Our requirements were simple, a comfortable 7-seater, preferably diesel within 20 Lakhs.

BHPian kaustavguha recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone, this is my first ever review/ report on Team BHP so kindly bear with me and correct me where I have made mistakes.

I have tried to divide the post into various sections to make It easier to navigate.

The need

• We were proud owners of a 2016 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZXI+ which was serving us well, we bought it in February of 2016 just after the facelift for the 1st generation Ertiga was launched, back then our running was quite low because I was still doing my masters and did not need a car to commute to college and my father doesn’t drive and did not want to hire a driver to commute to work hence we picked the petrol version(Maruti still sold diesels back then.)
• Fast Forward to 2020, COVID-19 happened, and both my father and started commuting to work together in the Ertiga after the lockdown was relaxed for obvious fears of travelling by public transport.
• I am a 1st generation driver in my family so using a car for daily commutes was never something we ever thought of until the pandemic.
• Our workplace is roughly 50 kms from home and we were clocking close to 2000 kms a month!
• For the 1st 4 years of the Ertiga, it had run 19 k kms, and the year after it had run close to 25 k kms just in 1 year!
• The need for a diesel/ car with better mileage began in early 2022 when the Ertiga clocked 45 k kms.

The search

• As in most Indian families, no matter how old you are, you need the blessings of your parents before taking any big decision and in June of 2022, we began our search after my parents and better half agreed to a new car.
• Our requirements were simple, a comfortable 7-seater, preferably diesel within 20 Lakhs.

The test drives

Mahindra XUV 700

• The first car that came to my mind was the new XUV 700, in my opinion, it was a really good-looking car with a spacious interior and a premium up-market feel; I went to the Mahindra dealer closest to home and was promptly offered a test drive of the diesel automatic.
• The drive was really good, the AC was really good (quite an important deciding factor as I live in Kolkata), the boot space was really good with the last row folded down and the car had a great road presence. When asked when I get the car, the SA said that there is a minimum of 6 months waiting for the diesel auto but the wait could be more. Quite disheartened by the wait, I decided to explore some other options.

Hyundai Alcazar

• Went to the Hyundai showroom, and asked for the TD of the Alcazar, the SA said that the diesel TD car was unavailable and I did not want to TD the petrol one because I had no intentions of buying a petrol; however I sat in the display vehicle in the showroom and I have to say, the interiors feel like that from a segment above, but the 3rd row is quite cramped, there isn’t much space, although we will rarely need it, I still wanted a spacious 3rd row, after some thought decided to drop the Alcazar.

Kia Carens

• Right next to the Hyundai Showroom is Eastern KIA, this time I took my wife along with me so that I could come to a conclusion.
• Had already talked to an SA over the phone and he said that the TD cars would be available.
• After reaching the showroom, we were shown a Diesel Manual Carens, at that point in time I was not even considering the automatic.
• Drove the car for a good 15 kms and the SA kept explaining the different features to my wife and me throughout the drive and he never asked me to cut the TD short.
• Returned to the showroom and asked about the waiting period for the Luxury Plus 7-Seater Diesel Manual, the SA said on the booking form it would be 24 weeks but we may be able to get one within 8 weeks.

Went home and after a discussion with my parents we decided to book the car, the following Saturday we went to the showroom, showed the car to my parents and the SA offered another TD, we happily went on another TD and now everyone was on board.

Came back to the showroom and booked a Carens Luxury Plus 7-Seater Diesel Manual in Imperial Blue.

The slight hiccup

• We had booked the car in the last week of June and in the 1st week of September our SA called me and asked me to come for PDI, overjoyed I went to the showroom the very next day but I saw that Kia had started providing one smart key along with the cars and the second key would be provided within 6 months, I found this to be unacceptable, in some unfortunate incident if the smart key is lost or damaged, the car can only be unlocked with the second key, but it cannot be started; I told the SA I have no issues in waiting but I want both the keys along with the car; the SA agreed after some back and forth with the GM.

The Delivery

• In early November I got a call from the SA and he said that a Carens Luxury Plus 7-Seater Diesel Automatic in Imperial Blue was available and I could have it immediately, I was a bit confused as I had never driven an automatic before, but I also wanted the car and the price difference wasn’t that much of a concern, so I asked for a TD of the automatic.
• After the TD I really wanted the automatic, the convenience it provided in city traffic and it was very smooth in the shifts (it is a torque converter).
• We finalised the car after PDI and the registration-related formalities were done and the 28th of November 2022 was decided as the D-Day.
• We arrived at 3 PM at the showroom, and after a quick second PDI, checked all the documents and the accessories requested; we went for the delivery.

The Likes

• Very spacious for a family of 4, being a large individual, space was a priority.
• The A/C is an absolute chiller; even for the 3rd row occupants thanks to the roof-mounted A/C Vents.
• The 2nd row type C charging ports.
• The ventilated seats.
• The upmarket and premium feel of the interiors, the piano black dash looks like that from a segment above.
• The torque converter AT box is smooth.

The Dislikes

• At 20 Lakhs+ OTR a 360-degree camera would have been nice.
• The headlights are good for the city but on the highways, they feel quite dim.
• A fabulous infotainment system but no wireless Android Auto/ Apple Car Play?
• At that time the UV Cut glasses were not being offered, a necessity in the era sun-film ban.
• The gauge cluster is a bit basic for a car at this price.

Despite the dislikes, the Carens fit our requirements and budget the best, hence no other cars were given a second thought.

The booking and delivery experience was really good at Eastern Kia Newtown, Kolkata; they were courteous and attended to most of my requests.On the day of delivery took a nice pen for the SA and his team leas and a box of sweets for the dealership.

The cost break-up:

• Variant: Kia Carens Luxury Plus Diesel Automatic 7-Seater
• Ex-Showroom Kolkata 17,99,900.00
• Road Tax. 1,79,990.00
• Registration 740.00
• Insurance 62,605.00
• Accessories 7,496.0
• Extended Warranty 26,532.00 (4th and 5th Year, Unlimited km)

• Fastag 500.00

Total 20,77,763.00

No discounts were being offered at all, the showroom provided me with the 3D Mats complementary.

I opted for the lifetime road tax, in West Bengal you can choose to pay the road tax at 5-year intervals or lifetime as it made more sense to me.

I opted for the Extended Warranty for unlimited kms 4th and 5th year as Kia is still new to the Indian market and I just wanted that peace of mind; unlimited kms because my running right now is quite high; 2000-2500 kms per month, mostly on the highway.

The safety

• The car has a lot of safety features as standard like ABS, EBD, Hill Hold, Hill Decent control, and 6 Airbags.
• It did score a 3-star safety rating which is a bit concerning but I always take GNCAP ratings with a pinch of salt.

The Features

This is probably the best part, the feature list goes on and on, I will try to list the most prominent ones:

• Ventilated seats, work really really well.
• Apple Car play is really difficult to imagine the infotainment without it.
• The 10.8-inch infotainment system is really smooth.
• The Bose sound system, for someone like me, who isn't an audiophile is very good.
• The ambient lights look soothing at night and the brightness and colour can be controlled.
• The Keyless entry makes everything a lot more convenient.
• Charging ports in every row.
• The reverse camera is of very high definition and the adaptive guidelines make life a lot easier.
• The front parking sensors are a lifesaver on narrow streets, although a 360-degree camera is missed!
• The front cup holders are cooled and in summer they are quite efficient in keeping a bottle of water cool.
• The driver's seat is adjustable for everything except the lumbar support.
• The Steering wheel is tilt and telescopic adjustable.
• Being an automatic the gear knob is nice and chunky, and the different positions are clearly demarcated and easy to understand.

• The driving modes do make a difference between throttle response and gear shifts quite noticeably between normal sport and eco.
• Kia Connect sends and alarm to your phone if you forget to lock your car or if a door boot or bonnet is open.
• With Kia Connect you can remotely do a lot of functions but most importantly lock, unlock, and start your car along with the A/C.
• The Automatic headlights and wipers work like a charm, and once you get used to it, it is difficult to remember to turn off the lights.

The looks

• I think the car looks very good for an MPV, especially in imperial blue(when clean).
• The DRL is large and very bright and they double up as indicators that in LED looks cool!
• The tail lights have a connected design which makes the car look very premium.
• Overall a very upmarket look for an MPV
• The built quality is good there are no creeks or squeaks anywhere in the car, and nothing shakes or rattles(as of now).
• The panel gaps are very consistent and the paint finish seems to be very good.
• The car comes with 16-inch alloys which IMO looks good in with the car, the MRF Wanderers are pretty good although for the next tire change, I will probably go for the Bridgestone B390s.

The Interior

• The interior is very well put together the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the piano black finish on the dash all look really good.
• The front seats provide good adjustment, anyone could be comfortable in this; under-thigh support is also good.
• The 2nd row is also adjustable and has very good knee and headroom; it is wide enough for 3 adults of average built.
• The cream colour seats go very well with the navy dash and door cards.
• The soft-touch part of the doors feels very good.
• The 2nd and 3rd row both have adjustable recline which is a major plus.
• Lots of bottle holders and cubbies for your cell phones etc.
• The 2nd row curtains are a good size and prove a good shield from the sun.

It is very easy to find a comfortable driving position and there are not many blind spots.

The boot is extremely spacious with the 3rd row folded down but with it up, a few mid-sized bags will fit.

The Performance

• With 250 nm of torque and a smooth auto box, it pulls and pulls, you will reach the speed limit before the engine runs out of power.
• The torque converter auto box is really smooth, at 80 kmph the engine is at 1700 rpm which is very fuel efficient.
• If you need to overtake and you floor the accelerator the gearbox shifts down pretty quickly.
• If you put it in sport mode the car will hold gears longer and also the throttle feels more responsive.
• The brakes have a good bite to the pedal and the braking performance is also good.
• The engine is super silent for a diesel, most petrol bunk attendants mistake it for petrol.
• I have driven the car for 30 k kms at the time of writing this and most of that has been on the highway.
• The car is reasonably easy to manoeuver in city traffic but on narrow streets, it gets a bit tricky.
• The NVH levels are good, you hardly hear any road noises or wind noises.

The all important kitna deti hain?

• The mileage in city traffic is 12 kmpl and on the highways, if driven conservatively it will return 16 kmpl.
• This is with my driving style.
• The ride quality is very good, feels a lot better than the Ertiga.
• It absorbs small bumps on the road very well, you will only feel the sharper ones.

The service

• For all the service and body work I went to Eastern Kia.
• At the 1k kms service it is just a basic checkup and wash, which took around 2 hours, the SA asked me if I had any issues with the vehicle, but I did not.
• The bill came out to zero and the car was washed very well.
• At the 10k kms service the usual work like engine oil, oil filter, air filter, ac filter was changed, I asked the SA to get the wheel alignment and balancing done as well. The labour was free on this service.
• The service took around 4 hours and pick up and drop was available but I decided to go in myself.
• The bill was Rs. 4,514.
• At the 20k kms service the same things were done and the SA recommended AC evaporator cleaning, I was skeptical at first but decided to get it done, and it did improve cooling, the route that I travel on has a lot of dust so I thought of getting it done. The labour was free on this service as well.
• I also got the wiper blades changed.
• The bill was Rs. 6,814
• At around 28 k kms there was a whistling noise coming from one of the front wheels, took it to the service centre and the front brake pads had nothing left in them and a small rock had got stuck between the brake pad and disc causing lines on the disc, the SA recommended to change the discs and the brake pads and I agreed.
• The bill came out to Rs. 16,789.
• At the 30 k kms I got all the wiper blades changed, the wheel alignment, wheel balancing, and the AC evaporator cleaned as mentioned earlier; this was in addition to the usual service jobs.
• The bill was Rs. 15,253
• Overall I am happy with the service experience.

The Body Shop Experience

• Unfortunately, in November of 2023, I had a slight graze with another car near home, and the rear right door was dented, sent the car for bodywork and there was a bit of delay due to the Diwali holidays but the work was done flawlessly and the insurance company paid for everything, I only paid the mandatory deductible.
• A few days after I got the car back, at a signal a Tata ace smashed against the left-side ORVM and broke it completely, thankfully no one was injured. This time as it was just the mirror, I did not want to go through insurance for this because it meant leaving the car with the service center again for 3-5 days, I asked the SA to paint the ORVM cover and let me know when it is ready to be fitted, and 2 days later I went in for around 10 mins and the job was done.
• Overall I am very happy with the car and would recommended it to anyone looking for a 7-seater in this price range.

Thank you so much for reading, if you have any questions please do ask!

A few pictures of the delivery and the blessings of the almighty at Adyapeath.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Hyundai and Kia aim to localize their EV battery production, specifically focusing on lithium-ion-phosphate (LFP) cells.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Exide Energy Solutions Ltd. to locally produce LFP batteries for EVs in India.

Hyundai and Kia aim to localize their EV battery production, specifically focusing on lithium-ion-phosphate (LFP) cells. The locally produced batteries will power their upcoming EV models in the Indian market.

The Kolkata-based Exide Industries Ltd. has been a major lead-acid battery supplier in India over the past 75 years. Exide Energy Solutions Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary, established in 2022. The company produces lithium-ion cells, modules and packs incorporating multiple chemistries and form factors.

Heui Won Yang, President and Head of Hyundai Motor and Kia’s R&D Division, said, “India is a key market for vehicle electrification due in part to the government’s carbon neutrality goals, which makes securing cost competitiveness through localized battery production crucial.”

It's called the iHeyLinkit CP908 for which I paid around $380 (+duties) via AliExpress and I am very happy with the device and its performance.

BHPian MadrasTurbo recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Background

In-car HU user experience, for me, is one of the very important aspects of a car, and though I was mostly satisfied with the OE HU on my Kia Seltos facelift, one thing that I was not a big fan of was the inbuilt Here Maps. It is not terrible but I have been so used to Live Google Maps on my previous car’s Android HU, that I really missed it on the new car. Changing the HU was out of the question, and was not even considered, but I started looking at the available options to integrate live Google Maps to the HU.

Options Considered

• Wired CarPlay/AA - This is the most straightforward way to get Google Maps and I am sure it would fit the bill for most of the users. I was also using this, but always missed the convenience, that I was used to, of just being able to use the application without a phone.
• Wireless CarPlay/AA with a dongle - Costs anywhere from ₹6,500 and goes all the way up to ₹9,000 for some models. Has the same issues as the wired counterpart, but on top, it takes a hit on the phone's battery, and if charged wirelessly, the phone heats up sometimes. I know many Kia/Hyundai users use such dongles and have a lot of positive feedback, so this option is also worth looking into.
• Side loading .apk by accessing the engineering mode - While I was reading online, I came across an interesting thread on xda-developers where someone got access to the engineering mode and could sideload apks directly to the OEM HU. Though I badly wanted to do this, it was not that straightforward, and Kia has been making it harder and harder to access the engineering mode from what I am able to read. But also, with an OTA update, the side loaded apps most likely have to be reloaded. Also, there were other concerns like keeping the application updated, warranty woes, etc. So I dropped this idea.
• Plug and Play Android Car Box a.k.a. CarPlay AI Box - Basically, an external device that uses the wired AA/CarPlay protocol to run a full-fledged Android OS. Interestingly it also supports wireless CarPlay/AA through an application. Now this was the option that could potentially give me the same experience that I had with a proper Android HU, without having to tamper with anything in the car. So I decided to buy one.

What to buy and from where?

There are a good number of options, and I am also seeing more local brands that generally rebrand and sell Android HUs, offering this product under various names - Smart AI Box, AI Car Box, Android Box, etc. But the problem was the pricing. In India, the local distributors seem to have a good markup (understandable as they have to extend warranty, support), and the prices for known brands like Carlinkit and Ottocast sometimes can even be close to ₹30,000.

Honestly, I do not mind spending money on accessories like this which I would not be changing often, and buying an inferior specced product would ruin the experience, and in the end, I may end up not using it at all. I try not to regret buying something. I paid around ₹25,000 including duties for an Android Head Unit 5 years back for my old car, as at that time, there was no one selling an OE fit for my car which was not so popular but also did not have high specs for the generic units. The product was expensive but it never gave any trouble till the day we had to part with our car.

When I was looking at the various products offered I noticed that the specs for a lot of them were identical, but they looked different and had a different name. It became clear that this is very similar to Android HUs, where brands procure from a handful of manufacturers with their custom branding or casing. So I now just needed to find the right product and buy it from the right seller who offers good support and pricing.

I started looking through AliExpress and Alibaba for these products and there were so many options to choose from at prices as low as $50 all the way up to $400. After talking to multiple sellers and watching multiple videos and reviews online, I could generalize the products based on the processor used. There can be other products out there but the majority of them use the following chipsets.

Snapdragon-based

• QCM6490 - Expensive but one of the best available options today, supports 5G, for EU and Asia. Also supports Wifi6E.
• SD662(6125) - Best VFM Chipset, supports 4G and should be the choice of most buyers.
• SD665(6115) - Good performance, supports 4G and slightly cheaper than QM6125.

All the chipsets mentioned above are octa-core processors, There are other Mediatek and Rockchip based boxes that are slightly cheaper but might offer a different UI, or functionality.

Based on information available online, I was very impressed by the performance and features that the QM6490 based boxes offered and I was convinced that this was the one that I wanted to buy. No seller in India offered this product, so I had to import it directly from China. I have good experience with ordering stuff from China in the past, but that was all through AliExpress. Now, it is a little more challenging to order from China as most sellers do not want to ship single items on their own and the buyers as well have little to no protection.

I got in touch with a company called “iHeylinkit”, and what I really liked about them was the support that they offered. I had a lot of questions and was always given a detailed and polite answer to all my questions. I ordered the QM6490 based box from the same seller, which is called the “iHeyLinkit CP908” for about $380 (+duties) via AliExpress to my EU residence. I believe it is also sold by other companies and you can find the product as “Exploter ApplePie Rocket”, “Navlynx ApplePie Rocket” etc.

The seller informed me that they would be willing to ship directly to India, so if anyone is interested, please take a look at their product line-up. You can reach them at +86 158 7619 4110 on WhatsApp.

Disclaimer

I am not linked to the company/seller in any way. I fully paid for my goods, and my review of the product is solely based on my personal experience. Also important to note, I did not order directly and used AliExpress and had full buyer protection. So if anyone happens to buy directly, please be aware of all the possible risks and if possible, share your experience in this thread.

iHeylinkit CP 908

I will start with the overall pros and cons and then go into the details for those interested.

PROS

• Full Android 13 based OS
• Outstanding performance with zero lags
• 8GB RAM with 128GB UFS2.1 storage with the ability to add a micro-SD card up to 128GB
• Dual BT 5.2
• Super quick boot time (less than 15 seconds)
• Built in GPS
• Wireless Android Auto/Apple Carplay
• 5G connectivity
• Wi-Fi 6E
• HDMI Output which is capable of outputting different content for the HU and the rear entertainment unit
• In-Car Wi-Fi Hotspot
• Supports use of OEM GPS data (for supported cars)
• Integrates well with steering controls including the voice commands
• Full access to Google Play Store
• Supports accessories like an air remote(+$20), which can enable the rear seat passengers to control volume, change tracks, and also use the voice commands from the remote. I found this useful
• Split screen support to have more than one apps open

CONS

• $$$. Costs over ₹30,000. With shipping and duties, it can be significantly higher
• UI/UX. The hardware is so capable but the implemented UI/UX out of the box is very poor. System navigation, bloatware, old security patch with an OS that is already almost 2 years old now
• SIM card is not used only for data but also has messaging and calls like a normal phone. Maybe this is useful for someone but I cannot wrap my head around getting calls in the car from the sim I installed for data. No way to uninstall the phone and messaging app. I have now resorted to call-barring and removed messaging permissions for the applications
• Hotspot has to be turned on every time manually, and there is not even a quick toggle. I resorted to using Tasker to trigger on boot
• Device can heat up quite a bit, so it is important to place it in a well-ventilated area
• By default, while using wired Android Auto, pressing the voice command button on the steering once, opens Kia’s voice command, and long pressing opens the assistant, but for some reason both actions only trigger the assistant with this box. Maybe I am missing some configuration, but I was not able to find a way to make this work properly

Unboxing

The product came well-packed with an external cardboard box and bubble wrap. The product box is relatively small and was surprisingly well made. The box contained the following items.

• The device itself
• USB Type A to Type C cable - Used to connect to the car's wired Apple CarPlay port
• USB Type A+Type A to Type C Y Cable - Some cars do not have sufficient power output to power this device, and in this case, additional power needs to be supplied through the Y cable
• USB Type A to USB Type C Adaptor - For cars with type-c input for CarPlay
• Mini HDMI to HDMI - To connect an external monitor like a rear entertainment unit using a full sized HDMI port
• SIM Ejector Pin - To remove the SIM and memory card tray

Boot, Setup, Tweaks and pre-installed apps removal

I used the USB A to USB C cable to connect to the CarPlay port. I was a little worried because many of the users had reported that they had to use the Y cable for additional power to power the device. I wanted to avoid this as first it then takes two USB ports but also it becomes a little too clumsy. But luckily, the power output was sufficient. The device lit up with colors changing from green to red to blue and it was really bright as well. Good thing is there is an option to change the LED color mode, and most importantly it allows you to completely turn the LED off.

It took about 25 seconds for the first boot because it automatically detects the device's resolution and restarts the device. Once it rebooted, I noticed that the resolution was too high, and it was not very usable as the fonts and the icons were small. There were also three big static widgets that were ugly and really was not looking good on the HU. There were also a lot of pre-installed applications.

I quickly realized the implemented UI was very archaic and needed a lot of tweaks. Since I have good experience with Android and customization in general, thanks to my Xda days, I started by seeing what options I had out of the box before deciding the need to root the device. Though I was still limited to how much I could customize, I could get to a point where I was happy without needing to root. A short list of the things that I did.

• Updated to the latest firmware. The firmware updates are done through an app and not the official Android system. But was surprising to see multiple updates as I expected none. The updates were mostly some minor fixes and updates, nothing major.
• Added an Airtel SIM Card and a 128GB SanDisk SD Extreme Pro SD Card.
• Removed all pre-installed applications like HBO Max, Waze etc.
• Turned off the ugly widgets.
• Increased the Magnification/Icon Size and Font Size.
• Turned off Right Hand Drive Mode - Because this aligns the applications in the app drawer to the right which is not very intuitive to use for me.
• Installed Tasker and added a profile to turn on the Wi-Fi Hotspot on boot.
• Enabled Call Barring to ensure that the SIM installed in the device does not get any incoming calls.
• Removed Calls and SMS permissions from all applications.
• Set default assistant to Google Assistant.
• Set default navigation to Google Maps.
• Setup Wireless AndroidAuto/Apple CarPlay through the ZLink app just in case.

Overall Performance and Initial Impressions

Hardware wise the device is impressive inside out. I have mentioned enough about the specs, but I must also mention that the casing feels very well made, light and easy to carry around if needed. Once I set everything up to my liking, it is a breeze to use the device. I just get in the car, use the voice command button on the steering to navigate to my destination and it works flawlessly. My phone is connected to the device’s Bluetooth normally for music and calls.

Performance-wise, the device is a lot quicker than I expected, in the sense, it boots up in parallel with the car's infotainment and in about 10-15 seconds, it fully boots up.

If you setup wireless android auto or Apple CarPlay with ZLink, then post boot up of the device it also automatically connects to AA/CarPlay all under 30 seconds. Another thing I noticed was that when played directly from the device the audio output is much better than any other input modes that I have tried. I am not able to figure out why this might be the case, as the box at the end of the day uses the same CarPlay port as my phone.

The 5G performance is exceptional, I consistently get over 150Mbps, and sometimes even recorded 500+Mbps. The hotspot also is WiFi6 so the connected devices also get access to good speeds.

All other android based car applications can be used, for example, I was able to install my dashcam app, making it easier to offload files to the SD card on board, change settings and view feed. One can also add a CANBUS-based device to connect with the device via Bluetooth, etc. Thinking slightly out of the box, the device also has some other out-of-car use cases, especially while travelling.

• Wi-Fi Hotspot.
• Can connect to any HDMI port in say a hotel TV/Airbnb to access all your content.
• Can also be paired with a mini projector.
• It can also handle some games like Asphalt and supports controllers too.

I am very happy with the device and its performance. I will consider rooting in the long run as that would open up a whole lot of options.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Good hardware, let down by mediocre software.

I am happy with the device but I cannot imagine an average user having to do all these tweaks to have an acceptable experience. The other problem is also powering the device itself, from what I read online, many of the older and some of the newer cars need the Y cable to provide sufficient power. If you want something that is the best available that money can buy, then do go ahead and buy it, but what I would recommend for others is the SD662 based box (called as iHeylinkit CP608 Ultra) for around $150-$170, which features the same UI, casing with HDMI out, and offers good acceptable performance, with 4G connectivity, which should be more than sufficient for all major use cases, I would also suggest talking to the vendor over WhatsApp to better understand the differences between all the available models, to select the one that would suit your needs best.

If you need only Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto stick with well-known adapters like Carlinkit as they are affordable and offer a no-nonsense experience out of the box. Autokit-based wireless AA/Carplay implementations generally perform better than ZLink. Ottocast and Carlinkit also have their own custom skin on the UI which in my opinion is better than the generic ones. You will be paying more for these brands, but it may be worth it as it can save a lot of hassle.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I have been driving my new Hyundai for the past 15 days and only clocked 450 km till now, and I just love the car!

BHPian sumeetchawla recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey everyone!

So I thought I would write about my entire car-buying journey. TeamBHP has been of immense help with the whole process and I have been posting about it since last year.

The Search

So I owned a Grand i10 since 2014. But wanted to change the car to a new one since last year. Finally, my friend (who was also looking for his first car) and I started checking out various cars and visiting showrooms for test drives. But I was super confused.

I wrote a very detailed post about it back in May of 2023. Mentioned what all I tested and my thoughts about every SUV I tested. I am not re-writing it here.

Both my friend and I decided on the Creta and finally booked it. I booked the SX(O) and he booked the SX variant. I would have loved the new one. Alas, it was still a year away and I didn't want to wait so much.

But then due to a close family emergency, I had to postpone my decision to buy the car. The SA was very nice and helped me cancel my booking easily and refunded the entire amount.

Time passed and then in July, the new Seltos dropped. I liked the Creta in general due to better comfort, suspension and given that I was a Hyundai user for over 10 years. Still, was excited for the Seltos reveal. They have a very nice marketing team. The Seltos was revealed and I just loved the interiors! It had everything I wanted and which was missing in the old Creta (360-degree camera, ADAS etc). I booked it instantly using the K-Code thing they launched at that time.

Went to checkout the car and loved the green colour. Even took it for a test drive later. But I don't think one test drive was enough to decide on the comfort level. It was the DCT Turbo and it was a thrilling experience to drive it!

Then came the problems. The Kia SA was kind of useless. He had 0 knowledge about stuff and was not as helpful as the previous Hyundai SA I had. Nevertheless, I kept waiting for the car. I thought only 1900 or so people booked the Seltos via the K Code and they would get priority delivery. Oh boy, was I wrong. I booked in July and there was no car in sight till September. While everyone else who booked directly via the dealer was getting deliveries everywhere, my car was nowhere in sight. Even though I booked via K Code, I made a booking via the dealer too. But still no progress. This made me angry as a customer and especially about Kia in general.

Finally, in September, my patience dam broke when the SA told me that the car would come by the end of October. I instantly cancelled the booking. I was anyway not very comfortable with the Seltos because it was only available in Turbo and DCT in the top model. I did not want to go with DCT as most of my driving is within the city. Also, the budget was over-stretching to 23.5 or something. The delay in delivery and the bad experience from the showroom gave me another excuse to just cancel it. I thought it was already October and the new Creta should drop next year. So I dropped all my plans to buy a car that year. Even the refund experience was so bad compared to what I faced at the Hyundai showroom. The SA told me that they could not refund online and I had to go to their showroom to collect the cheque. They also deducted Rs 2500 or something.

Then came January and Hyundai dropped the announcement for the new Creta. My eyes lit up again and the urge to buy the car re-ignited. As soon as I saw the car reveal, I fell in love with it and instantly called up my old Hyundai SA (the good fellow). I told him I wanted to book it instantly. Visited the showroom by the end of January to check the car out in person and booked it then and there itself. The SA promised me that I should get the delivery by the end of February. During the booking, I got some mats and mud guards added as free gifts too. With the option of upgrading to a 3D mat at a discount during delivery. I booked the dual-tone SX(O) IVT version as my mom always loved dual tones very much. Was kind of sad that only black and white dual tone was available and no silver option.

After Booking

The first thing I did after booking was find ways to sell my old car. I tried both Cars24 and Spinny. The quotation they give on the site is useless and is always on the higher side. They come and evaluate the car first and then give a proper final quotation. I went ahead with Spinny as their quotation was better and the entire experience was pleasant. They block Rs 10k till the car registration is also transferred at the RTO. But everything happened very smoothly and I highly recommend Spinny. Finally, with a heavy heart, bid farewell to my first car. Here is the final image before the Spinny executive took the car away.

As promised, the car arrived by the end of February and my SA called me up for a PDI. I visited the stockyard and did a thorough PDI of the entire car. Checked all panels. Checked the panel gaps. Ensured that the km was low in the odometer (it was around 28 kms or something). Made sure all electronics were working correctly. Recorded a video of the entire process just for reference too. I would always recommend doing a PDI before taking delivery of a new car.

One thing I was pleasantly surprised about during the PDI was the chrome door handles. So on the official site, the dual-tone versions don't have chrome handles even in the top trim. That is mostly cause most dual tones don't have chrome handles. But when I went to do the PDI, I saw that all the handles were in chrome. Now this might be cause this is the first batch of cars and they went the extra mile or something haha. Before the PDI, I tried searching for the new Creta dual tone all over the internet but couldn't find a single image.

Here is the official image vs the handles on my car

The Delivery

Another surprising thing that happened was that the dealer asked me to get the insurance from outside. He even helped me get the ICICI insurance at a discounted rate. It has most of the essential add-ons. PolicyBazaar was quoting it around 59k and I got it at 52k. I wrote a separate thread on this.

I was happy with the PDI and went ahead with the delivery. When the first car was purchased, I was not in town so never experienced the car delivery process. I was as excited as a baby getting a new toy.

The delivery experience was also pretty smooth. They did all the formalities and explained the basics to me. I got the free mudguards and instead of taking the normal mats, I upgraded to the 3D ones at a discount. This was actually a mistake, to be honest. The official 3D mats from Hyundai don't cover the dead pedal area in the footwell. Whereas most other 3D mats online do. (though they come at double the price). I think that is a must as the original carpet area is getting exposed whenever I keep my feet on the dead pedal.

I was contemplating getting some coating done but most of them were quoting me too high. Like Ceramic Pro quoted me 50k for ceramic quoting. I wanted to get PPF done initially but I read at a lot of places that PPF on white does tend to appear yellowish after some time due to oxidation. I will most probably get selective PPF done like on the ORVMs and doors (cause I got a doggo). But will get this done later. Even if I do it now, they will do paint correction so I thought why not do it later and try to maintain the paint myself (later on this).

I also purchased the official screen protector from Hyundai. The dealer told me that his team won't be able to fix it and I didn't trust them much to ensure it's bubble-free. So I installed it myself and it was pretty easy.

Review

I have been driving the car for the past 15 days and only clocked 450 km till now. But I just love it! I have been driving a manual all this time and an upgrade to automatic was anyway a big upgrade. Manual has its own fun but, to be honest I just fell in love with driving an automatic. It takes out all the stress from driving in the city, especially with bumper-to-bumper traffic and so many speed breakers everywhere.

The car seating position is great. The electronic seating adjustment option is nice to have. I didn't have these many options with a manual seat. Like adjusting thigh support for example. The CVT drives butter smooth and the entire drive experience is very relaxed. The sports mode makes it a bit peppy but am not going above 2-2.5 rpm for now till the engine-break-in period is over.

The new connected displays look great. I find this to be better than the Seltos for some reason. I am able to see the instrument cluster properly from my seating position and also the display console area is a bit bigger vs Seltos. Mind you, the screen sizes are the same though.

The instrument cluster and the infotainment are very crisp and bright. The cluster has all the necessary information which is easy to follow. The infotainment is very user-friendly too. I was able to get the hang of it and play around with the settings very easily.

The Bose sound system is amazing. I have always read that people thought the Bose sound system of the Creta was a bit underwhelming but I didn't find it so. The base, treble everything is perfect and very premium sounding. I still haven't played it loudly while driving so can't give a better review yet haha. There are options in the setting which allow you to auto-reduce the volume if some safety message comes or while parking.

I found the TPMS to be a bit weird. At first, I filled normal air at 33psi. But while driving it showed 35-36psi. So later I got the nitrogen one filled in all the tyres. When I start the car, after driving it for a while it shows 33-34. But then later on sometimes it shows 35-36. Maybe it depends on the temperature of the tyre too? Am not sure. If someone experienced can comment on this, I would really appreciate it.

360 Degree Camera:

It works brilliantly and is very accurate. I found the 3D version of the 360 camera mostly useless for now. For some reason, it does not show dogs or humans in that mode. The most useful version was the drone view and the front top view. I have set it in the settings such that whenever the speed is below 10 and something comes near my car, the camera automatically starts along with the front parking sensor. Very useful on super crowded roads.

ADAS:

It amazes me how far we have come in terms of technology. While I was doing the PDI, the Hyundai staff at the stockyard was telling me that ADAS is useless but after driving it for 15 days, I fell in love with it. The Lane Departure Warning (LDW) automatically activates whenever the lines are available on the road. It kind of assists you in the background and makes you a better driver. Like one day I was coming down from a flyover and I slightly drifted to the centre as the flyover was empty. The steering wheel slightly nudged me back into my lane and showed a message that I was leaving my lane. It's not like an interfering nudge. You can easily overpower it and do whatever you are doing.

The Blind-spot Collision - Avoidance Assist (BCA) & Blind-spot Collision Warning are pretty great to have. Specially, when anyone is opening the doors and a car is coming from behind, it kind of gives an alarm and the ORVMs light up. Also very helpful while driving as it keeps you aware of your blind spots.

The Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) is fun when I am riding on flyovers as they are properly marked. I live in Kolkata and not a lot of roads have proper markings. It just makes the driving more relaxed as the car auto nudges you to turn and keeps in the lane etc. Haven't tried this much in the city and can't wait to hit the highway.

High Beam Assist (HBA) is very easy to switch on. When you switch on the high beam, it first switches on the auto mode. So it automatically aligns the headlights based on the oncoming traffic. I see so many videos of people claiming that Creta headlights are not sufficient enough. I found them to be extremely good. Or may be cause I am upgrading from a 10-year-old Grandi10 so it feels like a huge upgrade.

Haven't seen much of Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA) as I usually pay attention and move when the car in front of me moves. I think I only saw this once but again, a good passive thing to have.

The rear collision warning and auto braking work great. It is sometimes a bit irritating when you are taking a U-turn in a busy single-way street in Kolkata though. It auto brakes as soon as I am taking a U-turn because some cycle or autorickshaw always tries to go past the car. But at least in the back of my mind, I know it will always try to prevent any collision if I miss anything. The worst part is when someone is standing behind the car and guiding you to come back. I had to open the window and tell him to move aside haha.

The assistant auto-announces children's crossing. You can turn it off in the settings but I have kept it on. It's not that irritating, to be honest. I even activated the feature where it announces speed breakers. Is not accurate every time and does miss a breaker here and there. But there are many unmarked speed breakers on Kolkata roads and are very irritating.

One thing I still haven't tested or am afraid to test is forward collision assist. The car was delivered with that switched off by default (or maybe the dealer staff did it). Now this includes the features: Forward Collision - Avoidance Assist - Car (FCA-Car) & Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Forward Collision - Avoidance Assist - Pedestrian (FCA-Ped), Forward Collision - Avoidance Assist - Cycle (FCA-Cyl), Forward Collision - Avoidance Assist - Junction Turning (FCA-JT).

The reason I am afraid to test it out in a city like Kolkata is because people just jump in front of the car to cross the roads. Or some random cyclist or an autorickshaw will overtake and cut in front of you. What am afraid of is the car will do a sudden brake and someone from behind will rear-end me. I have been watching YouTube videos about it and it seems it only works at certain speeds and when the collision is imminent. But am still scared. If anyone who has tried this before can share their experience, it will be really helpful.

The drive attention warning only came once when I was driving for more than 1.5 hours as it was office time and most of the roads were jam-packed.

Now coming to the best part about ADAS: the Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go (SCC with S&G). It was a bit scary to test it out but now that am getting the hang of it, it's so much fun! I think Hyundai is the only car company which allows smart cruise control activation for speeds above 10 kmph. So in free-flowing traffic I just set the speed and the car auto speeds and slows down. It still feels surreal and my feed is hanging over the break just to be safe. You can set the distance to be maintained between the front car. Only drawback is that the minimum distance is also a lot given the distances maintained in the usual city standards. So in bumper-to-bumper traffic, sometimes I need to stop it and manage it myself. The car behind me starts honking if I don't. Maybe I need some more time to get used to it. But that is definitely something I can see myself using a lot. Now club that with lane keep assist and it's such a comfortable drive. Can't wait to try out the highway.

Bluelink:

I found it to be okay. Using it via Alexa is too cumbersome and useless most of the time. Also, don't know how many times I would pre-start the car to cool it. Only useful feature I found was the surround view of the car when it's parked. Maybe any experienced Creta/bluelink users can share some more about it.

Some cons:

One of the biggest complaints I have for Hyundai is that they haven't provided adequate ambient light in a 20L+ car. They said their customer survey said that most customers don't want it but I think it's just cost-cutting. Ambient light does give a very premium feel to the cabin at night. The Alcazar had a similar cabin to the Creta and had such nice ambient lights. They could have given the same thing.

The piano black finish inside the console looks very premium but is very scratch-prone. I asked one of the PPF vendors if PPF can be applied to that. But given that it's electronic, it is not recommended.

Wireless charger - I was pretty intrigued to have a wireless charger as I never even used one at home. But it just heats up the phone and is mostly useless. I was expecting the holes to have some cooling effect but supposedly it doesn't. So I have just switched it off. I think wireless chargers are one of the most overrated features after the cooled glove box.

Wired Apple Car Play - This is such a bummer again. I really hope they can provide some OTA update to connect it wirelessly. Right now I use a short wire to connect to my phone and then I keep the phone in the wireless charger area. It does not even fit properly and is just an inconvenience.

Hyundai Maps - Pretty inaccurate sometimes and the POI suggestions are mostly wrong. Nothing can beat Google Maps.

Apart from these, I didn't find any other major negative to be honest.

Regarding Maintenance

I have instructed my society car washer to wash it only once initially. But now I have told him not to wash. I have been going into a rabbit hole on how to wash and maintain the car at home. Seeing so many videos feels like such a therapeutic process.

Example video

Also followed the car detailing thread over here.

For now, I bought a pressure washer. Turtle Wax foam shampoo and Turtle Ceramic Spray. Haven't yet done the wash myself yet but can't wait to try it out. Let's see how long my enthusiasm lasts to maintain and wash my car on my own. Excited nonetheless.

Here are some pictures of my beast. Will try to add some more later. Also, I think these are the first pictures of a dual-tone new Creta on Teambhp. I was looking for pictures all over the internet after booking but couldn't find any.

Thank you. Hope my experience helps anyone looking to buy a new car. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask.

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My 2022 Baleno gives 19 km/l in the city whereas my new Sonet iMT returns an average fuel efficiency of 10 km/l.

BHPian Harsh_sharma recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

500 km Initial impression

We purchased a Kia Sonet HTK+ 1.0 Turbo in Feb. Due to low running, I have only been able to clock 500 km a month. But still good enough for the initial impression. Just for context, I also have a 2022 Baleno, so few points will be compared to that.

Positives

Engine

I went with the turbo because I already have a 1.2NA in the garage. Being a 3 cylinder, I expected some vibrations. But it is very refined, it only feels rough on a cold start for about 1 minute. There is turbo lag up until 1500rpm, then things move swiftly. The turbo is felt above 2,000 rpm & it just goes. I have only pushed to 4,000 rpm as of now & the turbo pull/feel is great. I am sure it will solve my overtaking issue in the mountains with Baleno when fully loaded up.

Transmission

The middle way? Neither here nor there. Why would someone want or even invent the iMT? That is what my thoughts were beforehand. But after skipping the AMT in Baleno, I curse myself every time stuck in traffic. With Sonet I had made up my mind to not go with MT. DCT was out of budget, so iMT was the only option. And I was so wrong.

It is the best of both worlds. The left leg is always happy in traffic & the satisfaction of rowing through the gears remains! It was very easy to get used to, there is no head nod like AMT. The gearbox is fast & the gear shift is quick, I only feel the 1st to 2nd is not that quick/smooth. It crawls at 7-8kmph in traffic.

The convenience of even just dumping the clutch is 10 fold when you live in Delhi NCR. After getting used to it, I did grind gears in my Baleno on a few occasions.

High-speed stability & Suspension

To put it simply. 100kmph on Baleno is okay & above 100 is scary & nervous. 100kmph in Sonet is very calm & even 140 (did try once) is the same calm feeling. It just keeps pulling, there is very little road noise. The suspension feels tight & composed. It is a bit firmer than the Baleno, which strikes the right balance between handling & comfort.

Potholes are dealt better after I reduced the Tyre pressure from 40 to 34psi.

SUV Characteristics

Yes, we all know it is a raised hatchback. And that's what is required to deal with 95% of my running. So that I don't have to worry about scraping. I generally carry more speed in Sonet on the same broken roads than in Baleno. The view is commanding, I can see the hood & feel like I am sitting higher & confidence level is more than what I feel sitting inside the Baleno. Baleno has a low seat (at least feels like one).

Features & Interior

The HTK+ is loaded up as per my requirement. I bought the Baleno base variant, with the plan of making it Alpha Pro++ from Karol Bagh Wizardry. Yes, that didn't turn out very well & there is always something off. So with Sonet, I made sure I at least got some feel-good features.

Keyless Entry, Sunroof (My Wife specifically wanted this), Auto headlamps, good infotainment screen with Wireless AA/Carplay & all the standard safety features. I only miss cruise control which can be retrofitted very easily.

Also, the quality of the interior feels a segment or two above Baleno. The plastics, the way everything has been put together.

Negatives/Could be better

Mileage

Remember how I mentioned the crawling speed in traffic? Turns out the Sonet converts that 8kmph to 8kmpl. Jokes apart. I know it’s still in the Run-in period. But I come from a Maruti family all the way. Baleno gives 19kmpl in the city, I have my mindset rigged by it!

Sonet gives an average of 10kmpl in the city as of now. Max, I went up to 16kmpl on a less traffic day. Just stay below 2000rpm. But I did not get the 1.0 Turbo for that, so 10-11 is what I have settled with.

Space

The front row is sufficient & good. But the rear space is not as much as the Baleno. The front seats are scooped so you have decent enough leg space, unless there is someone tall. Thigh support is not that great too.

Auto Start/Stop

It seems to have a mind or logic of its own. It switches off the car in 1st gear when I come to a stop with the brake pressed. Then I shift to N & it wakes up again. So for it to work I have to keep the brake pedal pressed & stay in 1st which I think is not the ideal way.

All in all, I am satisfied with the purchase. I am planning to take it to the Highway & Mountains soon. So that I enjoy more of what this sweet little Engine has to offer.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I test drove the Kia and it felt like a more premium package than the Hyundai.

BHPian ShaanS recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Enter Kia into the mix...

I casually mentioned to my wife, after having almost finalized the Creta, that the only brand we haven’t looked at yet has been Kia, and with it being a sister to Hyundai the mechanicals and electronics should be the same, and we landed up at the nearest Kia showroom, almost at closing time. But to the credit of the sales advisor, he spent time with us, and set up a test drive for the next morning.

Seltos Turbo Petrol 1.5 DCT GTX

A little less polished in terms of the engine and transmission response times as compared to the VW / Skoda twins (especially when shifting from D2 to D3), which wasn’t as pronounced in the Sport mode. All the ADAS bells and whistles made it so that there’s a lot to look at and do while driving. In the ~7 odd Km TD track (a mix of longish flat stretches, inclines, potholed roads, sharp turns etc. that I chalked out with my home as the start and end point,) the 360 camera / blind view monitors made their presence known. Overall, it felt that it was a lot more bang for the buck when compared to the VW / Skoda twins, as well as the Creta. But the price was a bit too high for our wallet coming in at 24+ Lakhs on road, and the SA categorically said, no year-end discounts either.

Sonet

A close friend has the pre-facelift turbo with IMT, and he vouched for the car being great. We didn’t test drive, but since the facelift had already launched, we didn’t want to wait for the deliveries to start, especially given that my car’s exchange value would depreciate further with the turn of the year. Further, with the Sonet being a cousin to the Venue, and the rear also being more suitable for 4 rather than 5 (based on what we saw in the showroom), it didn’t really spark a lot of interest for us.

The Seltos GTX did seem a well-rounded package (especially with claims of reinforced chassis points in the facelift), and I kept toggling between the variants page on the Kia website, my bank accounts and my monthly expenses spreadsheet in trying to figure out what’s really different, and whether I could afford the additional 4 lakhs, from the initial budget that I’d set. I realized that the HTX IVT was essentially the same as the pre-facelift Creta SX (O) minus the Bose speakers, and the e-parking brake. Just for the heck of it, I spoke to another dealer (JSP KIA Hosur Road Bangalore) who said they could arrange for a TD of the facelifted HTX IVT.

I test drove the car, and inside, it felt like a more premium package than the Creta. Plus, the lighter interiors as compared to the GTX really opened up the cabin. I didn’t feel that the lack of Bose speakers or the e-parking brake were deal breakers. Icing on the cake was that the other dealer had a Pewter Olive (which was the colour that my wife picked) HTX IVT in stock, which had been delivered to them a couple of days back, and were willing to provide ~60K in discounts via a mix of insurance, accessories, corporate, year-end etc. discounts, leading to almost a 1 Lakh difference in what was quoted for the Creta vs the Seltos.

With that, we paid the booking amount and scheduled the PDI for the next day itself.

Later that night, I spent a lot of time tossing and turning, comparing in my mind the differences between the 2 GTXs (S and +) and the HTX IVT, and it kept boiling down to which variant would we as a family want to live with over a long duration (8 - 10 years horizon, that’s the time it’ll take for EV tech to really mature in my opinion, and for range anxiety to be a thing of the past.)

I visited the dealer again in the morning and had a very long chat with them. What I liked about that experience was that they never tried to push me against (or towards) one variant or another, and happily bounced off ideas, and compared the pros and cons of each of the variants with me.

This is what finally swayed the decision for me:

First, ADAS as a tech is great, and it’s at a degree of maturity as well, but in my opinion, our driving conditions aren’t suited for it yet.

Second, the Turbo engine is a great performer, but I honestly don’t need that much power on tap, especially in the city, and my highway drives are also going to be mostly sedate. The 1.5 NA should serve all my needs. I'm happy to report that this has been true in all of the driving I've done so far.

Third, the elephant in the room, the DCT. While Hyundai / KIA DCT failures don’t pop as much as VW / Skoda do, the tech is still the same, and the dealer did end up mentioning, that they do deal with issues on DCTs quite often, so it’s not unheard of. This gets further compounded as the majority of my drive is in bumper-to-bumper slow-moving traffic, which is what brings out the worst in DCTs/DSGs. I simply didn’t want to live with that anxiety hanging over my head.

With that, the dust finally settled, and the head won over the heart!

We got the financials rolling. There was a hiccup in between where the bank official generated a sanction letter with the incorrect type of rate of interest, which I caught before it was too late, so we lost a day in between and then 3 more due to the long Christmas weekend.

In between all of this, we were also looking to get in a quick year-end trip, and the initial plan was to take delivery on the 26th and proceed with our trip on the 27th, but with the delays, we ended up doing the trip in the Celerio itself.

We finally took delivery on the 31st of December and bid farewell to the Celerio alongside.

Attaching some pics of the delivery below.

Almost ready for delivery

Next to its X-Line sibling

Next to a grey GT-Line

The mandatory poses with the car!

The car cost me a total 20.72 Lakhs on road (as against 21.30 Lakhs initially quoted). In terms of accessories, I went for the standard accessory package, which included a fair bit of chrome, which I didn't initially like, but after seeing the overall outcome, I don't mind it anymore.

I didn't take the My Convenience package, but I do have the option of buying it now, but I'm seriously wondering if it's actually worth it. Anyone who's got it, please share your experience, and the value associated with it. I did, however, take the Extended Warranty for the 4th and 5th year with a maximum of 120,000 kms covered.

Post delivery, I got in touch with Ojas from Esperto Car Care (thanks to reviews elsewhere on the forum), and scheduled a ceramic coating. I went for their 3-year package, and Ojas also added PPF along the ORVMs, door edges, and a few other spots for added protection. He took ~2 days to return the car back to me, and shared regular updates during the process.

As mentioned earlier, I've gotten the 1st service done as well, and it was a fairly straightforward experience. JSP Hosur road took ~2 hours to run through their checklist and also do a 3M underbody coat (which was complimentary, as negotiated during the sale.)

In terms of accessories, I don't think I need anything major at this point, other than a screen guard for the console & mid, a steering cover, and maybe side steps (after having lived with the car for about a month, I think our parents will need the added convenience when they visit.)

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We wanted a 5 or 7 seater car and test-drove vehicles like the Toyota Innova Hycross and Mahindra XUV700. The Carens wasn't even on our list.

BHPian vvivek85 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Cars have always been an integral part of my life. I had an inclination towards cars right from childhood. I still remember my family getting me a Maruti 800 cake for one of my birthdays. I am blessed to have had opportunities to own multiple cars in the last 14 years.

It all started with a modest Maruti Suzuki Alto which we got way back in 2010. Since then we purchased a Hyundai Xcent in 2014, a Hyundai Venue in 2019 and the latest entrant to our family Kia Carens. Cars might have changed, but the passion and love that I have for cars have been the same all throughout these years. I always treat my car as how I treat my kid, I will go to any stupidest extent to keep him safe, my belief is if we take care with the utmost respect they will serve us forever.

Baring Alto, Team-bhp played an integral role in me choosing all of my cars and I was happy with them throughout their tenure with me. So, I wanted to contribute my little part to this wonderful forum, what better than penning a review? This is my first review, would try my best to capture all important points which could be of use to any potential customers.

Why a new car?

We are a family of 6, all this while on rare occasions when we all 6 go out as a family, my daughter was accommodating with my wife, dad and mom at the rear. Now that she is growing up we wanted to get a large 5-seater or a 7-seater.

EV or Petrol

We had fixed a budget of 20 Lakhs, and considering spending that amount is a huge affair for us, I started with the groundwork in 2022. During the initial phase I was more inclined to EVs, I was following the current launches to the future launches. At one point in time, I realised India as a country has a long way to go in EV infrastructure and all the more the upfront cost is on the higher side when compared to ICE counterparts. Lastly, currently, there isn’t a car in the market which fits my requirements, we have TATAs and Mahindras in the pipeline but I expect their cost to go north of 25L and their products aren’t confident inspiring; especially TATA. So, finally we decided it to be a petrol ICE, I am very particular about getting an automatic this time around as I am done with manual cars.

What car?

Now that I have decided on ICE, which car to get? Brands considered, Hyundai, Mahindra, TATA, Toyota and Kia.

TATA

I have been very vocal about TATA in this forum, I have always been a fan of their turnaround and their focus towards safety; so I wanted my next car to be from TATA. Considering that it is going to be a petrol, I followed Harrier / Safari petrol version very rigorously. That’s when they launched Nexon DCA last year, while following the review thread, the number of transmission issues faced by DCA owners is simply astonishing. For once, I decided to skip TATA this time around as well, because I am sure Harrier twins will have the new 1.5 turbo DCA, I don’t have the heart to put my money in a product which is prone to issues, no disrespect to any prospective owners here, with a heavy heart, I have to move away from one of the great looking cars in the country.

Mahindra

I test drove the XUV7OO diesel auto and below is the feedback which I gave in the review thread.

Top end is costing close to 30L, which was way out of my budget. Poor from Mahindra on not having an auto mid variant, AX5 auto 7 seater is not available in petrol. Had there been one, I would have considered the car.

Toyota

Innova Hycross wasn’t on my list, but we just test drove it.

For a brief period, I contemplated going for the base model which was around 25 L. Later knocked it off as I felt it was too barebones for its price and I am against spending 2.5 million just for the brand name.

Hyundai

I was following Creta facelift in anticipation that Alcazar facelift which is due this June will be 80% similar to Creta. I was very disappointed with Creta facelift, rectangular headlights, poor calibration of AC controls, large grills to name a few. It reminded me of my Venue and I am not going to get a Venue look alike. In my opinion, off-late Hyundai designs are not clicking with all communities.

Current gen Alcazar didn’t make it to the list as I heard from one of the closed sources to Hyundai that there are suspension issues with Alcazar, he asked me to refrain from getting it.

Kia

Kia Carens wasn’t on my list at all, for some reason I initially didn’t like its looks, however, we wanted to take test drive. In 2022 we took a test drive, below feedback I provided in the review thread.

Fast forward to 2024, one fine day my wife and I discussed why not test drive it again as I was seeing really good reviews. We may have missed something during the initial drive. So I called Kun Kia Arumbakkam for a test drive, and immediately Mr Vijay came home with the iMT. This time we found that Kia has sorted out the seating and we liked the drive.

So we have zeroed down on Kia Carens, we decided to go for DCT. We had 2 variants in our mind, Luxury O / Luxury plus. Features which are missing in Luxury O were paddle shifters, ventilated seats, 2nd row flexibility, cost perspective Luxury plus is dearer by 1.5 Lakhs, after a lot of thought we finally decided to go for the top end cherry red.

We paid an advance of 25000 on 22nd Jan 24. I was informed that the delivery would be done within 2 weeks but it got delayed for more than 4 weeks due to production constraints. Full marks to SA Vijay, he was always responsive whenever I called and agreed to my conditions of payment after PDI, in fact, insurance too he didn’t force it on me, I went ahead with them to avoid hassles and got a discount of 15K.

I exchanged my Venue with them, got a price quote of 725000. I posted in Carwale and Spinny, I got more or less the same amount. Considering that I need my car till I get a new one, I agreed to exchange it at Kun Kia.

I received a call from Mr Vijay on February 24th that the car was dispatched from plant and I can do PDI on Monday which is 26th February. I went to Ambattur yard on 26th February and did a PDI and everything was normal. Considering that the top end now comes with solar UV glass I made it a point to check if there were any visible distortion. Meanwhile, I was informed by Vijay that all 4 windows auto up down wasn’t available as claimed in the brochure. Looks like Kia has stopped it, poor from Kia, they shouldn’t be giving false claims.I checked VIN it was a February 24 make, apart from that one glitch all was fine, and I agreed to release payment on Tuesday. Car was registered on February 28th 2024, I planned to take delivery on March 1st as on February 29th I will be stuck in month-end closing.

Photos taken during PDI

Total cost inclusive of My convenience plus and accessories was 23,23,148. I got only mudflap and 3D mats as accessories.

Mr Senthil from the exchange department came on February 27th and took back the Venue. Emotional moment for us, it served us well for 4.5 years. Hope he reaches better hands.

Parting ways with our ever trusted Venue.

March 1st we planned to take delivery after 12:30 PM, and reached the showroom around 12:10 PM. Car was ready, waiting for our arrival. Mr Vijay greeted us, completed few documentation formalities. March 1st being an auspicious date, there were quite a lot of deliveries. Kun Arumbakkam and Ambattur put together had around 43 deliveries planned. So I waited for a few minutes for our turn to come, around 12:45 PM we completed the delivery formalities. They arranged a small cake cutting along with a gift (Kia logo printed mugs). I would rate the dealership experience as 10/10, was very satisfied with Mr Vijay, and I gifted him a Parker pen.

Car front end started to grow on me, I am very happy that there isn’t any chrome grill. It was one of the pain areas in our Venue, cleaning it was a task in itself.

Carens is at least 160 mm shorter in length than XUV700. It is a mystery on how they managed to provide enough space for both 2nd and 3rd rows with useable boot.

Minimalist chrome usage is a major plus for this vehicle.

Front 3 quarter is drool-worthy, tri beam and DRLs are of the same unit.

Alloys are neatly designed happy that they have shown some differences with Seltos, unlike Alcazar which carries Venueish alloys. But Carens alloys will be hard to maintain and considering the gloss finish it can be prone to scratches. Only time will tell.

The reason for me to opt for red was to hide the dummy strip which connects the rear lights.

New digital instrument cluster in top variants

Touch screen is just top-notch but I found an ergonomic flaw. The screen is little bit tilted towards up. As I have a laid-back driving posture, need to lean a bit to access the top part of the screen.

I would rate in house map 6/10, it didn’t capture some of the one ways which have been there for at least 2 years. One positive thing to highlight, whenever there is a direction change a separate pop up appears within the map so that we don’t oversee. Thoughtful from Kia but need to go a long way

Ambient lighting is a class apart, I have seen those in Mercs, getting that feature to 20 Lakhs car is super cool. During night drives it gives a different feeling. That glossy area needs proper maintenance, prone to dust.

Ample amount of leg space is available in the second row, you have the option to slide back the second row.

Third row space is usable even for adults, my wife who is around 5.6 can accommodate without any issues. Main reason for me to go for Carens.

Continue reading vvivek85's ownership experience for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

I actually like that the ride is stiff, as there is lesser body roll as compared to the pre-facelift Creta.

BHPian ShaanS recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello fellow BHPians!

It's been around 6 weeks since our purchase of the 2023 Seltos HTX IVT and I've finally been able to find the time to post about the buying experience. My intent is to also pen it down as a review of the HTX IVT variant, as I didn't find too many detailed reviews of the engine/gearbox combo. I also want to keep this active as a long-term ownership review, but time will tell how successful I am.

Before I go into details, a quick summary of my personal likes, nitpicks, and dislikes.

I've now covered just over 1000 Kms over ~7 weeks of ownership (~170 Kms Highway (short trip to Mandaragiri off Tumkur Road, via NICE road) and the rest in the city) and have had the 1st service done as well. Sharing my initial impressions of the car.

What I liked:

• The convenience of the automatic especially in Bangalore traffic. The car creeps at a maximum of 7 kmph without any a-pedal input, and only gradually picks up speed till that point.
• The height-adjustable seat and tilt + telescopic adjustable steering combination allowed me to find a good driving position with ease.
• The steering feels connected to the road and is quite responsive. It also weighs up nicely at speed. The steering feels nimble in the city and planted on the highway.
• I haven't really pushed the car, and driven mostly in eco and normal modes, and will be doing so till the end of the run-in period, but even then I was able to hit triple-digit speeds on the highway quite easily. In the normal mode, when revved, the transmission shifts up to around 3800 rpm. I get the feeling that while this is mechanically a CVT, there are some pre-defined ratios (especially in eco and sport modes) for specific speeds and revs that kick in, making it behave almost as a TC, in the mid-range. Acceleration on the highway (including kick-down) is a breeze, and overtaking isn't as much of a hassle as one would be led to believe via the reviews (especially when coming from a significantly less powerful car, as in my case.)
• I actually like that the ride is stiff, as there is a lesser body roll as compared to the pre-facelift Creta. It makes navigating potholed roads and bad surfaces a little challenging but still doesn't make it uncomfortable in the cabin (perhaps because of the 17" wheels on the HTX)
• The sun-roof adds another dimension to early morning and late evening drives
• The stock music system with its 6 speaker setup packs more than enough of a punch for me, especially after the software update from January.
• The car is a head-turner and I can't help but turn back and admire it once while I exit
• The creature comforts for passengers (dual zone AC, rear vents, side blinds, rear reclining seats, hand rest, ambient lighting) make the Seltos feel like a significant upgrade from our perspective
• The front and rear parking sensors and the ability to switch them on in traffic (low speeds) are a godsend! I see more "premium" (expensive) cars missing front sensors and with only 3 / 2 sensors on the back, so this is something that sets the Seltos HTX apart
• The ability to connect one phone via Android Auto and another via Bluetooth is a welcome surprise
• NVH levels are really good, and barely any engine noise creeps into the cabin till around 2000 rpm. And even beyond that, it's not very loud, or distracting from music, conversation, or traffic sounds. I love the fact that Kia hasn't skimped on insulation under the hood for what is essentially a mid-variant. There is a bit of road noise from the stock Goodyears, but something that I can live with.
• The AC is quite effective and has easily been able to cool the cabin in the 32-degree bright sunlit days that we've been having in Bangalore recently in a few minutes. Even with the roof blind open (sun-roof closed) and letting in a huge amount of light and heat.

The nitpicks:

• The customizable ambient lighting is a good touch (and makes the car feel a bit more premium), but once you get used to the novelty of it, and discover your likes, it's not something that you're going to play around with every day.
• The printed user manuals only covered the basics, and you have to use either the web version, the PDF, or the manual app to really go in depth. Even the digital versions are clunky (with the pdf version missing images, and having visible borders/guidelines showing that it may be a pre-final digital copy of the print version). At least for the app or the web versions, they could have made it easier for owners to generate the relevant manuals for people based on variants, and wouldn't be too much of an effort to build so. It's disappointing to go through the manual and try to find settings on the mid, which don't exist for your variant.
• Turn by Turn navigation on the mid isn't integrated with Android Auto, which I think is a software gap, and not limited by the hardware, so would have been a good touch.
• Auto engine cut-off is a little intrusive in traffic but quite easy to disable.
• Auto headlamps switch on too early, even with a slight cloud cover, or going below any of the many under-construction metro stations in Bangalore.
• The glovebox is smaller than our Celerio, but space in the cabin is decent, with all 4 doors having good space for water bottles and knick-knacks. The space under the front handrest / air purifier is quite usable too. What's strange to me is that the front cup holders are of different sizes.
• Piano black finishes on the interior surfaces, especially on high-touch areas (e.g the phone cubby) will not age well.
• Wired Android auto!
• There is a bit of the rubber-band effect, especially with lower revs, but it's manageable with throttle input and is turning me into a more sedate driver.
• I hate that Kia deleted the one-touch window up-down function on all windows (for a couple of months) and I only have it for the driver. It's only a nitpick because I was aware of this deletion when making the purchase decision.
• The pewter olive shade is a looker, but a dust magnet!

The dislikes:

• It may be my driving position, and I'm yet to experiment, but the windshield is super reflective, during most of the day.
• The headlamps throw is a little narrow to my liking, and I've remedied this for now by adjusting the beam height a little bit (to the 2 positions on the adjuster dial) and switching on the fog lamps once in a while, especially dark stretches. I'm not in favour of any changes to the stock setup, but if it gets really bad, I will consider getting the headlamps replaced with something that is better.
• The dead pedal is just carpeted and doesn't have a footrest, and no official accessories are available yet either. I'm looking for aftermarket ones but haven't come across anything yet.

With that out of the way, let's first start with the buying journey.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, my previous car was the Celerio which lasted us 8 years, and 53,000 Kms. I’ve never had a major issue in the car (touchwood), but Bangalore traffic did give us a fair share of minor scrapes, dents, and scratches, which for me are part of ownership. Mind you the first few did hurt, and I rushed to the ASC to get them buffed out, cleaned, repainted, etc., but after a point of time, I learned to let go. For nearly 2 of those years (on and off 6-9 month stretches), it was merely a garage car, waiting for us to come back and drive it again, because of COVID. I’d kept it maintained, to the best of my knowledge and capabilities, with regular servicing, a clutch replacement (courtesy Bangalore traffic), a battery replacement (5+ year mark, and sitting idle for most of 2020), tyre replacements (42K Kms mark), being the only major changes from how I bought it stock.

The high points for me were that it was nimble, extremely rev-happy, ate up bad roads with ease (due to its high (for a hatch) ground clearance), had responsive and sorted steering, felt planted at highway cruising speeds of 90-100 Kmph, had an airy cabin, excellent (to my years) stock speakers, and was easy on the eyes! I did 53,000 Kms with it over 8 years of ownership, and other than doing duty as our daily driver for anything and everything, we also did several road trips in and around Bangalore, covering Yercaud, Coorg, Vellore, Pondicherry, Hampi, Madurai, Trichy, Thanjavur, Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram (and Dhanushkodi), Udupi and Mahabalipuram, to name the major ones.

Sharing a few pics of the Celerio through the years.

First long drive from Bangalore to the Lakshmi temple before Vellore. Note the lack of the number plate. This was the weekend after the delivery, and the number plate hadn't arrived yet.

Outside a vineyard in Ramnagara around ~2 years into the car's life.

My favourite pic of the car, getting drenched in Coorg.

My last picture of the car, somewhere between Vellore and Krishnagiri, from the day before we handed her off, and got the Seltos.

But, and there is always a but, the Celerio did start feeling low on power, creature comforts, and space (especially in comparison to 1st the Fabia, and then the 2019 Amaze VX Petrol back home, in which we spent extensive time during COVID.)

The major reasons we needed a replacement were space (while we’re a family of 3, we have parents and family visiting us often enough, and for family trips, the Celerio started feeling cramped); the deteriorating quality of Bangalore roads, which made daily runs to school, office, etc. start to feel cumbersome; and the knee pain associated with Bangalore traffic in a manual. Plus, with our list of nearby (up to ~400 Kms in one day's of driving) destinations drying up, we started thinking of longer distance trips, but the space and comfort factor reared its head again on a 2nd front, to say that it was time for us to look at something else.

That coupled with the availability of the Turbo Petrol + DSG combinations from VW + Skoda, and Hyundai + KIA primarily; plus the imminent (~10-year) demise of ICEs and the coming EV onslaught, made me want to scratch an itch I didn’t even know I had. Cue team BHP to the rescue.

I spent a lot of time reading through the various threads and started creating a shortlist of everything in the ~20L bracket. My first TD was the Kushaq way back in Dec 2022, which my wife and I both had our hearts set on. What came after was the realization that Bangalore’s road taxes were among the highest in the country, and BH registrations wouldn’t materialize anytime soon. With that, I put my plans on hold, since finances needed to be put in order first.

In Dec '23, we decided we were finally ready to go ahead with the purchase, and started the hunt. I’m putting down our consideration set and what we did with each.

Having lived with the pain that comes with driving in Bangalore traffic I didn’t want to go with a manual, hence my choices don’t include any manuals.

Hyryder – Vetoed by the wife in terms of looks and based on her reads of the forums here (she isn’t a member, and when it comes to driving, she prefers her Activa 7 days of the week, but she’s on here almost as much as I am.)

Grand Vitara – I proposed, but the wife said no, so no test drives either

XUV 300 – My brother-in-law owns one, and it’s quite capable, ticked all our boxes too (except for the AMT, and having driven a friend Celerio AMT, I wasn't very fond of owning one, but I could still have lived with it, given that it gives so much bang for buck elsewhere.) But it has too little boot space for our use, and that made us scratch it off the list.

XUV 700 – We considered it briefly but dropped the idea when we realized that even the AX3 trim with the TC gearbox would end up costing us north of 23 Lakhs on the road, and we’d get better-equipped cars at the same price. Plus, even from the outside the car felt too large for our use. I didn’t even get a TD because of both of these reasons.

Thar – We both loved the looks initially, but had stepped into the cabin a few months back, at a pop-up stall in our society, and immediately hated it. The rear felt claustrophobic, and strictly for 2, with a laughable boot space. Add to the mix the fact that it’s a 3-door, hence not really practical for the family (especially ingress/egress for the parents). Plus the long wait. A friend of mine has been waiting for his 4X2 for over a year now. A 5 door would have been a different story but looks like M&M is in no hurry to get there. With that, we decided to strike it off our list as well.

Jimny – Great on paper, but too small in person, and honestly, it may just have been the car we saw in person, but the fit & finish seemed worse than my Celerio.

Elevate – It just didn’t feel like the car for us. Even though we spent a lot of time in a Honda over the last couple of years in our hometown, the Elevate just didn’t feel right for us. I’m probably being vain, but the looks were another negative, to my eyes the front of the car doesn’t mesh with the rest of it, and that was that.

Taigun 1.5 DSG – We loved the drive, with almost zero turbo lag, and butter smooth as well as lightning-fast gear shifts. What didn’t work in its favour, was the scoped /bucket-style rear seat that didn’t seem too accommodating even in comparison with our Celerio. The cabin too felt a little unfinished, with the obvious blanks on the console, and then the cost was also a tad on the higher side, coming to almost 23 Lakhs on-road even with year-end discounts. So even though it was a solid package, it still felt like we would be making a compromise.

Taigun 1.0 TC – Felt less refined than the 1.5, and the noise of the 3-pot motor felt very loud in the cabin. Plus had the same issue of the rear seat comfort, and feeling unfinished on the inside.

Kushaq 1.5 DSG – While the drive is almost the same as the VW, the ride is a fair bit softer than the Taigun, and the suspension has a lot of play, which I realized when the bottom scraped over a large speed hump (while the Taigun at the same spot, sailed through without any issues.) On paper, and long before we were looking at these cars, we’d already made up our minds in favour of the Kushaq. I’d read reviews of past Skoda / VW owners and their gripe with the lack of quality/refinement as compared to the past, seemed inconsequential in the real world, but I must say, they’re not wrong. The Kushaq did feel like a watered-down product in comparison to our old Fabia, and that eventually led us to place a big question mark around it, plus for 23 big ones, my head didn’t feel that it would really be worth it.

Kushaq 1.0 TC – Didn’t take a TD, but ruled out for the same reasons as the 1.5 / Taigun 1.0

Creta (pre-facelift) SX (O) 1.5 IVT – Cabin felt a little dated, though that may have been our TD car which had ~36K Kms on the Odo, but with all bells and whistles. The driving experience obviously wasn’t as grin-inducing as the VW/Skoda, but it never felt like there wasn’t enough power, for 99% of my driving (highways included.) The rear seat comfort and space were highlights and we expected ownership to be as hassle-free as had been with the Celerio. Plus we had the assurance of having my cousin running a Hyundai ASC back home. He uses a Creta as his daily driver as well and vouched for it. We had almost finalized it, but again, considering that the facelift was just around the corner, we weren’t fully sure that we would go for it. But so far, it was looking like our best bet.

Venue N-Line N8 – While the engine specs are nearly the same as the VW twins, somehow the experience wasn’t. The car felt cramped inside, even when compared to my Celerio, the engine felt too loud, and the dark interiors just didn’t do it for us.

At this point, we’d almost finalized the Creta, talked exchange value for the Celerio, gotten final quotes, and even gone to the extent of formally blocking a Denim Blue shade that they had in stock.

But not for nothing did I say before, that fate had other plans!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I'm not convinced with these turbo petrols and their abysmal fuel efficiency figures but the only issue is the 'unknown' future of diesel cars in India.

BHPian ashvek3141 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I had a look and TD the Sonet FL last weekend and below are a few of my observations in no particular order. I didn't bother to click any pics since our official review has some amazing pictures in all the possible angles. Also, the TD vehicles were in Red Dual Tone. I had a good look at the GTX & HTX variants since I am looking forward to my car purchase and Sonet is on top of that list.

• Kia has given the GT & Tech Lines their distinct looks and are easily identifiable unlike the pre-FL, wherein it was just the 'red accents' to the skid plates. I personally like the look of the GTX, especially in the White DT paint. Makes the front look wider than it actually is. The HTX(s) look good too but a little 'toned down' than the GTX variants.
• That rear spoiler adds character and looks quite sporty. The same isn't present in the HTX.
• A major miss in the HTX are the alloys! The 'styled wheels' are styled well but then you know they aren't alloys. I really feel Kia should have given the alloys. You're paying ~ 15.60 L ex-Goa for wheels caps. Sigh! The GT Line alloys look fab though.
• All is not bad with HTX though; it now gets much useful ventilated seats, full leatherette upholstery v/s semi-leatherette in pre-FL, Tan interiors v/s the fabric white in pre-FL, front parking sensors, rear disc brakes; which are all value-added features IMHO and kinda make-up for the miss in the alloys. All this keeping the price of the HTX variants the same as pre-FL. Of course, these are 'introductory' prices.
• Though Kia has kitted the FL models pretty well, they have now started with their cost-cutting exercise or should I say value engineering exercise. The plastic quality, I felt was relatively of lower grade than the pre-FL. Having owned the pre-FL Sonet D AT in the past, I could feel the difference.
• The horn pad surely has seen a change as the underlying cut out for the airbag is now clearly visible, which wasn't the case in pre-FL. Additionally, that irritating clicky noise has increased when you press the horn pad which is a clear giveaway that the horn pad has changed.
• Same is the case with the engine start-stop button which now rattles a wee-bit in its position if you just slide your finger over it. There are other buttons showing similar characters. This wasn't the case in the pre-FL models.
• I felt the doors to be on the lighter side, the pre-FL had heavy doors with a pronounced 3-stage opening.
• The interiors don't feel 'new' as such, like they do in the Seltos FL. Kia has gone conservative with Sonet's interiors and reserved major changes only to the exteriors. They could have at least reduced the size of that AVN + Speedo console slab which sticks out like a sore thumb. The only welcome change is the tan interiors which are again limited to the Auto & iMT variants only.
• The GT Line gets 'all-black' interiors with the black roof liner and it makes the already tight cabin look claustrophobic. I don't understand this stupid trend. A black roof is acceptable for cars like Harrier, XUV700, etc.; not Sonet, please! HTX interiors look much more pleasant with tan seats and a white roof.
• The rear seat sees an improvement and my Mum actually commented on the same, without even me telling her about the change. The under-thigh support has improved, but this is good only for anyone below 5' 7" or so. Taller folks like me will still complain. The recess in the front seat-back is okay-ish and doesn't help much to liberate any legroom. It's just a placebo-effect thing IMHO. The Sonet's rear seat is still tight. No two ways about that.
• I drove the 7 DCT first and it drives just the way it did before. Though MotorInc mentioned that there's some improvement in the drivability of the turbo DCT, I didn't quite feel any. Maybe it's not a thing for the normal Joe. I found the car to get quite noisy in the SPORT mode when it held onto the gears. This makes me feel that there has been some compromise on the insulation front. I noticed the same in the D AT too.
• DCT is a delight to drive on the highways at sane speeds, which also helps to yield good FE. But the moment you think of having some fun, the mileage drops like crazy. DCT owners claiming 20 + kmpl mileage is all eyewash IMHO (no offence please). In practical scenarios with mixed driving conditions, it's simply not possible. The D AT returns under 18 kmpl, forget the DCT.
• After DCT, it was my fav D AT! I know this combo really well so I wasn't expecting anything different. The drivetrain which felt a lil 'lazy' in the elder sibling, the Seltos, is just 'perfect' in the lil Sonet. But like I mentioned earlier, the insulation seems somewhat compromised; the D AT too felt a lil louder than the pre-FL Sonet.
• Handling is predictable and nothing has been changed in this department. However, the suspension has surely seen some improvement. The earlier model used to sort of crash when you took the speed-breakers or potholes with a little bit of speed. That is not the case with the FL version. I drove this car on good roads to absolutely no roads with even 5 people on-board and I can confirm that the suspension has been improved.
• The horn sound also intrudes the cabin more than before, even though it has been muted a little now. Maybe the 'new' norms have kicked in already? The Seltos too had this low-sounding horn.
• I felt the handbrake to have some kinda springy action and was slightly on the heavier side as compared to the pre-FL. Has this got to do something with the rear disc brakes?
• ADAS 1 is known to all and does the job well. However, I don't find the Level-1 ADAS to be of any significant use. It doesn't even have the Blind-spot warning on the ORVMs. The lane-keep and collision avoidance can hardly be used in day-to-day scenarios. Anyway, maybe it's a matter of getting used to it.
• Finally, it's a 'decent' FL from Kia primarily focussing on the exteriors and I must say the car looks quite distinct!

• To me though, an additional premium of 3L for the GTX over the HTX is too steep to justify the feature additions. The moola is primarily for the ADAS tech I feel. HTX still looks quite VFM to me, only if it had those alloys. Sigh! But then - you win some, you lose some.

I might end up booking the HTX D AT as I am still not convinced with these turbo petrols and their abysmal FEs. Even worse, the 1.0 L is a 3-cylinder unit and honestly, it sounds coarser than the 1.5 L Diesel.

The only issue is the 'unknown' future of diesels in India and the stupid Govt. norms. Some say that 2027 will be the end of Diesel engines!

So possibly, I would like to pick my 'last' diesel car and in all probability would like to retain it for 10 years. But then, I doubt there'll be any takers in the resale market a few years from now. It's a gamble, for sure!

At the time of the TD, both - HTX & GTX D AT were readily available in stock. Hence, I could have a thorough look at them side by side.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Driving around 90 gives you best mileage and driving above 100 gives lower mileage.

BHPian m2maddy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Did a weekend drive totaling 425kms, and the following are the observations with 2 adults and a child with full boot loaded

Positives

• Ventilated seats are a boon, it's not excellent, but it is sufficient to keep your back cool during these hot drives which helps.
• Rear sun blinds are a must with this hot sun and help a lot
• Seats are very comfortable, no strain even if you drive for hours continuously
• NVH is excellent, driving around 90 gives you the best mileage, and driving above 100 gives lower mileage, overall with city + highway (15-85) got an overall 14.8kmpl with a lot of kms above 100 as well and city traffic in Bengaluru considered also
• Boot took in 3 check-in suitcases, + 3 small backpacks as well (very happy with it)

OKish

• Family felt rear ac throw is not great, need to check during service
• Felt headlight throw is not excellent, need to get that checked during service
• Not great steering feedback, manageable but not great.

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