Replacing my 3 diesel cars in NCR with 2 new ones: Exploring options

Sold the Polo and Vento recently. The Pajero Sports we will be transferring to family located in Madhya Pradesh.

BHPian nutcracker recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I'm a Diesel head from Delhi - NCR region who bought 3 gem diesel cars in 2014, the Polo and Vento 1.5, and Pajero Sports.

I got screwed over by the NGT laws which came in around 2017-18.

This was my mileage over 9 years:

• Polo. 1,90,000 kms
• Vento: 1,95,000 kms
• Pajero Sports: 95,000 kms

Sold the Polo and Vento recently. The Pajero Sports we will be transferring to family located in Madhya Pradesh.

Now I looking for 2 vehicles, one for me and one for dad. We need these vehicles asap. As you can see my mileage figures, our running is high, so diesel always made sense. Plus me and my dad both have heavy right foots if you know what I mean. We also don't want our new cars to be step back in terms of power and quality.

A third car I will purchase later for my wife. Right now, it is 2 cars we need, and we need them soon.

Ideally, I am looking at one electric and one diesel (does it even make sense to buy a diesel car right now?). The electric can be used to daily city runs (around 70-80kms daily) and the ICE can be used to touring.

Our cumulative budget for both the cars is around 40-45 lakhs maximum.

We prefer solid cars which are built to last. A good music system is important for atleast one car. Automatic is a must (I prefer manual but...dad and wife lol). Sunroof is NOT important to me.

We even booked the Kia Seltos Diesel top model, paid the advance and all, but I feel the Kia isn't safe enough for the highway and I will always be stressed when my dad takes it touring (he is almost 65 years old). Although I liked Seltos, I felt the asking price (22L) is high for its size.

Other cars I have test driven:

• Grand Vitara Hybrid: makes practical sense, but is too flimsy, boring to drive. I was shocked to see how empty the engine bay was. And almost all the body parts and panel had some amount of flex in them.
• Tata Harrier: Really premium interiors, the diesel auto feels great to drive. Loved the dashboard, display, really everything about the car. But dishing out 27 big ones on Tata brand, especially after all the horror stories regarding maintenance keep me away from the brand, despite me being a strong proponent of Indian brands. Maybe some owners can Change my mind?
• Jeep Compass 4x2 Diesel Automatic Longitude: SOLID car. But again, horror stories regarding reliability. Somehow I also felt the Automatic Diesel gearbox isn't tuned that well too. Lots of sporadic upshifts and downshifts. Also, asking price is high considering the features that are being offered.
• Hyundai NEW Creta: Will TD soon.
• Honda Elevate: Will TD soon.
• Tata Punch EV New: Will TD soon.
• MG ZS EV: really like it. The base model seems the way to go at 23L. But somehow with EVs I would prefer a pure EV than a ICE converted to EV.
• BYD Atto 3: Loved the car. Entire family loves it. It fulfils every need. Built really well. good range. Safety features. Good audio. But....the price. 37L OTR is steep. Oh how I am losing my mind
• Tata Nexon EV: liked the car, but not keeping it an option due to the same reasons as the Harrier.
• XUV700: Havent test ridden but strictly a no-no. I did a road trip across Karnataka on an XUV 500 and honestly after the Pajero Sport that car felt like a downgrade by 3 or 4 levels in each and every aspect, including grip, body roll, handling. I'm not even going to the level of finishing and interiors. Plus I have sat in a friends XUV 700 and he is just sick of his car. He says it spends more time in the workshop due to niggling issues. Even the audio system of the AXL top variant feels so underwhelming and really cheap.
• Scorpio N: Has a lot going for it due to body-on-frame and diesel. But the diesel dilemma stays. Might test drive. Change my mind about Mahindra?

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

Your running is very high. You most definitely need an EV & either a diesel or a fuel-efficient petrol. Wouldn't recommend big petrol SUVs like the XUV700 since they are guzzlers (plus, you didn't like it either).

IMHO:

BYD Atto 3: Since you & your family loved it, go for it. BYD is the king of EVs worldwide and they recently surpassed Tesla globally too. With a realistic range of ~400 km, you can get away with some highway road-trips too. Use it in the city for laughably low fuel costs. Use it on the highway & plan your charging carefully (road-trips possible, but with a little planning & appetite for inconveniences).

Second choice = Innova Hycross. It's simply a fantastic MPV. Quick, practical, efficient, comfortable.

Never forget the golden rule, buy the better car & keep it for longer. I reckon you can easily get 15 years of service from either of the above cars.

That leaves us with about 10-15 lakh for your other car. Either a used Sonet Diesel AT (if you get the Atto 3) or a new Sonet Diesel AT (if you get the Innova Hycross).

Summary:

BYD Atto 3 + used Sonet Diesel AT (also be on the lookout for good examples of a Creta or Seltos Diesel AT).

OR

Innova Hycross + new Sonet Diesel AT

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

I'm not sure why diesel Toyotas are not on your list. You should definitely consider used examples of Fortuner and Innova Crysta 2.8. That diesel engine is a lot of fun, while the cars themselves are built to last. You can pick a 3-4 year old Fortuner/Innova Crysta and run it into the ground till the 10-year deadline. If it still has life left after that, you can retire the Pajero and move this car to your hometown.

Given the 2.8's fuel efficiency, especially with your heavy right foot, the second car will have to be fuel efficient for daily driving. In Delhi, it's not advisable to have an all-diesel garage. So you should prioritize petrol hybrids and EVs for the second car. Even petrol cars nowadays offer liveable fuel economy of 12 km/l or so in city driving conditions, if you drive carefully. Ideally, 14-15 lakhs will get you a decent petrol automatic with all the bells and whistles. With EVs in this budget, you'll have to settle for the likes of Tiago and Punch which will be too much of a downgrade. If your daily commute is limited to city confines, the strong hybrid variants of Grand Vitara can also be considered for a slightly higher price.

Here's what BHPian ashivas89 had to say on the matter:

Highway car: Innova Hycross Hybrid VX (30 L OTR Delhi) or VX(O) (32L). You recover the premium by driving it for an additional 5 years over a diesel with the benefit of diesel like economy. Pretty potent too, when you step on it.

City car: Nexon EV (Entry level @ 15L) or wait for the Punch EV (Top end at 15L?).

OR

City car: Honda city hybrid (ZX top end at 23L)- The City's hybrid powertrain is better than the one in the Hyryder/Grand Vitara.

Highway car: XUV 700 AX5 (Good feature haul stopping just short of gimmicky stuff) Diesel AT- They have really moved the game along significantly. The 700 is quite different from the 500. You will be sold on it if you give it a TD. You can also look at the equivalent Scorpio.

Please note that I have included one Japanese car to balance out any potential downtime with the Indian car.

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

I empathise, I know what it is like to build a sweet garage and have it all ruined by the NGT. The way things stand, heavy users like me and you are essentially screwed. We need the economy of diesel, but that makes zero financial sense nowadays. You know firsthand what pennies we get for our lovingly maintained diesel cars. And you never know what further restriction comes in, in future.

My take on your options is:

• Harrier: only reason to avoid is the fact that it is a diesel. And that’s a big issue. Otherwise it’s a mighty fine car. Upkeep is never going to be an issue in for a Delhi NCR based person, there are plenty of dealers and many good FNGs around.
• Compass: best avoided for your kind of usage. Maintenance is eye wateringly expensive. I have a diesel manual. Regular service costs around 30k. Things like clutch set will run into a lakh rupees. Ditto for injector issues. The car demands Mercedes money for upkeep.
• Grand Vitara: boring to drive, yes, but makes a lot of sense otherwise.
• XUV700: another fine car, but again, diesel!! The petrol will be too expensive to run for such heavy usage.
• ScorpioN: same as above.
• Creta facelift: you can always TD the Seltos to get a fair idea, both cars are more or less identical to drive nowadays. But which powertrain option? Diesel is a no go, and the petrols will have heavy drinking costs.
• Elevate: I’ve just sold my Gen4 City, on which the Elevate is based. I assure you, the car does not age well. These modern day Hondas are very good for daily urban commute, light usage. Your kind of driving demands better built and sturdier vehicles.
• Nexon EV: it’s a very good car. I have bought it to replace the City. No reason to reject it just for the Tata brand. Pls understand that Tata is the best in the market today when it comes to EVs, sub 20L.
• Atto3: if you are willing to spend so much, well, there really isn’t quite anything like it. But it will screw up your budget for the second car. If you go down this road, you will have to settle for something like Baleno or Exter as your second car. The only catch here is the resale, which is basically an unknown - The car is expensive, a slow seller, rare on roads and the manufacturer is Chinese. You very well know that when you want to sell, the market is purely sentiment driven.

My suggestion to you will be to approach this practically, and make things future proof. Look for an EV and a hybrid combination. If I were you, my combination for 45L in order of preference would be

Hyryder/GV hybrid + ZS EV.

ZS over Nexon solely because of the slightly bigger battery and support for 50kw DC charging, which makes long distance trips very convenient. If the EV will be city based, get the Nexon eyes closed.

Innova HyCross VX + Punch EV

Either way, the EV will more than make up for the fun quotient that the hybrid will be lacking.

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

My suggestion is to go for one good Japanese and one Korean brand. Don't go for either Indian or Chinese brands like BYD etc. There's no future for BYD in India. No one buys them. They might withdraw anytime they want. This applies to MG also. For Korean I would bet on Hyundai rather than Kia. Kia Seltos which I tried had horrible suspension which was spongy and soft. A combination of Verna DCT (or i20 N) and a Hycross Hybrid is a good where one is a economical highway cruiser and another is a great low slung/compact city drive. There is no reliable or I should say niggle free ev under 20 lakhs. The only issue is the budget. This might go beyond the 45 lakhs.

Here's what BHPian asit.kulkarni had to say on the matter:

I really doubt you will enjoy driving the Hycross. It's still a NA petrol with CVT. Coming from fun turbo-diesels, it's going to be a lousy experience. Since you have maintained a Pajero Sport, The Jeep Compass honestly shouldn't be an issue for you. The AT won't have typical DMF related issues. I feel the Compass diesel AT + a small EV should fit the bill perfectly.

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