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A manual diesel car for under Rs. 12 lakhs

Both look good, have nice cabins, excellent diesel engines and good suspension setups.

BHPian AYP recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This is on behalf of my cousin who is looking for a car under 12L ex-showroom. This is going to be his first car purchase and he is not a 'car person' per se.

Non negotiable requirements - Diesel, manual.

Other notable requirements-

  • He is leaning more towards an SUV.
  • Sunroof is good to have but not a compulsion.

Here are the contenders with the tentative ex-showroom cost:

  • The Mahindra XUV W8(O) (12.40L)
  • The Kia Sonet GTX+ (12.45L)
  • The Hyundai Venue SX(O) (11.58L)
  • The Verna SX (12.2L)
  • The City V (12.62L)
  • Creta EX (11.9L)
  • Seltos HTK (11.79L)

The EcoSport and the Nexon are not being considered by him. Request you all to chip in with your comments.

My opinion:

I wouldn't go for the Creta or the Seltos under 12L as the variants on offer are quite basic though you do get a bigger SUV.

Among the sedans, I'd choose the Verna due to its better engine, more features(sunroof, wireless android auto etc.) and cheaper price.

Among the compact SUVs, I'd prefer the Sonet over the Venue due to the styling and features on offer. Between the homegrown manufacturers, I have always preferred the XUV 300 over the Nexon and even my cousin has taken a strong liking to the XUV and it is currently at the top of his mind. The EcoSport is a bit dated and the diesel engines of the XUV and the Sonet are better than the 1.5 TDCi of the Ford.

So that leaves me with the Sonet, XUV 300 and the Verna.

The XUV 300 is definitely the enthusiasts choice in terms of engine performance. Yes, the 0-100 timings are about the same as the Sonet, it is the mid range where it shines. Coupled with decent features, good cabin space and good quality cabin, it is a good car. Mahindra badge does not seem to affect him much. We can't forget the fact that this is India's safest tested car.

The Verna definitely offers the most bang for buck IMO if you are willing to compromise on LED headlamps and the ventilated seats. It offers wireless android auto and a digital instrument cluster which the others lack.

The Sonet is definitely the most feature rich car here. Against the XUV, it excels in almost everything except the mid range punch and of course, the safety rating.

Overall, my pick would be Verna>Sonet>XUV 300.

Here's what BHPian Sahilrai166 had to say on the matter:

Your cousin is leaning more towards the SUVs like many other potential car buyers in our country which includes me as well.

XUV 300 W8 (O) looks like a complete all rounder but the only concern with this car is the boot space. Picking this car car over the others makes sense if your cousin does not require a car with big boot. That said, if he needs a larger boot space, then the Sonet GTX plus wins hands down. It is the latest car in the lot has a good Diesel engine and the feature list is never ending and is fuel efficient too.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

If I had 12-lakhs in my pocket for a diesel MT, I would also go with either the XUV300 or the Sonet. Both look good, have nice cabins, excellent diesel engines and good suspension setups. Have your cousin drive both of them, go through our Official Reviews and then buy whichever makes him smile more.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

 
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