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Very interesting thread! Couple of pointers/queries :

1. Is the option for lesser body roll & easier ingress/egress contradictory?
You need a car with a lower Centre of Gravity, like a sedan (Eg : Virtus/Slavia) for lesser body roll, but does that make it very difficult for your parents to get in and get out?

2. I would stay away from the AMTs. They may offer what a TC offers, but its very problematic during shift changes (Surges & jerks)!

I would look at the Tata Nexon EV Max. I know its not even on the list. But all things considered, it may be an ideal choice.

It being a second car, EV makes a lot of sense. The running costs are a lot cheaper. Its firmly planted due to the weight of the battery. Its fairly easy to get into and out of when compared to sedans. Its also future proof.

Apologies for straying from the list. :)

Hi,

1. Please test drive the 5th gen city CVT, I feel the in gear acceleration is extremely smooth and linear compared to the DSG's especially in stop and go traffic, this will cater very well for your requirement of a petrol automatic with no perceptible changes in motion being felt by driver or passenger.

2. We do regular 800-1000 km road trips every month with a 60+ parent and two toddlers 4 & 2. The suspension of 5th Gen City seems perfectly tuned for those long cruises at 100-110 and keeps everyone in extreme comfort since the body roll is minimal unless you hit the twisties extremely fast. My mother is also extremely comfortable with ingress and slight difficulty in egress if she is getting out after a non stop 3 hour sprint.

3. Since you want to keep the car for a long time of 10 years, City could be a much more reliable, safe and fuss free option.


All the best in your search and wishing your family millions of safe miles ahead!

My Girlfriend then & now my wife has been suffering from motion sickness since decades. About 10 years back while walking through the Victorinox showroom in Mumbai, she spotted motion sickness bands. They're 1 cm wide with a half bead attached to the lower side. This is to be worn on the wrists & works on accupressure. I have tried them, myself on mountanious roads as a passenger & recommended this to a lot of friends. Works wonders. Theyre available on Amazon too.

I have been a avid road traveller for long time, but motion sickness of my son has made me to cut it drastically. My wife also suffers from motion sickness. I have realised that she is more comfortable in high vehicles like Scorpio or Inno va or even Ertiga than in sedan. I think motion sickness does not have a definite cause pattern but varies individually. Its necessary to try each vehicle for longer time to ensure there is no motion sickness.

Sedans are best for you. TD all and choose accordingly. I will go with advice of Dr.Avinash of renting car and doing an extensive TD to see if you are really comfortable with it. Don’t rely on Short TD.

Come to think of it, since your wife is going to drive the car, I wouldn't worry too much about the motion sickness aspect. Basis the fact that majority drivers do not feel motion sickness since they are able to anticipate the road conditions.

I would wholeheartedly recommend the Nexon EV and XUV 4OO.

1. Being a secondary car, the range anxiety shouldn't be an issue. Heck, even BHPians have started taking their EVs for outstation trips as well, thanks to improving Infra support.
2. Being a CSUV, Egress Ingress for parents shouldn't be a concern.
3. Since you retain cars for long, think about the savings of running an EV over Petrol/Diesel. The fuel costs are only going to rise.
4. With the GNCAP ratings, there aren't very many cars that can pip the NexonEV/XUV4OO duo. Remember, while people buy a car only once, it's a single instance of an unfortunate incident that can fill remorse for not buying a safer car, especially for family.
5. Both car manufacturers offer 8 years or 160,000 Kms extended warranty on Battery packs. This would ensure fuss-free long term ownership.
6. Both cars have pretty robust build quality and the SUVish stance helps with road presence while they are not too big to be driven comfortably in the city, or even a highway for that matter.

Do let us know what you decide.

Drive Safe.

Nexon Diesel, eyes closed. The car is not exciting to drive but suspension and ride quality? Awesome. It does not get bumpy or move around like others in its own class on broken roads.

My wife has extreme motion-sickness. Whenever she travels in a car not driven by myself, she has to take medicine before each trip or else she will vomit in an hour. I would say, more than the Car, it is the driving style that causes extreme motion sickness.

As long as you can maintain linear acceleration / deceleration, and avoid sudden brakes and fast sharp turns, it can be controlled. Having said so, Cars with high center of gravity, soft suspension, and jerky transmission exacerbate it.

A low slung Sedan with an AT/CVT transmission and large glass area is the best bet for people with motion sickness to travel in. As a driver you have to lose out on that fast sharp turns always lol: But what is in a travel if your companions don't enjoy it.

My son and I have suffered from motion sickness. It is almost nil when I drive, minimal when I sit next to the driver, and worst when I sit diagonally behind the driver.

Here is a list of triggers:

-Hot interiors of the vehicle. The cooler the interiors, the less the symptoms
-Smell! Taxis and other commercial vehicles with their years of accumulated stale sweat and assorted fragrances are a major trigger
-Constant weaving through traffic and overtaking is a major trigger
-Excessive braking (followed by the acceleration)
-Stomachs too empty or too full (particularly with fluids)
-Of course, ghat roads/twisties

Here's what works for me:
Cold car, steady speed with minimal overtaking and music at a moderate volume—open windows in the twisties.

The best car solution - Any car with a CVT gearbox. I have had the least motion sickness with my Honda City and my Creta, both of which were/are with CVT. I have observed this with other cars with CVTs as well.
Not only is the gearbox smooth with no perceivable shifts, but the nature of these gearboxes has also made my driving habits such that they make the occupants suffer the least.

And if all else fails, I have used Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine / Gravol), a potent problem solver.

Hope this helps. Good luck

Suggest that you do proper test drives of the VW/Skoda twins. My daughter & father have motion sickness. They just don't feel it anymore in the Slavia. Moreover, it has good GC & can be easily used for both city & highway.

I have had this problem with my kid. He used to be nauseate in the WagonR and Celerio every time we went out. He would feel sickness even in short trips of 20-25 kms.
The best solution we found was to get a small bajaj fan which runs on usb. Plugged it in the handle above the door where his car seat is and that made a lot of difference.
After moving into the Honda City, where there are AC vents on the back, he hasnt faced that problem (*fingers crossed*)

Coming to the car, I would suggest a car which has good AC and has minimum body roll. Sedan (Honda City or Verna) would be a good choice rather than going for a SUV. I wasnt comfortable with the Virtus/Slavia AC. Even during a short test drive my kid was very uncomfortable because the AC would switch off in the traffic.

Our roads are not flat and we are prone to vertical oscillations frequently. I have this problem unless I am the driver of the car. My daughter also seems to have inherited it from me. She will sleep over this problem and wake up only for the breaks, destination. During long trips when she cannot sleep for the duration she will be grumpy most of the times.
However recently she started sitting in the rear mid seat with a clear view to the road through the front windscreen and said she doesn't feel nauseated as before. So probably the view of the horizon or the view of the road ahead calms the nerves.

Maybe along with your requirements, you should also look at a car with good visibility all around which translates to high GC CSUVs/SUVs with sufficient glass coverage.

My wife used to quip that she would get sick even in a Rolls Royce if driven badly. Please try to perfect minimum g force driving (longitudinal as well as lateral), you could hone it through some apps I reckon

Seamless gear shifts go a long way in containing motion sickness, complemented by seamless build up of speed (no point and shoot driving) and also a gentle reduction of speed (need to look Ahead, no prodding on the brakes). My GT TSI (back then) had registered close to 50k motion sickness free drives and in that regard I am convinced of any VAG DSG to be suitable.

If you can wait few months for Honda Elevate launch, CVT version will fit perfectly for your requirement(Assuming Honda has stiffened the suspension compared to regular City being an SUV with higher ground clearance).
Only thing you may need to forego would be comparing performance numbers with other CSUV's(Sub 4m & Above 4m) in the price range, as most of them are moving towards powerful Turbo petrol's soon. But that 1.5 Vtec is still a gem of an engine.

PS: I own a Figo Diesel 2012 model as well. None of the cars available right now(<20L) can come close to its handling and steering feel. Need to treasure it as much as possible.(Maybe Altroz is close but I haven't driven it yet.)

I'd say go for the City Hybrid. It's incredibly smooth, and the interiors just feel more open and luxurious than the competitors. I had motion sickness myself till my teens, got it from my Mom, and it was always the worst in cars with dark claustrophobic interiors.
I also agree with some of the suggestions that smells trigger motion sickness. Get a nice light citrusy or aqua car fragrance, light being the key word here. I get a headache with most car fragrances, but the ones my wife gets from Bath and Body Works are really nice.
About driving, I've really worked hard on making my gear shifts imperceptible, and i always practice a limo stop unless of course it's an emergency. My Mom never feels nauseated when I'm driving. :D