[Reppin_Frost]

I was in the same predicament as you and after multiple test drives I finally booked the Kiger CVT.
The only strong contender was the i20 IVT and Amaze CVT but the Amaze CVT lacked power for my preference.
Didn't consider the Jazz as I didn't like the look of the car.

1.0 liter Turbo in the Kiger is fun to drive, amazing boot and interiors. FE is okay-ish about 10-12kmpl.

The Magnite is definitely a better option but I rejected it due to after sales service concerns.

The number of cars that is not AMT or DCT in the segment is slim. All the ATs are from Suzuki and are only 4 speed at that. Your only real choices are Jazz, Amaze, Kiger and Magnite.

[Samegoodkid]

@hanzt: urban cruiser is basically the same car as brezza. I suggested brezza as you mentioned you liked it very much.

[hanzt]

Originally Posted by GTO

The Punch AMT was painful to drive in traffic, like going to the dentist.

Test drove the Punch AMT today. It was a new car with <1000km on it, but when going from 0 to 1 to 2nd gear, sometimes the car made loud noises as if the gear was not in place. Also, i noticed that it would let the engine go upto 3K RPM before switching to 2nd making a loud engine noise. I felt the jerkiness was highest when going from 1 to 2nd gear, after which it isnt as bad. But the car wasnt sluggish, it did close the gaps quickly (dare i say - faster than the Amaze). I will do a 2nd test drive on the highway to validate this.
BUT, the interiors material and finishing was not impressive. Both me & the sales guy had trouble releasing the handbrake as it was stuck. The handbrake had a bit of rattle as well. My dad actually hated the interiors.
Now I am contemplating whether to revert back to Nexon, as the test drive of that car was a lot better.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

1. Tata Altroz DCA
2. Renault Kiger CVT Turbo

Took your advise and visited the Renault showroom. Kiger is definitely a looker, but the best color option - red-dual-tone is super expensive. Also, I felt the AMT variant (RXT) at 9.5L was a good VFM when compared to Punch considering the finish, 4 airbags, 405 booth space (imp for me), superior interiors, etc.
BUT, I noticed that it is a 1.0L NA engine vs the 1.2L of Punch. I couldnt test drive it as car was not available, but what are your thoughts on this 1.0L NA engine of Kiger?

Originally Posted by Neversaygbye

My advice would be to go to a different showroom and also check with other BHPians on which is the best service centre in Mumbai, if you do decide to keep Tata in the consideration set.

Dad suggested the same today, so we went to a brand-new newly launched showroom, and the experience was def. better. We got to know a lot about the after sales service centers, etc. But Punch was a let down, i a

Originally Posted by Reppin_Frost

1.0 liter Turbo in the Kiger is fun to drive, amazing boot and interiors. FE is okay-ish about 10-12kmpl.

That is low FE isnt it? I can imagine a Turbo+CVT would mean butter-smooth + better response. Did you try out the AMT (RXT) variant? How did that feel?

Originally Posted by Reppin_Frost

The number of cars that is not AMT or DCT in the segment is slim. All the ATs are from Suzuki and are only 4 speed at that. Your only real choices are Jazz, Amaze, Kiger and Magnite.

Nexon is a 6 speed AMT right? Actually, only key issue i have with Nexon is its low FE. Thanks to its Turbo charger, i didnt find Nexon as jerky as I found the Punch to be.

[Reppin_Frost]

Originally Posted by hanzt

Nexon is a 6 speed AMT right? Actually, only key issue i have with Nexon is its low FE. Thanks to its Turbo charger, i didnt find Nexon as jerky as I found the Punch to be.

Sorry, I meant TCs, all TC's in the segment are from Suzuki and are all 4-speed.
Idk about the Nexon, didn't even bother with AMTs. I plan to keep my car for atleast 8-10 years ago went with the reliable CVT

[hanzt]

Originally Posted by itsmeparvathy9

Please do post on how the Test drive went on too.

Originally Posted by Samegoodkid

@hanzt: urban cruiser is basically the same car as brezza. I suggested brezza as you mentioned you liked it very much.

Originally Posted by Reppin_Frost

Sorry, I meant TCs, all TC's in the segment are from Suzuki and are all 4-speed.
Idk about the Nexon, didn't even bother with AMTs. I plan to keep my car for atleast 8-10 years ago went with the reliable CVT

I tested the UC today - city traffic & a bit of highway. Overall, the car definitely did feel more powerful than the Amaze (1.5 vs 1.2l engine showing its class).

Also the responsiveness of the when you floor the pedal was also better. I could close the gaps better and didnt have to wait for the engine to catchup. The Amaze felt a bit lethargic in that area. There were hardly any jerks (maybe only coz i was paying keen attention to it).

I think in bumper to bumper traffic the Amaze is maybe slightly better/smoother, but if I need to overtake vehicles on highways, I feel it will be easier and safer in the UC.

On the downside, the UC has the least booth space (328l only) despite being bigger than Nexon & Punch. This could be a deciding factor, since a lot of my trips are inter-city with lots of luggage of the kids. So that's a bummer (in addition to the higher price/tax)

[itsmeparvathy9]

Originally Posted by hanzt

On the downside, the UC has the least booth space (328l only) despite being bigger than Nexon & Punch. This could be a deciding factor, since a lot of my trips are inter-city with lots of luggage of the kids. So that's a bummer (in addition to the higher price/tax)

As far as usable space in the boot is concerned, the Kiger has the biggest boot in the sub 4 metre SUV space, with 405 litres whereas the amount of baggage it can hold is more or less similar to the Magnite which has a 336 litre boot, the higher loading lip and deeper boot make the extra litres here.

The Amaze being a sedan, of course has the larger boot at 420 litres.

[sarav100]

Originally Posted by hanzt

I looked at all the things that VX has which S does not, and honestly not all things appealed to me. I am actually now contemplating going for the S, and adding only those things that I need, as add-ons. Its working out to be cheaper.

Yes, this is a good route too. The only caveat is that features like remote boot unlocking, defogger are hard to integrate via aftermarket route and things like reversing camera are must have which is missing in S variant. Nonetheless, you may buy S variant and add them later when required. I brought the S variant purely because the car is driver driven and going for VX didn’t justify the additional cost since no one would be using those features.

Originally Posted by hanzt

I noticed that takes a 2-3 seconds to accelerate and get where I want it to be

Yes, below 2000 rpm, it is sluggish but once it goes past this mark, the power surge occurs and acceleration is effortless.

Originally Posted by hanzt

Today I actually used a measuring tape to measure the rear seat width door-to-door for multiple cars and Amaze is the narrowest by 1-2 inches vs Punch/Nexon/UC. Infact it is the same width as my Swift, which is a bit of a disappointment. The beige color scheme surely gives it a larger-than-it-is feel

Beige colour surely deceives the buyers into cabin appearing larger that it is.

Originally Posted by hanzt

I actually found it a bit bouncier, esp over speed-breakers.

The rear seat is more bouncier than the front ones. Also, my reference point for comfort was my existing cars (Ford Figo and Hyundai Creta), none of which are known for any comfort.

Originally Posted by hanzt

Since you looked at Amaze, which is a sedan, any reason you didnt look at the Dzire as well, considering that it has everything Amaze has, and is 1Lac+ cheaper ?

Since I had senior citizens visiting dealerships with me and Maruti showroom has far away, it was hard for me to convince them to see Dzire.

Also, Maruti salesmen on phone were giving atrocious price quotes while first quote itself from Honda was moderately priced and seemed honest. On top of that, Honda dealership salesperson did an excellent job of selling with utmost courtesy and professionalism. I guess first impressions does make a difference, and that tilted us into buying Honda.

Also, elders were not keen on buying a Maruti car due to poor safety record and did not show any interest that Maruti also sells Dzire car. Without letting them know, I did got them to visit Nexa for Baleno and Ignis which is another rebranded version of Maruti but they did not like either of them. Hence, Dzire was skipped from buying decision altogether.

[hanzt]

Hi All,

Finally after going through all the test-drives, and wracking my head on this, we have decided to go for the Urban Cruiser. The only downsides are the relatively smaller booth space (but still 100Lit more than my swift), and no touch-screen/rev-parking camera, but the latter I can get it done in the after-market in ~20K max.

I am getting the UC Mid-AT variant at about ~30-40K more than the Amaze VX top variant, but given how I enjoyed driving the former + the larger inner rear-seat space (imp. given the child-seat), it is going to be worth it.

[KryptonMonkey]

Originally Posted by hanzt

Hi All,

Finally after going through all the test-drives ... we have decided to go for the Urban Cruiser.

... I enjoyed driving the former + the larger inner rear-seat space (imp. given the child-seat), it is going to be worth it.

Thanks for updating this thread with your decision. That's the beauty of test drives combined with forum opinions. All the best for your purchase and look forward to an ownership report from you.

[PhoenixInRising]

Originally Posted by hanzt

Hi All,

Finally after going through all the test-drives, and wracking my head on this, we have decided to go for the Urban Cruiser. The only downsides are the relatively smaller booth space (but still 100Lit more than my swift), and no touch-screen/rev-parking camera, but the latter I can get it done in the after-market in ~20K max.

I am getting the UC Mid-AT variant at about ~30-40K more than the Amaze VX top variant, but given how I enjoyed driving the former + the larger inner rear-seat space (imp. given the child-seat), it is going to be worth it.

Thank you for updating the thread.
Additionally can you please list out the factors/points which made you tilt towards Urban Cruiser?
We know that your decisions are your decisions but it would help others to decide if they are in the same predicament.
Atleast if some point crops up(which will be there) which somebody else would have missed then it will really help others.
Congrats on your new buy. Looking forward to a detailed delivery and ownership experience write up.

[hanzt]

Originally Posted by PhoenixInRising

Thank you for updating the thread.
Additionally can you please list out the factors/points which made you tilt towards Urban Cruiser?

Surely!
Here is the summary:

• NA engine vs turbocharged: I wasnt inclined on the turbocharged engines given their complexities, idle-time requirements, and low FE. The UC offered a NA engine that too a 1.5litr one vs the 1litr ones in the competition. For ref. my 2005 swift was a 1.3lit engine, so I felt the difference during test drives. Also, the Nexon felt too aggressive, literally lunging forward when you step off the brake. I found that unsafe in bumper-traffic, esp. if/when my wife will drive it.
• TC vs AMT & CVT: During my test drives, I found the Punch very jerky (its a great car for manual, but a cruel joke for automatic). Its jerkiness actually triggered my wife's motion-sickness. The Nexon was less jerky, and the CVT of the Amaze was laggy. I really had to step on the pedal and still wait for the engine to respond. Also, I read on threads here that the TC is best for hilly roads/ghats and AMTs overheat in such situations. I just fell in love with the linear responsiveness of the TC when I test drove it. It was a very enjoyable drive.
• Bigger rear-seat windows: Given my wife & daughter's motion-sickness, the Kiger & Nexon have very small rear-seat windows making it a bit claustrophobic & prone to triggering motion-sickness. The UC has big wide rear-seat windows, offering a good view to the rear passengers, which is key to avoid triggering a motion-sickness attack.
• True Hill-hold: I tested the hill-hold feature and it really works superbly (both UC & Amaze). Unlike the AMTs where you need to rely on the handbrake on inclines, this one felt v safe, even if/when my wife would drive it, coz the car doesnt roll back at all.
• Higher FE / Mild-Hybrid: I realized that most of my running is on intercity runs / highways, where the mild-hybrid of the UC gives the best FE for petrol cars with >20kmpl
• Brezza Twin: Given that its actually a Brezza, it means that all its parts are actually Maruti parts, so I will/can get it fixed anywhere, easily. Part availability will never be an issue.
• Climate control: My old swift zxi has spoilt me with this feature. I really love the 'set it & forget it' AC, and this UC was the only car who's mid-variants also offered Climate Control. This became a must-have feature for me. All other cars offered this only in the top-variants, making them either out of my budget (Nexon, Kiger) or not VFM anymore (Punch). Amaze top-variant was the only one cheaper.
• Projector LED lamps: Despite being a mid-variant it had projector LED lamps which have amongst the best illumination in the segment. I drove at night yesterday, and was blown away by the sheer spread & distance of visibility, even in low beam. Others offered halogen lamps in similar variants levels.
• Wider rear-seat: The inner door-to-door width in the rear seat was the widest in this category (2inch wider than Amaze). This was v imp. considering the child booster seat that we use which takes space.
• Compromises: The relatively smaller booth space & the lack of rear-view camera/touchscreen were the compromises which we as a family agreed that we could live with.
• Toyota service: I saw the service center & was very impressed with what I saw. They also have express service, live CCTV, etc. Plus given their lower numbers of cars in the market, there was more attention to detail on each car, than what you would see in a Maruti or Tata service center.
• Discounts: We got a collectively 70-75K discount on this which made this car within my stretch-budget.
• Availability: The color (suave-Silver) that i wanted was already in stock, so no waiting period.

Due to all these reasons, from being a car that was not even in contention (due to its high price), it became a top-2 contender, and it was a choice between Amaze & UC. Finally took the call and went with the UC & I am very happy with it :-)

After one week of driving my new UC on the road, I am falling more & more in love with it. It's become like the proverbial saying - you know you have the right car if you turn around and admire it after you park it.
Every person who has seen my car - family, friends, petrol-pump attendants, security, office housekeeping staff, office colleagues, every single one says that the car looks - WoW!!.

I have tried to put all my thoughts together here, I hope this helps.

[bijims]

Wow, it's such a great feeling when you finally get the car that you have been looking for. I truly appreciate your choice here. the car is truly value for money spent and would turn out to be cheaper in the long run owing to being a Maruti at heart and with the service and reliability of Toyota to back it up.

[INDIAFIRST]

Originally Posted by rishi.roger

Steel rims are better for pricing, durability in offroading, and in general ease of repair.

But they don't look good and may rust eventually, no amount of wheel cover will make it look as good as alloys.
Also they're a bit heavier compared to alloys.
High quality alloys, generally the ones fitted by manufacturer are of good quality and don't easily crack. But cheaper alloys should be avoided because they're prone to cracks and thus leakage.

Hi noob question: what is meant by leakage?

[INDIAFIRST]

Originally Posted by hanzt

Thanks a lot. I took the test drive today on the VX variant, and one thing I sorely missed was the horn!. In the Swift, the horn buttons are on the outer side, so I just need to move my thumbs to honk. But here, the horn is only in the middle of the steering wheel, so in order to honk I need to move my hand from the steering wheel to the center and honk. I find this to be not only inconvenient, but also a safety hazard as I have to leave the steering wheel (albeit just one hand, but still).
Can you plz share your thoughts on whether you found this inconvenient as well, and how did you overcome it ?


Haha, I did notice that today. It is definitely NOT a pedal to the metal kind of car. My 17yr old Swift felt peppier

Your observation on the horns location is very pertinent. Its inconvenient. I face this issue too. One of the very rare ergonomics miss by Honda