from a TD of City top-model petrol CVT.

It definitely lives up to ALL the love I see here and the GC was not at all a problem as we went through some real bad roads/or lack off.

It feels plush, handling is great, the power comes alive as we accelerate. Delivery, the SA said if its in stock it can be within 7 days or max 35 days.

However, few observations -

1. After taking TD of tall/high-cars aka CSUV and driving a tall-boy design car for last 10 years, City definitely feels very low. :( I am close to 6 feet and bulky so ingress/egress is also not as smooth as CSUVs. One feels very close to the road.

2. Not as feature rich as other cars which is a known fact. Simple thing like when Reversing, it doesn't show those guiding lines how the car will move, rather it only shows a fixed line. Probably nit-picking but these are useful things to have. May not be a deal-breaker.

3. Price. Compared to Sonet variant I had booked, its a good 3 lacs extra (17 lacs compared to 14 for Sonet)

4. Deserted showroom. It felt they are going bankrupt, everyone were disinterested, dim lights. Not organised.
This was the opposite of KIA which is vibrant and lively. Non-stop sales would be one reason for sure.


Will sleep over it, take a S-Cross TD and then would be a in a better position to decide.

Thank you all for your inputs, MASSIVE useful.

[sunnsood]

My brother in law booked the Sonet HTK plus imt variant on 14th October, 2021. We were promised delivery by November end. That day and month has gone by and I still hear nothing from Kia Noida showroom.l or sales guy.

Last week he received a call from Kia call center to confirm if we are still interested in Sonet. This is plain stupidity. If we were not interested why would he still hold the booking.

Those blaming end consumers for not showing patience don't have the clear picture of what sales people are promoting and then left people with booking on the lurch with zero communication.

[anirudhbb]

Originally Posted by sunnsood

My brother in law booked the Sonet HTK plus imt variant on 14th October, 2021. We were promised delivery by November end. That day and month has gone by and I still hear nothing from Kia Noida showroom.l or sales guy.

Last week he received a call from Kia call center to confirm if we are still interested in Sonet. This is plain stupidity. If we were not interested why would he still hold the booking.

Those blaming end consumers for not showing patience don't have the clear picture of what sales people are promoting and then left people with booking on the lurch with zero communication.

I hear you. When Sales are great, Customers are lining up outside the showroom and willing to wait, long-term relationship building is just not important enough.

It's high time the whole process is streamlined to update the Buyer from time to time as to what the status of their Delivery is and give close to real delivery timelines.

At present, it's a full-on Seller's market and they don't really care much. One needs to wait indefinitely or move on as there are many in line to take your place.

[puneetakhouri]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

.
My budget is 15L on road in Bangalore.

Ever thought of going the pre-owned way? For a budget of 15lacs you may get your hands on an MG Hector, XUV500 or other such vehicles which are just a few years old with no waiting times.

[ASP007]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

On 28th Oct, after taking numerous TD of XUV 300, Nexon and Sonet...all Petrol non-manual variants, we finally booked Sonet DCT. Yay!

Today, 3rd Dec, came to know that Delivery is pushed to April. Nay. :(

Honestly don't want to wait that long.
When we booked Sonet, KIA has said delivery is mostly in Dec/Jan. My Son who is a car lover is turning 5 in Jan and hence we wanted a new car around that time.

But now it will be 6 months and even that seems uncertain.

So we are back to the Search.

XUV 300 and Nexon, both are AT, though not as refined as DCT in Sonet are seemingly good options other than Sonet.

My budget is 15L on road in Bangalore.

Are there any other good options I am overlooking?

What I need (am driving a Wagon-R past 7 years) -

0. Safety
1. Automatic/AT/CVT/DCT
2. Sunroof
3. Space
4. Good ground-clearance
5. Driving pleasure - I love driving and we used to take 3-4 road trips a year pre-covid.
6. Reliable car, reliable brand (have had Maruti all my life)
7. Low maintenance

Thanks a ton!

If you have your current car is not sold, then try keeping the Sonet booking and follow up with the customer service for an early allotment. City is a better alternative, only if you're fine with a low seating sedan. Have you tried TDing the MG Astor? Hoping that it's waiting period won't be as excruciating than others.

[Aakash118]

Assuming that you are in love with Sonet’s DCT, the most obvious choices are DCT variants of i20 and Venue. If you go for i20, you get the same engine gearbox combo for much less, you also get six airbags for added safety. And if CSUV is a must, Venue is a very good choice as well. I don’t thing there is much in the ride quality of Sonet & Venue. You should take a td of it again with proper tyre pressure.

[steadfast]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

On 28th Oct, after taking numerous TD of XUV 300, Nexon and Sonet...all Petrol non-manual variants, we finally booked Sonet DCT. Yay!

Today, 3rd Dec, came to know that Delivery is pushed to April. Nay. :(

Honestly don't want to wait that long.
When we booked Sonet, KIA has said delivery is mostly in Dec/Jan. My Son who is a car lover is turning 5 in Jan and hence we wanted a new car around that time.

But now it will be 6 months and even that seems uncertain.

So we are back to the Search.

XUV 300 and Nexon, both are AT, though not as refined as DCT in Sonet are seemingly good options other than Sonet.

My budget is 15L on road in Bangalore.

Are there any other good options I am overlooking?

What I need (am driving a Wagon-R past 7 years) -

0. Safety
1. Automatic/AT/CVT/DCT
2. Sunroof
3. Space
4. Good ground-clearance
5. Driving pleasure - I love driving and we used to take 3-4 road trips a year pre-covid.
6. Reliable car, reliable brand (have had Maruti all my life)
7. Low maintenance

Thanks a ton!

What stops you from waiting for the car you finalised : Sonet.
Is it just the birthday ?

If you change cars every 3-4 years you can go with something else but if you keep cars for long then wait for the car you finalised.

[quantobigboot]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

S-Cross, surprisingly MANY folks here have recommended in some thread or another. Didn't consider it earlier due to its jaded interiors and we really want to take a leap of faith and go outside Maruti for a change. And sunroof emotionally we want.

Fair enough, even we had not considered the S Cross due to this exact reason. I can also relate to you about the sunroof being an emotional want.. I would still suggest the Nexon as you will get the topmost variant within your budget. I would also suggest against buying the base variant of a bigger car, unless you can stretch to their midrange variants. Assuming you will keep the car for 7-8+ years, any compromise you do now will become a regret later. Happy hunting

[Rakeshmbalaji]

Hi Anirudhbb,

Yes the 5th gen has few flaws that can be nit picked but mostly none of them are deal breakers in my opinion. I can also include the rear AC in hot summers to your list.

I have been driving the automatic for close to an year now, in my experience or thank my stars, with 4 normal adult males all around 80-85 kilos with 2-3 days of luggage, have not managed to scrap even once on few airport runs and out station trips including broken roads in ghat sections. Heck even managed to come unscathed on almost knee level water from Tumkur flyover behind an Innova while most of the cars had resigned themselves to the side I also test drove almost 9 cars with full family before taking the leap Of faith on Japanese reliability combined with Honda legacy.

All in all, it ticks most of the boxes that a good driving personality will need while also keeping the rear folks extremely happy. Add to it the excellent fuel efficiency, I feel it’s a no brainer for comfortable city rides and highway cruises at 100-110 all day long. The online reviews of bouncy suspension at high speeds I feel is also hyped more than experienced in reality. Just be gentle on jumps and potholes, You will have the friends and family feeing good after 300km rides and not exhausted. Checks and balances mate, checks and balances

[anirudhbb]

Originally Posted by puneetakhouri

Ever thought of going the pre-owned way? For a budget of 15lacs you may get your hands on an MG Hector, XUV500 or other such vehicles which are just a few years old with no waiting times.

Tried, Hector I couldn’t find on 2-3 Used cars sites. And it’s a fairly new car.

Xuv 500 not very keen now since 700 is out.

Originally Posted by ASP007

If you have your current car is not sold, then try keeping the Sonet booking and follow up with the customer service for an early allotment. City is a better alternative, only if you're fine with a low seating sedan. Have you tried TDing the MG Astor? Hoping that it's waiting period won't be as excruciating than others.

Right. Mostly will wait for Sonet. Astor is lovely though 5 lacs excess than Sonet.

Originally Posted by Aakash118

Assuming that you are in love with Sonet’s DCT, the most obvious choices are DCT variants of i20 and Venue. If you go for i20, you get the same engine gearbox combo for much less, you also get six airbags for added safety. And if CSUV is a must, Venue is a very good choice as well. I don’t thing there is much in the ride quality of Sonet & Venue. You should take a td of it again with proper tyre pressure.

Makes sense, will give Venue a shot once again.

Originally Posted by steadfast

What stops you from waiting for the car you finalised : Sonet.
Is it just the birthday ?

If you change cars every 3-4 years you can go with something else but if you keep cars for long then wait for the car you finalised.

Right besides the birthday milestone honestly we can wait and now it seems we will wait considering Sonet is really the best among the others ones based on our needs and wants.

Originally Posted by quantobigboot

Fair enough, even we had not considered the S Cross due to this exact reason. I can also relate to you about the sunroof being an emotional want.. I would still suggest the Nexon as you will get the topmost variant within your budget. I would also suggest against buying the base variant of a bigger car, unless you can stretch to their midrange variants. Assuming you will keep the car for 7-8+ years, any compromise you do now will become a regret later. Happy hunting

Totally relate. Base variants is just to tick mark that we have that car, ownership experience is heavily compromised. Never a fan of base models.

Originally Posted by Rakeshmbalaji

Hi Anirudhbb,

Yes the 5th gen has few flaws that can be nit picked but mostly none of them are deal breakers in my opinion. I can also include the rear AC in hot summers to your list.

All in all, it ticks most of the boxes that a good driving personality will need while also keeping the rear folks extremely happy. Add to it the excellent fuel efficiency, I feel it’s a no brainer for comfortable city rides and highway cruises at 100-110 all day long. The online reviews of bouncy suspension at high speeds I feel is also hyped more than experienced in reality. Just be gentle on jumps and potholes, You will have the friends and family feeing good after 300km rides and not exhausted. Checks and balances mate, checks and balances

City is a great car, my wife really enjoyed the rear seat experience during our TD.

Just that I love driving and would prefer a taller car to get more visibility of the road and surroundings.

[sam264_2000]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

…Are there any other good options I am overlooking?

5th Gen Honda City.

Originally Posted by AZT

If you can let go of the ground clearance part, Honda City - V CVT Petrol….Should tick your boxes.

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

…how good/bad is the ground clearance….

Originally Posted by neeraj0272

….it fulfills all your criteria except maybe for GC...

Originally Posted by car_guy1998

…It might have less GC but has better rear seat comfort and leg space than the C-SUV's you are considering…..

I drive the 5th Gen City ZX CVT. My response is mainly around the unfounded ground clearance concerns and highway manners. We recently drove to Mahabaleshwar from Pune (250km round trip) - 4 adults, a kid and a full boot (and more so while returning with all the shopping bags). The drive included highway + ghat + weekend traffic + slow speeds in Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani + car load. I was pleasantly surprised the way the car handled over broken roads, speed bumps and undulations. The car NEVER bottomed out. Even the front hang didn't scrap anywhere. I am now assured of it's ground clearance and can confidently say that anyone worried about this aspect should put their fears to rest. My wife and daughter who are sensitive to motion sickness didn't feel any bounce on rear seats at highway speeds (90-110kmph) and were okay. Spacious and comfortable rear seats. Thumbs up from the rear seat passengers.

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

… I am close to 6 feet and bulky so ingress/egress is also not as smooth as CSUVs…..

IMO, this could be your only reason to reject the City. I understand it could be bit of work getting in/out of City for taller & heavier folks.

[Rajiv Krishnan]

I think it is company policy for Kia to overestimate delivery times. When I booked the Seltos, they told me it would take 4.5 months for delivery. I ended up getting the car in just over 1. My friend got his in 40 days. In my case, a few extra cars in the variant I booked happened to be sent over from the factory so I got bumped up. So I wouldn't give up hope just yet. As long as you are a little flexible with the choice of colour, there is a very real possibility that you may get your car a lot sooner than you think. In my 4 days of ownership now, I have become a huge fan of Kia, and I really think you should wait a month at least. Booking deposits are refundable anyway, so you can book another car in the mean time and cancel it later if Kia pulls through.

[TechLiveMANA]

One of my friends was in a similar situation a month back having booked Sonet HTX DCT for about 13.75 L on-road Navi Mumbai. Having waited for 3 months with no known delivery date. Asked him to try out the Venue, ended up buying the Venue SX Plus DCT for the same price. Got delivery in 3 weeks. Features wise he ended up getting a lot more as SX Plus is the top model for Venue DCT while HTX is mid variant for SONET.

[jasjotbains]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

On 28th Oct, after taking numerous TD of XUV 300, Nexon and Sonet...all Petrol non-manual variants, we finally booked Sonet DCT. Yay!

Today, 3rd Dec, came to know that Delivery is pushed to April. Nay. :(

Honestly don't want to wait that long.

Hi. I'm in the same boat as you, having booked my GTX+ DAT on Nov 13. The SA was pretty upfront about the 24-25 week waiting period. As per him, Sonet is not getting manufactured in large numbers, leave alone getting dispatched. He delivered 145 Seltos and 2 Sonet in the preceding months!

However, he has informed me that Kia will restart Sonet in Jan only. Hence, I'll be able to get my hands on a 2022 model. He has also assured that he'll try to deliver the vehicle to me by Feb or max March (3-4 months). Given the SC shortage, this is acceptable, plus we can also preview Carens.

Having a Hyundai with me for 9 years now, I feel lethargic to shift to any other brands. I don't even remember my i10 asking for any part change, which speaks about the part qualities. I would recommend that you hold onto your Sonet booking and avoid acting in haste. There's no idea when Honda might close down in India

[anirudhbb]

Originally Posted by Rajiv Krishnan

I think it is company policy for Kia to overestimate delivery times. When I booked the Seltos, they told me it would take 4.5 months for delivery. I ended up getting the car in just over 1. My friend got his in 40 days. As long as you are a little flexible with the choice of colour, there is a very real possibility that you may get your car a lot sooner than you think. In my 4 days of ownership now, I have become a huge fan of Kia, and I really think you should wait a month at least. Booking deposits are refundable anyway, so you can book another car in the mean time and cancel it later if Kia pulls through.

That's some hope. What made you book Seltos among other competitors?

Originally Posted by TechLiveMANA

One of my friends was in a similar situation a month back having booked Sonet HTX DCT for about 13.75 L on-road Navi Mumbai. Having waited for 3 months with no known delivery date. Asked him to try out the Venue, ended up buying the Venue SX Plus DCT for the same price. Got delivery in 3 weeks. Features wise he ended up getting a lot more as SX Plus is the top model for Venue DCT while HTX is mid variant for SONET.

Really not sure, what went wrong with our TD of Venue. Maybe the car was not up to the mark.

Originally Posted by jasjotbains

Hi. I'm in the same boat as you, having booked my GTX+ DAT on Nov 13. The SA was pretty upfront about the 24-25 week waiting period. As per him, Sonet is not getting manufactured in large numbers, leave alone getting dispatched. He delivered 145 Seltos and 2 Sonet in the preceding months!

However, he has informed me that Kia will restart Sonet in Jan only. Hence, I'll be able to get my hands on a 2022 model. He has also assured that he'll try to deliver the vehicle to me by Feb or max March (3-4 months). Given the SC shortage, this is acceptable, plus we can also preview Carens.

Having a Hyundai with me for 9 years now, I feel lethargic to shift to any other brands. I don't even remember my i10 asking for any part change, which speaks about the part qualities. I would recommend that you hold onto your Sonet booking and avoid acting in haste. There's no idea when Honda might close down in India

Whats Carens?
What you are saying concurs with what my SA told me, he said no dispatches of Sonet this whole month which I was really surprised considering its popularity.

Honestly, I don't see any other decent alternative in the CSUV and my budget. So, sticking with the booking as long as I can.