Reliable petrol SUV / hatchback for Rs 14 lakh: To replace an old Dzire

Electric cars are not under consideration for now, though the recent Tata Tiago EV makes a compelling argument.

BHPian Voodooblaster recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi all T-BHPians,

Wish to pick your brains for a car purchase

A colleague of mine owns a 12-year-old Swift Dzire(Petrol MT). It has munched over 1.10 lakh km and is in the market for a new car. The place of purchase is Trivandrum, Kerala. As of now the family members primarily using the car will be my Colleague, Spouse and their 3-year-old kid

The Requirements:

1. With the burgeoning traffic, only AT is being considered.
2. Vehicles will see approx 10 to 12k usage per year, hence only petrol engines are being considered. In either case, the higher acquisition and maintenance cost excludes decent diesel in this budget
3. Initial budget was 10 lacs OTR, but seeing that will entail losing a lot of nice cars/variants has been reluctantly bumped up to the 13 to 14 lakh range. 14 lakh includes Trade in value of the old car
4. It'll be the only car in their garage and is expected to be used for a decade. Hence Reliable and fuss-free ownership is needed
5. 70% of users will be in the city. The rest will be through the chaotic and unforgiving undivided highways (?) of southern and middle Kerala
6. EVs are not under consideration for now, though the recent TATA Tiago makes a compelling argument. Waiting for the tech to mature a bit. Maybe the next purchase
7. What will be the fair value of an 11-year-old Swift Desire Vxi that has 1.10 km under its belt in Trivandrum? The car is mechanically sound The tyres will last another 10,000 km. The suspensions need to be replaced

The main contenders

Nissan Magnite/Renault Kiger

• 3 cylinder
• Turbo Engine with CVT/Naturally Aspirated Engine with AMT
• 4-star Safety

Honda Jazz

• 4 cylinder
• Naturally Aspirated Engine
• CVT
• 4-star Safety
• Variant with Smartphone plus reverse cam OTR approx 1.18 million

Maruti Nexa S-Cross

• 4 cylinder
• Naturally Aspirated Engine
• Torque converter transmission
• Probably 4-star Safety though it's not tested
• Variant with Reverse cam plus smartphone connectivity approx OTR 1.35 million

Maruti Brezza

• 4 cylinder
• Naturally Aspirated Engine
• Torque converter transmission
• Probably 4-star Safety through the 2022 version is not tested
• Variant with Rear view cam plus smartphone connectivity approx OTR 1.4 million

Toyota Urban Cruiser

• 4 cylinder
• Naturally Aspirated Engine
• Torque converter transmission
• 4-star Safety based on prev gen Brezza Score
• Smartphone connectivity plus reverse cam approx OTR 1.3 million

Now the confusion is regarding the following points:

1. Transmission - AMT vs CVT vs TC
2. 3 cylinder vs 4 cylinder
3. Turbocharged vs NA engine
4. Will Jazz/S Cross/Urban Cruiser be discontinued? If so any adverse implications over the long term?
5. Can Nissan and Honda be expected to remain in India for long?
6. How reliable will the smaller capacity turbo petrol engines o be over a decade?
7. Also can our forum members comment on NVH inside the cabin for 3 and 4-cylinder engines? Especially as the engine in the outgoing car is 4 cylinders.
8. While my colleague is contemplating CVT and TC mainly for reliability, will AMTs fare equally well?
9. Any other reliable CSUV premium hatches to be considered at this price range?

Test Drive Experience

A test drive of the Brezza AT was taken. The engine performance was satisfactory and the AT didn't allow the vehicle to roll back when starting from a steep incline. However, the steering and the dashboard switches and knobs weren't particularly appealing. In terms of visual appeal and a premium feel, it felt a step lower than the decade-old Swift Dzire

The Toyota Showroom was visited in person for a Test Drive of the Urban Cruiser aka Old Brezza. TD couldn't be arranged and the showroom informed them that someone will contact them in due course.

Even after multiple calls over 2 weeks TD is yet to happen. Now my friend is apprehensive that if the sales part is this lackadaisical, service will be even terrible.

Nice way to operate in the market Toyota. In Kerala, all the southern and middle districts of Kerala are served by various outlets of a single dealership. That probably makes the sales folk complacent

I had a similar experience with the same dealership 3 years ago. (The Magic Carpet - My Honda Jazz Petrol CVT (Automatic)). However, I was determined to have a TD of Liva and escalated to Dealership HQ, Toyota and finally got the Test Drive. This shouldn't be the case for a simple Test Drive. It seems dealing with government bureaucracy is simpler than getting a Test Drive vehicle from Toyota

S Cross will be finalised only after getting a TD at their home as a lane to their home is rather narrow (The Dzire can comfortably handle it though)

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

That's some next-level mile munching!

Now, on a serious note, Brezza AT fits the bill perfectly well in your friend's case. The Vxi variant will come under 14 lakhs on road. A reverse camera can be added from the dealership for around 5k or so. The next best bet would be the Sonet diesel AT.

TC or CVT. Impervious to traffic conditions. Super reliable for the long term.

NA are less complex and more reliable in comparison. In this segment, you'll find NA engines to be 4 cylinders which gives them an edge when it comes to refinement. That being said, 10-12k km per year for 10 years is no big deal for turbo petrol with timely maintenance.

IIRC Jazz has been discontinued already. And the other two are also borderline market duds. The resale value will be hit. No other issues.

Unlikely that they'll stay for long (8-10 years) given their current lineup and strategy.

He's absolutely correct. There are horror stories on the forum of AMTs degrading in performance over time (as the clutch wears out) and some giving up the ghost at 70-80k kms. Plus the driving experience is below par especially when one is spending big bucks.

If the budget can be stretched further, Grand Vitara Delta AT can also be considered.

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

Anywhere between Rs 200,000 to Rs. 250,000 should be a reasonable price depending on the condition of the vehicle.

CVT and TC would be definitely the better option to avoid the head nod and jerkiness that comes with AMTs.

If given an option under this budget, I would prefer a good, powerful 4-cylinder over a 3-cylinder. But given today's Norm being downsized 1.0 Litre, 3-cylinder turbo charged petrol with more power and performance over the 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol. Performance enthusiasts are hardly left with a choice, other than diesel or 3-cylinder turbo petrol.

Depends, if it's a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, I would go for it over a NA engine.

I was also seriously considering the S-Cross AT but couldn't find any in stock. If available do inform me too. Now back to the question, Yes, all three are to be discontinued S-Cross being replaced by the Grand Vitara, Urban Cruiser production discontinued and Jazz to be discontinued within the next few months.

As with all discontinued cars, resale may be an issue. As far as the S-Cross and Urban Cruiser are concerned, parts availability and service won't be an issue as they are based on platforms used in the Brezza and Grand Vitara. Honda is in a tough spot right now with hardly anything which sells other than the City and Amaze, so the future of Honda looks bleak.

It's a tough call and depends on what new products they plan to bring. With their current portfolio, it seems hard for them to last long.

The more complex technologies involved, the chances of repair and replacement increase, All new technologies will have the initial niggles, 1.0 L 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol being more complex than NA counterparts have higher chances of failure of turbochargers and engine problems. However, that doesn't mean they are worse and shouldn't be recommended.

The difference can definitely be made out, especially when at idle with the thrum of the 3-cylinder being more prominent, however on the move, it nulls down.

AMTs are the least complex of the technologies involved here and are essentially Manuals with automated gearshift and no clutches. So reliability won't be an issue with AMTs, and their repair costs will also be cheaper.

Within a budget of 1.4 million rupees, my recommendation would be to go for the S-Cross if available.

Else if you can extend your budget a little bit more to 1.45 million rupees, the Kia Sonet HTX Diesel AT would be a good choice as well. It has the same engine and gearbox as used in the Seltos, Creta, Carens, Elantra and Alcazar. 4-cylinder diesel engine with TC gearbox is refined, frugal and powerful at the same time. Price difference OTR between diesel and petrol Sonet is hardly 78k. A good alternative to consider if you are OK with a diesel.

The new Brezza is a decent choice although it feels a bit pricey. The Urban Cruiser at its current price is absolutely VFM.

Here's what BHPian yedukrishnan199 had to say on the matter:

I second @bijims views here. The S-Cross, although did not set the sales charts on fire was the most premium car from the Maruti stable, it was let down by high pricing initially and its crossover stance never really got over against the SUV-like stance, features and overall better packaging that the Creta and other competitors had to offer. With the way prices of cars have skyrocketed, the S-Cross and Urban Cruiser seem excellent value for money for what they offer.

However, if you want a more updated Compact SUV with all the bells and whistles, the Sonet Diesel AT in HTX Variant is a great choice indeed. The new Brezza in its VXI AT trim is also a good buy if you are looking for an updated model.

Here's what BHPian ajayc123 had to say on the matter:

A notable distinction is that the S Cross is a 4-speed AT while the Brezza is a 6-speed AT if that matters.

Also, you should research a bit more on the fuel efficiency of CVT vs Torque Converter based AT if fuel efficiency is a priority.

CVT may be more suited to sedate driving style while TQ based AT will be more suitable for more responsive driving.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.