As some of you in this forum know my cries, rants, frustration, and disappointment with my previous ownership of a 2019 BS4 Harrier XZ lemon, nevertheless, I am happy that I was able to get rid of the car finally.
Now, the biggest task of my life starts. To choose the right next car.

And here I am in seeking answers from the most passionate, unbiased, and professional automotive community that I know of in this entire world.
Before I list down my requirements and options considered, the following are things I like and dislike about Harrier. I always say that Harrier is a "Right product in the wrong hands' (Imagine a product like Harrier in the hands of VW/Honda/Hyundai/Nissan/Toyota/Ford).
Likes/Satisfied - Looks, performance (I remapped my Harrier), comfort, size, maintenance cost, ride, and handling (Handling could have been better though), build quality, door thud/heft, etc.
Dislikes/Unsatisfied - Highly unreliable, NVH, Steering, fit and finish, quality of materials used (including the paint and seat quality), infotainment, ASS experience, and the attitude of Tata.
Some of my requirements
1. Appropriate replacement of Harrier in terms of space. I only need a 5-seater. Though I am not strictly against 7 seats also.
2. Safety, performance, ride, and handling. I am an enthusiast looking to satisfy my Schumacher/Vin Diesel in me.
3. Reliability is an equal priority (since I lost my peace of mind and money with my previous car - Lemon Harrier).
4. I will be the only driver and this will my primary car. I have a beater car (2009 Indica Vista Diesel). I use it only for the sake of using it and I don't intend to sell it as it will be used as a backup and as a learner's car to my wife. I also hold on to my cars for as long as possible.
5. I am a person who appreciates sound mechanicals more than tonnes of gizmos. Of course, I expect at-par bells and whistles compared to the market if not the best.
6. I did about 48K kms in about 2yrs 10 months in my Harrier. I expect to do the same with +/- 5-6K. This is the last leg to own a diesel. However, my only concern is the DPF issue. While mileage is important, I would rather spend an additional 9rs/liter (or) 5K/month for the petrol rather than get stuck on the road with the DPF issue in a diesel. Am I worrying too much? Am I overthinking? Can I still go ahead with the diesel?
7. Budget is approximately 25L-35L.
8. Automatic preferred. Manual can also be considered.
My considerations 1. XUV700
Booked Diesel AX7 L AWD AT just for the sake of joining the waitlist queue. Am I right to believe this one slot in between a true enthusiast's car like a Compass/Tiguan and a more comfort-oriented car like Hector? Two concerns
a. Reliability. I don't want the same Harrier story. Personally, I feel that M&M has improved a lot these days and they are definitely better than Tata (especially their flagships) in this. Of course, I understand and can compromise for minor niggles here and there.
b. Diesel DPF issues. If this is a real concern, then I don't mind changing my booking to Petrol AX7 L AT. Of course, my monthly/yearly odo reading is also what bothers me about not going for petrol.
I believe that most/all of the major and minor niggles will be sorted by the time the car is allotted to me.
2. Compass Diesel Manual
I don't think and I am very skeptical (I drove the manual) that the automatic can satisfy the enthusiast in me (which is the primary reason for me to consider a Jeep). I strongly feel that Jeep in India has a poor score in terms of reliability with such low numbers they sell (as there are many horror stories even in this forum). And of course, it is not even a 5-seater (strictly 4+1). It will compromise for me in terms of space. I can probably go for a Kushaq 1.5 TSI M/DSG as well, and save tons of money if I am compromising space. I am not bothered about the "premiumness" of Compass compared to Kushaq since Kushaq is 5 star rated car.
I did not consider the Meridian as it is too big for my liking and use case. I might as well go with 700 there are no 5-seater options.
3. Tuscon Signature Diesel AT
Yes, it's a definite value for money when compared to all its competitors. However, I am not bothered about the value of money. I am also not satisfied with putting 42L for a Hyundai in India. And it doesn't satisfy the enthusiast in me. I also don't like the looks (both interior and exterior). Of course, it will also be too tight for me in terms of cost.
4. Tiguan
Yes, it definitely satisfies the enthusiast in me. While it is not as feature-rich as the Tuscon, it still satisfies me. Since this will be my primary car and my first VW experience, how is the Tiguan (being a CKD) compared to the 700 in terms of reliability? Since it is a petrol-only car, will the mileage (compared to any diesel car) make a dent in your monthly finance for everyday use? Again, this will be a literal squeeze for me in terms of budget. So how is Tiguan compared to 700 petrol and 700 diesel? Is it worth that extra 10-11L?
Not considered - Citroen C5 (IMO scores bad in terms of looks, rear seat, ASS network, cost, value), Hector (IMO scores bad in terms of brand, looks, center console, etc), Octavia (not a sedan person). Is there anything that I missed to consider?
Since I have a beater car to take care of my current needs, I can hold on for a few more months if there are better/other options upcoming like Qashqai, etc.