[epiccross]

Originally Posted by bijims

The 2022 Baleno going for the AGS instead of the CVT is such a downgrade. I still wonder why Maruti did this, maybe the dualjet with CVT wasn't an option. earlier too the CVT was offered in the N.A motor (83 bhp and 113 nm of torque) instead of the dualjet (90 bhp and 113 nm of torque)

From my TD it's tuned well though, technical downgrade notwithstanding. Gives excellent FE as well.

[shubham7799]

Happy New Year Folks.

I have taken the delivery of my Nexon on January 1. As of now, the car has done only 50 odd kilometers.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by epiccross

From my TD it's tuned well though, technical downgrade notwithstanding. Gives excellent FE as well.

However well-tuned an AMT may be, it just can't get rid of the flaws in the system, it's essentially a manual with an actuator-controlled clutch and gear system. Maruti intentionally ditched the CVT to cut costs and ensure economies of scale so that they could price the AMT Baleno quite well. Only the Brezza and the Grand Vitara now have "proper" automatic transmissions in the Maruti lineup now. All of Maruti's cars have been made to give excellent Fuel efficiency and it shows in the performance too.

For example, the Performance of the earlier generation Brezza is much better than the current generation. The current generation is aimed at better fuel efficiency and gizmos to enable the car to match the feature list of the competition.

Anyways. the Baleno is indeed a good car for the money and a worthy buy at that. It caters to the needs of the Indian automobile buyer and that's all it needs to do, No wonder its such a hit on the sales charts.

[epiccross]

Originally Posted by bijims

However well-tuned an AMT may be, it just can't get rid of the flaws in the system, it's essentially a manual with an actuator-controlled clutch and gear system. Maruti intentionally ditched the CVT to cut costs and ensure economies of scale so that they could price the AMT Baleno quite well. Only the Brezza and the Grand Vitara now have "proper" automatic transmissions in the Maruti lineup now. All of Maruti's cars have been made to give excellent Fuel efficiency and it shows in the performance too.

Agreed, hence my point regarding it being technically inferior. For that price point, it works. It's a budget car, you're getting a decent AMT mated to a fine engine under 10L. Plus excellent FE above all.

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by bijims

However well-tuned an AMT may be, it just can't get rid of the flaws in the system, it's essentially a manual with an actuator-controlled clutch and gear system. Maruti intentionally ditched the CVT to cut costs and ensure economies of scale so that they could price the AMT Baleno quite well. Only the Brezza and the Grand Vitara now have "proper" automatic transmissions in the Maruti lineup now. All of Maruti's cars have been made to give excellent Fuel efficiency and it shows in the performance too.

I completely agree with your views here. When AMTs are considered as low-cost alternative to an automatic transmission, Maruti going for the downgrade from CVT to AMT to cut costs just doesn't feel right (although it makes absolute financial sense), when other cars like Altroz, i20 and Jazz offer proper automatic transmissions.

[gopal]

Hello BHPians,

I have been an avid reader of this forum since last 1 year but never written a thread or asked help from the community till date. But today i am stuck in a Car buying Dilemma in the post Covid Car market which is buzzing with Many options and High wait times.

So I have a Hyundai i20 Sportz Diesel as my daily Driver since long and want to upgrade to a Compact SUV. My Requirements are

1. It should be a Compact SUV (Due to Mainly City usage, SUVish looks and Excise duty benefits)
2. The Price Range I am comfortable with is 10- 13 lakhs for a Compact SUV. Extendable to 14 Lakhs on Value for Money Offerings Consideration.
3. My Yearly Running is in the range of 9000-12000 kms with Maximum City usage and 2 or 4 Long Tour Trips in a year.
4. As I live in a Tier 2 City, I am Comfortable with MT and does not require AT. Also I feel AT makes you a lazy driver and does give the feel and control that a MT gives. Low Mileage in AT is another low point. AT is best suited for Metro Cities where city driving is a hassle.
5. I want Good looks > Good performance > Decent Safety (3 star with all additional safety features is Ok with me.) > Good Interiors > Value for money Car.

The Options I considered and Rejected are

1. TATA NEXON- I do not like its looks at all. It does not look like a proper SUV and the rear is fully spoiled by TATA. Though it is selling like hot cakes, it does not have a good road presence and the Ground clearance of 209 makes it look odd. So REJECTED

2. XUV 300- Rejected solely because of Very Low Boot Space and uninspiring and dull instrument cluster. Also the pricing and variants are badly tuned by Mahindra. So REJECTED

3. HYUNDAI VENUE- Looks Smaller than other Compact SUVs, Interior space feels cramped. So REJECTED.

I have trimmed down the following options after extensive research and test drives but thoroughly confused to choose one as i want the Best value for Money Offering All in 1 and not missing out on any front.

1. MARUTI BREZZA ZXi MT-- On road price- 12.90L

Pros-
-Great Looks, SUVish Stance, Road Presence,
-Mileage better than Sonet petrol,
-Spacious Cabin and Rear bench Seats,
-Good Suspension, Low NVH
-Low Maintenance, Good After Sales Service and Resale Value,
-Waiting Period of 2 months

Cons-
-Low on Performance, very linear Power delivery (as i would be driving the car most of the times, it becomes boring as i have a Old Brezza diesel in the family),
-Cheap Quality Material (starts making sounds after some time),
-Pricey (as compared to Quality and features on offer and no excise benefits),
-Low on features (as compared to Sonet HTK+ which is price 11.5 L)

2. KIA SONET- On Road Price- Rs. 11.5 L

Pros-
-Peppy engine, Good performance,
-Good Looks (But i like Brezza More), SUVish Stance,
- Intelling Manual Transmission (IMT) is a boon at this price (for ease in city driving),
-Loaded on Features which no Car gives on this price point such as Sun Roof, Keyless Entry, Push Button Start, TPMS, 4 Air bags, Digital Instrument Cluster, Large Infotainment system, Wireless Android Auto, Modern Interiors (All these features by paying 1.5 L less than Brezza and Sont Diesel)
-Provides a Very Good Value for Money Offering.
-Low Waiting Period of 2 months.

Cons-
- Low Mileage as compared to brezza. (due to Petrol Turbo engine) I am aiming for 14-15 km/l At least for City Drives.
-Looks and presence not that great as compared to brezza
-Rear seat comport and Cabin Space is a compromise as compared to brezza
- Ride Quality is shaky due to stiff suspension as compared to Brezza.
- Resale value and After Sales service Cost is a Compromise to brezza.
-Safety Rating lower than Brezza
- No Alloy wheels, No LED DRLS and Lighting, No Cruise Control (Though my Highway running will be low)
- All Black interiors and Fixed Rear row head rests and no Arm Rest

3. KIA SONET HTX DIESEL MT- On Road Price- Rs. 13.13 L

Pros-
-Best Mileage of the three,
- Powerful torque and performance,
-All the features as in Sonet HTK+ plus Alloy wheels, LED DRLs and Lights, Cruise control, Dual tone interior, Rear Row head Rest Adj. and Arm rest, Leather wrapped steering and gear, (though need to Pay 1.5 L more as compared to Sonet HTK+)

Cons-
-Pricey and not value for money as compared to Sonet HTK+ petrol (The Petrol sonet gets many features for 1.5 L Less such as sun roof, keyless entry, all safety features)
-Issue of High maintenance of Diesel Engines and DPF Issues
-Fear of Low Resale Value in future due to uncertain future of diesel engines
-Other Cons as in Sonet Petrol as compared to Brezza.
-High Waiting period of 4-6 months.

So guys please guide me which one of the three is the best All rounder Car offering best value for money suiting my requirement according to you.

[kmlnths]

Hello guys,

The decision to finally get a car after years of driving your friends cars (which was a very good fleet of, I20 Diesel 2012, Lancer, City 3rd Gen, Polo GT TSI, XUV 500, Thar 2020,Compass, EcoSport, BMW 3 and 5 Series and all the Marutis and Hyundais) is a dream come true moment, but I am unable to decide on the Car which is going to put a smile on my face everyday when I open my eyes to it.

REQUIREMENTS

The requirements I am looking for the soon to be found love are, Ride comfort, Peace of Mind and A bit of driving Dynamics. It is going to be only Car in family and hence would be the daily driver as well as the highway Machine. Since This is my First car this will be kept on for a long time (at least I hope to)

For now I do 25kms Per day for my work and occasional trips once two months of 500kms and a long trip twice per year of 4500kms down south from Lucknow to home. The car will be 75% full during these trips and hence I am concerned about the Ground Clearance which is why the Sedans have been ruled out on the list. (Am not sure How much of an impact the GC has when travelling 2200 Kms down south from North hence to be on the safer side I ruled out the sedan category, would be open to choices from the experienced Petrol Heads regarding this Issue).

For now the Sorted Options are

1. Grand Vitara.

2. Brezza ZXI plus.

3. XUV 300.

BUDGET

The Maximum Budget is 15 Lakhs strictly and this too because I will be going for BH registration hence the low road tax in the beginning which would bring in Grand Vitara's Zeta Variant also into play.

Even though I like the Maruti Twins with the same engine I was leaning towards XUV300 for the sheer driving Pleasure it offers (as I read in many posts by team bhp members) I am not sure how reliable the 3 Cylinder Engine is, and also M&Ms Service as I read is a hit or a miss.

TEST DRIVES

I took TD of Grand Vitara and it felt refined as a 1.5 from Maruti should feel also loved the sitting position in the car as of now that's the only TD taken and I am waiting on TD of M&M XUV 300 Turbo Sport and Brezza.

Looking for Suggestions and Clarity from the Fellow Petrol Heads.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by kmlnths

Hello guys,

The decision to finally get a car after years of driving your friends cars (which was a very good fleet of, I20 Diesel 2012, Lancer, City 3rd Gen, Polo GT TSI, XUV 500, Thar 2020,Compass, EcoSport, BMW 3 and 5 Series and all the Marutis and Hyundais) is a dream come true moment, but I am unable to decide on the Car which is going to put a smile on my face everyday when I open my eyes to it.

For now the Sorted Options are

[b]1. Grand Vitara.

Looking for Suggestions and Clarity from the Fellow Petrol Heads.

Govt. of TN has decided to waive off road tax for hybrids. Why not go ahead and get a Hyryder Hybrid? Boot is rather small for size of the car, other than that I don't see any serious shortcomings. It was a bit expensive with price hike, but now with no road tax is a good deal.

[kmlnths]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Govt. of TN has decided to waive off road tax for hybrids. Why not go ahead and get a Hyryder Hybrid? Boot is rather small for size of the car, other than that I don't see any serious shortcomings. It was a bit expensive with price hike, but now with no road tax is a good deal.

Hello PrideRed, Thanks for the suggestion, It was the first thought that came into my mind when i read the news, but the 3 cylinder engine on board and the NVH levels which was one of the major drawbacks quoted by many reviewers made me a bit skeptical. I have driven a few 3 cylinder hatches I felt the refinement and the NVH levels along with the typical "Reliability question of the 3 Cylinder" is forcing me to take the turn away from them. Hence the Strong hybrids being omitted

[BleueNinja]

Hi All,

I am looking to Replace/Upgrade our Polo TSI and am looking forward to your suggestions. This car will be primarily driven by my spouse.

The car will be used for her office commute and to take care of chores within the city. It will also be used to take our overly pampered dog for his park and vet visits.

Our budget is 15 lacs on-road (Pune) and we will be going for BH registration.

I currently own Harrier which will continue to be our Primary car and will take care of Highway duties.

We are in a bit of fix because we are unable to find a suitable replacement for Polo which frankly isn't hard to believe. Polo isn't feature loaded or doesn't have all the bling in this world but it gets the basics right. It's fit & finish levels, quality of materials used seems to be better than many other cars in the price category, not to forget the way it drives is nothing sort of amazing in under 20 lacs price segment and to top it off it's built solid.

Requirements are :-

1. Safety :- This is our top priority & is non negotiable. Even if the car will be driven in city we do not want to compromise on the build quality or safety. The car needs to have basic safety tech like ESP and ABS.
   
2. Ride Quality :- Spouse is a sedate driver and is perfectly fine even if the car won't set tarmac on fire. The ride quality should be good and is paramount.
   
3. Basic Tech :- We aren't a big fan of sunroofs but Apple CarPlay and Steering Mounted controls are a must and are the only tech that's needed.
   
4. Automatic :- Torque Converter or CVT preferred.

Fuel Type preference is Petrol & Body type preference is Hatchback or a Compact Crossover.

Thank you !

[bijims]

Originally Posted by BleueNinja

Hi All,

I am looking to Replace/Upgrade our Polo TSI and am looking forward to your suggestions. This car will be primarily driven by my spouse.

The car will be used for her office commute and to take care of chores within the city. It will also be used to take our overly pampered dog for his park and vet visits.

Our budget is 15 lacs on-road (Pune) and we will be going for BH registration.

Requirements are :-

1. Safety :- This is our top priority & is non negotiable. Even if the car will be driven in city we do not want to compromise on the build quality or safety. The car needs to have basic safety tech like ESP and ABS.
   
2. Ride Quality :- Spouse is a sedate driver and is perfectly fine even if the car won't set tarmac on fire. The ride quality should be good and is paramount.
   
3. Basic Tech :- We aren't a big fan of sunroofs but Apple CarPlay and Steering Mounted controls are a must and are the only tech that's needed.
   
4. Automatic :- Torque Converter or CVT preferred.

Fuel Type preference is Petrol & Body type preference is Hatchback or a Compact Crossover.

Thank you !

Considering your budget and requirements, here are the best options which I feel are suited to your needs:

1. Maruti Brezza ZXI AT
The earlier generation is 4-star rated by GNCAP, offers good ride quality, covers all the basics, and comes with a 6-speed TC AT, Excellent sales and service network, and one of the best-selling options in the segment.

2. Renault Kiger RXT(O) CVT/ Nissan Magnite XV Premium (O) CVT
The Alliance twins are both rated 4-stars by GNCAP and offer all the necessities and come with a good 1.0 Litre Turbo Petrol engine mated to a CVT. They are definitely VFM.

Other options worth considering (with reasons for not recommending them) are the Tata Altroz DCA (not CVT or TC, but one of the safest cars you can buy), Tata Nexon (has an AMT ), Hyundai Venue/Kia Sonet (probably not the safest, yet to be tested by GNCAP), Hyundai i20 (only 3-star GNCAP), Maruti Suzuki Fronx AT (not safe as based on Baleno).

[Turbohead]

I'm a little curious - what exactly is the reason you want to upgrade the car? Is your TSI a manual?

If you can elaborate on why you want to move on, you'll probably get more relevant answers below.

[madhukarmohan]

For your budget, the best ones out in the market are Kushaq and Taigun. However, they lack road presence and do not give that big SUV feeling. But they are significantly bigger than Polo. If you can compromise a bit on NCAP ratings, Creta and Seltos are the cars to go with.

[BleueNinja]

Originally Posted by bijims

1. Maruti Brezza ZXI AT
The earlier generation is 4-star rated by GNCAP, offers good ride quality, covers all the basics, and comes with a 6-speed TC AT, Excellent sales and service network, and one of the best-selling options in the segment.

I will get a test drive for Brezza arranged. Although I personally liked the previous generation more in terms of styling.

Originally Posted by bijims

2. Renault Kiger RXT(O) CVT/ Nissan Magnite XV Premium (O) CVT
The Alliance twins are both rated 4-stars by GNCAP and offer all the necessities and come with a good 1.0 Litre Turbo Petrol engine mated to a CVT. They are definitely VFM.

We went to checkout the Kiger & Magnite when we were in process of buying Harrier. We were not impressed by the interior quality. Kiger felt a bit cramped and I was not a fan of their driving dynamics.

Originally Posted by bijims

Other options worth considering (with reasons for not recommending them) are the Tata Altroz DCA (not CVT or TC, but one of the safest cars you can buy), Tata Nexon (has an AMT ), Hyundai Venue/Kia Sonet (probably not the safest, yet to be tested by GNCAP), Hyundai i20 (only 3-star GNCAP), Maruti Suzuki Fronx AT (not safe as based on Baleno).

Valid points. I am a bit hesitant towards Altroz as there are no long terms reports for the DCA and Nexon has an AMT. Plus for some reason I already have a TATA and I think I have had my fill with one I am not inclined on getting another. Kia Sonet is being considered but the abysmal performance by Seltos in safety test has me on the bay.

Originally Posted by Turbohead

I'm a little curious - what exactly is the reason you want to upgrade the car? Is your TSI a manual?

If you can elaborate on why you want to move on, you'll probably get more relevant answers below.

There are many actually.

I am on the taller side (6'1) and I have started to experience back ache when driving/travelling with Polo, this was the first reason to get Harrier but didn't want to sell polo so kept it. Eventually, my wife learned to drive and she started using it.

Second, We have a comfortline - TSI (Torque Converter) the car is bare bones and doesn't have an infotainment system or steering mounted controls. I can get Infotainment retrofitted but I don't want to void car's warranty and then deal with VW if in case something was to go wrong. Also, I tried checking if I can get Highline/GT's steering retrofitted in my comfort line but didn't get any support from VW. The AC in the 1.0 TSI is a bit wonky too to be honest. Sometimes, it chills the car and sometimes it refuses to work in summers in a stop and go traffic condition.

Third, Our Polo is Hyderabad registered and this out of state registered car often becomes a favourite target for Pune traffic Cops and Local Public alike. Even if I were to get the car registered in Maharashtra from Telangana there is no guarantee that I won't have to shift states by year end or next year again. So we want to go for a BH Registered vehicle.

Originally Posted by madhukarmohan

For your budget, the best ones out in the market are Kushaq and Taigun. However, they lack road presence and do not give that big SUV feeling. But they are significantly bigger than Polo. If you can compromise a bit on NCAP ratings, Creta and Seltos are the cars to go with.

Road presence isn't a requirement in this case, I have a Harrier for that . The car needs to be functional. We did take a Test drive of all these 4 cars.

Seltos :- Even though we can get a good feature rich variant in our budget the ride quality wasn't impressive. I found Creta to be more comfortable than Seltos. Also, isn't a facelift for Seltos and Creta due soon?

Taigun/Kushaq :- Highline and Ambition variant are a bit over the budget but I am sure discounts can get that in within the budget. I liked the Taigun more than Kushaq when I took their respective TD last time. I will be scheduling their test drives over the weekend to see if wife likes either of them. However, there is 1 issue. Taigun - Kushaq both have a 1.0 TSI engine which my current polo has & one major issue with that engine is that AC is simply not reliable. At least for me it isn't sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. If you switch on 'Auto' then the blower is loud and tries to cool down the cabin but it doesn't seem to be that effective in a stop-go traffic but again sometimes it simply chills the cabin. VW doesn't seem to have a solution for this.


Cheers !

[bijims]

Originally Posted by BleueNinja

I will get a test drive for Brezza arranged. Although I personally liked the previous generation more in terms of styling.

Seltos :- Even though we can get a good feature rich variant in our budget the ride quality wasn't impressive. I found Creta to be more comfortable than Seltos. Also, isn't a facelift for Seltos and Creta due soon?

Taigun/Kushaq :- Highline and Ambition variant are a bit over the budget but I am sure discounts can get that in within the budget. I liked the Taigun more than Kushaq when I took their respective TD last time. I will be scheduling their test drives over the weekend to see if wife likes either of them. However, there is 1 issue. Taigun - Kushaq both have a 1.0 TSI engine which my current polo has & one major issue with that engine is that AC is simply not reliable. At least for me it isn't sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. If you switch on 'Auto' then the blower is loud and tries to cool down the cabin but it doesn't seem to be that effective in a stop-go traffic but again sometimes it simply chills the cabin. VW doesn't seem to have a solution for this.

Cheers !

I highly doubt you would be able to get an automatic variant of any of the > 4m cars under 15 lakhs OTR Pune and that is why I hadn't recommended them. However, if you are flexible with your budget, then, of course, the Taigun/Kushaq 1.0 AT or Hyryder/Grand Vitara Mild Hybrid AT can be considered. However, the Seltos and Creta aren't the best options considering their 3-star NCAP rating.