[shankar.balan]

Actually as some here have said the Thar and Jimny are good choices because they will help brave the bad roads, floods and other horrible things like traffic etc in Bangalore.
The Thar is comfy enough in the front seat. The Jimny is good both in the front and at the back in terms of handling bumps etc.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by manish84

So now the top 2 choices are following:

1. Spend 11 lakhs on i20, ...
   
2. Spend 22-23 lakhs on Zeta+ GV strong hybrid (Blore OTR) ...

Some people think daily commute should be done by a bike or a small hatch to avoid the anxiety of driving a big expensive car in the chaotic traffic. The objective here is not to travel in comfort but to reach faster and keep the cost of maintenance low. Some think it's like going to a war and needs a battle tank (aka high GC BoF 4x4).

While I agree that small footprint vehicle is a huge convenience for running errands in the city, I feel daily work commute (typical 1 + 1 hrs) should be done in comfort (quiet cabin, plush ride, comfortable seats and good music). It makes a lot of difference to how you arrive at work and home. Only exception is when you are new to driving and not confident of driving a big car.

Go for the most comfortable car within your budget.

[sam264_2000]

Originally Posted by manish84

Latest update on the car consideration

Checked out the Grand Vitara strong hybrid on the weekend and we loved it......

So now the top 2 choices are following:

1. Spend 11 lakhs on i20, reconsider car needs after 2-3 years and if required upgrade to the latest and greatest 5/7 seater SUV.
   
2. Spend 22-23 lakhs on Zeta+ GV strong hybrid (Blore OTR) and then do not consider buying a car for next 6-8 years.

Between these two, my reco would be to go for the Zeta+ GV strong hybrid. I hope you are getting an automatic. It definitely solves your basic use case and more. Why would you want to spend 11 lakhs now and then again change the car 2-3 years down the line? That would be a significant depreciation hit.

[Maverick1918]

Have you thought about the new Kia Seltos? It has the same reliability as that of Creta, has received a recent face-lift, comes with all bells and whistles and looks good in my opinion. Kia is selling like hot-cakes and after Sales service is not an issue either.

The drawback with this might be the wait times but that can be circumvented depending on where you buy the car or if you know the right people.

[Crosscountryman]

I was on the same cross road of decision making exactly 2 years back. The peak time city traffic was making me extremely worried about my Kodiaq. I bought a Thar HT D AT 4x4 for my work run abouts in the city and Inter city - 300km radius.

Guess what - 2 years and almost 38k kms later, I haven't regretted that decision even for a single moment.

Thar is essentially an All-Weather vehicle for our cities and has already carried out kids and missus rescue missions when the city roads became jam packed or mini rivers. And don't ask me about the change in confidence levels in the city traffic, when I move from Kodiaq to Thar

And yes, I never ever had any dpf issue even after driving my Thar in city for more than a month. I know it's working in the background but haven't gotten bothered by it ever.

[RohanPitre]

How about Fronx AT? It has Maruti reliability, the top variant although expensive still falls comfortably in your budget, has a proper torque converter, decent space and features, small car so it should be easy to manage in traffic and the waiting times shouldn't be long for this variant.

Cons will be 3-cylinder engine nvh, build quality, head-room for rear passengers. But I still feel you should test it.

[shamanths3]

I know you have said you don't want to go the EV route but hear me out,

The major complaint on EVs is that they are not for highway drives, but since you are targeting city then this is a Pro.
You said you don't want to get to the hassle of charging, assuming you drive 30km on an average per day then you have to charge once every 10 days.
Every new car will have its niggles but if Tata is not for you, then try the Citreon or the ZS EV.

Now coming to what you will only get from EVs,
Very low running cost
NVH that can't be beaten
Zero jerks and hence you will be more relaxed when you get back home. I have seen many BMW owners who take out their EV cars only because of this.
The power to overtake. Press it and you are away.
You can keep your AC ON without worrying about fuel or even charge as you can run an hour of AC with just 1% while stuck in traffic.
8 years of hassle free battery and motor replacement.

[manish84]

Hi fellow bhpians - I have booked and paid for Creta SXO variant today & expecting a delivery next week. Thanks for the super helpful advice and the varied perspective. This is what I love the most about Team BHP.

Reasons to buy Creta over other choices:

1. My wife's heart was set on Creta though she understood and agreed on the logic to buy a smaller or more fuel efficient car for city purpose
2. My heart was also set on Creta, though mind was pushing me to buy i20. I decided to go with the heart - again! (last time was 2021 when I cancelled my Honda City booking and bought 330i )
3. Creta is more suitable when we get a driver next year
4. We had owned a hatchback (Polo) earlier and currently own a sedan (330i). We wanted to try a new car body type and hence the SUV
5. Grand Vitara though more fuel efficient was more expensive and the interior fit and finish did not match up to that of Creta. For the same price as that of Creta top end, we were getting the top minus 1 variant of Grand Vitara Hybrid with features which we value (electric, ventilated, leatherette seats & better speakers)

Reasons to buy Creta in Dec 2023 when facelift is right around:

1. Need the car right now
2. Like Seltos, I expect Creta to combine top variant with DCT and turbo. This adds to the price apart from facelift and new year price hike. I expect the price to go up by another 2-4 lakhs.
3. There would be wait time for facelift delivery
4. We liked the overall package as is and there is a very tiny chance we do not like the facelift.
5. Managed to get some discount over and above the insurance discount. The overall price I am paying seems almost reasonable. I suspect facelift price would be too far from i20 and then again my dilemma about the vaule<>cost would continue.

Look forward to the new car & happy that a decision has been taken