Reviews

Kia Sonet

Image Source – Google | Image By Kia.com

Car Review

Car Review – Kia Sonet

Kia is another Korean Giant in the Indian Auto Market  after Hyundai. Kia did well in India by setting a new benchmark in Mid Size SUV segment with Kia Seltos. Now Kia is ready with their another Sub 4 Meter SUV and that is Kia Sonnet. Overall looks and dynamics make this car look good and it has nice styling unlike its sibling Venue which has typical boxy SUV shape. Let’s Check how good the Sonnet is in this Car Review. In this Car Review I’m going to talk about the Extweriors, Interiors, Ride, Performance and Handling and also discussed Pros and Cons too.

Exterior – 

As I said, Sonet has a nice and sleek exteriors. It feels striking sometimes thanks to its Tiger Nose grill which is Kia’s Signature Grill and the red inserts in it. The black finishes and the chrome touches give this car nice and sporty feel. The Back side is also nice and the black finishes retain the sporty feel. The red inserts, chrome finishes and the dual tone exteriors make this car look nice and sporty. 

Interiors – 

The interiors are nice and goods enough to give a premium feel to you. The Dash is nice and it has a 10inch infotainment which is first in segment. The AC vents are unique and places nicely the AC controls are also nice and they look good too. The use of soft touch materials give you the premium feel and the hard plastics are also used well. In terms of finish ands quality of materials Sonet won’t let you down. The MID has 4.2 inch screen which can be controlled through the steering mounted controls. MID is nice and feels unique and tells all the information like DTE(distance to empty), Tyre Pressure monitor ands all that stuff. The Sonnet has many segment first features and one of them is Front Ventilated Seats. The seats offer nice comfort. The storage spaces are also nice and smartly utilizes. The back seat of the Kia Sonet offers nice comfort and feels nice. The legroom , headroom and the under thigh support is also nice and decent. Three people can easily sit at the back seat while the middle person might feel shortage of space due to rear AC vents with Air Purifier. The windows are nice and give you roomy and airy environment. It also has the Sunroof which gives premium feel which is offered in higher variants. The features like Sunroof , 4.2inch MID and use of soft touch materials give nice and premium feel while Air purifier, BOSE sound system and Ambient mood lighting give the feeling of richness and such features put Sonnet over its rival sibling Hyundai Venue.The Sonnet has boot of 392L which is nice and goods for the car of its size. 

The boot can accommodate all of your luggage. The seats offer 60:40 Split option which let’s you to reserve the space for your loved one at the back seat and offers extra luggage space at the same time.

Ride, Performance and safety – 

The Sonnet is offered with 3 engine options among them 2 are of petrol and remaining one is of Diesel. 1.2L petrol produces 83hp power and 113nm of torque and offers fuel economy of 18.4 kmpl(ARAI certified) and mated with 5 speed manual transmission. The 1L petrol engine produces 120hp of power and 172nm of torque and offers a fuel economy of 18.3 kmpl. This engine has DCT and iMT transmission options to choose within. The 1.5L diesel engine produces 115hp power ands 250nm of torque and offers great fuel economy of 24.kmpl. It has the option of Automatic Transmission as well. The Ride of this car is not too goods but feels nice to drive. The steering is light and suspension is on stiffer side due to which it crashes badly when you are passing through the bad patch of the road. The ride is not that goods due to stiffer suspension and the light steering which feels nervous at higher speeds. But still Sonnet offers goods drive experience.The Sonet has a lot of safety features like HAC(Hill Assist Control), ABS, EBD and so on. The Sonnet has strength of high quality steel materials. It also offers 6 Airbags in higher variants. It offers 2 Airbags and features like ABS, EBD as standard.

 Pros – 

1. Looks are great.

2. Quality of materials uses in interiors is nice

3. First in Class 10inch Infotainment system 

Cons – 

1. Stiffer Suspension.

2. Bad comfort on the bad patches on the roads.

How Friendly to the Pocket is- The Sonet offered in the price bracket of 6.6lakhs to 15lakhs Ex. Showroom.

Competition – 

The Sonet Competes with Hyundai Venue, Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and Ford Ecosport.  

Summary – 

In this Car Review, I havetalked about the exteriors, interiors, ride, performance and handling and also told you about the Pros and Cons of this car in this detailed Car Review.

Hyundai Venue imt

Ease of Automatic with the manual gearbox.

Hyundai Motors in India did well in Compact SUV segment with Hyundai Creta but now Hyundai launched its new sub 4 meter compact SUV Hyundai Venue with BS6 norms and the new IMT transmission. Now you can drive car with manual transmission without having a clutch pedal.

Exteriors –

The Venue has a traditional boxy SUV shape with quirkier styling thanks to its huge front grill and low profile headlamps. These things will attract young buyers. The backside of the Venue is also has quirkier styling thanks to its unique square shaped tailights. Shortly , this car has good looks and they wil attract young buyers.

Interors –

Interiors are nice and will please you as soon as you enter the car. The dash is nicely configured with soft touch materials and hard plastics. The 8 inch infotainment system on dashboard grabs your attention when you enter in the car. The 8 inch infotainment system offers great functionality and UI is also smooth. The square shaped AC vents and sqaure shaped door unlock handles give you premium feel. The storage spaces are smartly utilized and it is the segment first car which comes with wireless charger. The instrumental cluster is also nice. Front seats are good and offer good comfort. Let’s see how good it is in the back seat.

The back seat is nice , offers good legroom , decent kneeroom but the under thigh support can disappoint a taller person. As it offers rear AC vents the person who os sitting in middle of the two persons might feel disappointing. The windows are good enough to provide the roomy and airy environment. But when you come to the roomy and airy environment the Venue has a electric sunroof. It offers a premium feel and the cabin roomy and airy. Overall feel is good and a nice place to be in for two persons. It also offers a boot space of 350L which is good for the car of its size.

Safety –

The Venue takes care of you and offers peace of mind by offering  2 airbags and safety features like ABS , EBD as standard. The features like HAC (hill assist control) , VSP(vehicle stability program) and much more are offered in higher variants.

Performance , Ride and handling –

The Hyundai Venue cones with 1.2L petrol engine offered in lower variants and mated with manual transmission and also has option of automatic transmission. It produces 83hp and 115nm of torque and also gives the fuel economy of 17.5 kmpl. The 1.5L diesel engine doesn’t have automatic transmission but it has DCT which is nice and give you a good feedback while driving. It also offered with manual transmission. It produces 100hp and 240nm of torque and gives good fuel economy of 23 kmpl. The 1.0L Turbo petrol engine is offerd in DCT and IMT transmission options. It produces 120hp and 172nm of torque and offers fuel economy of 18 kmpl. The IMT is offered in SX and higher variants. The upcoming Kia Sonet will also have this IMT. Let’s talk about ride and handling.

Ride is good. Suspension is on stiffer side but it is good when you’re going through a bad road. The steering is light and gives you good feedback. The body roll is felt in this car which might let you down in terms of confidence. But it offers 15inch tyres which offers good amount of grip. The special thing about this car is the IMT which is first in a segment and gives you a good experience but it doesn’t have the sporty , rugged feel that manual transmission offers. But the technology which is used here is really nice and also works smartly. It can’t replace the manuals but it can offer the ease of automatic transmission with a manual gearbox. This system is totally computerized and gives good results but can’t offer the punch that manual offers. It is useful for the people having trouble while shifting gears manually and pressing the clutch everytime. It is too good in terms of usage if you have patience.

Pros –

1. Quirkier styling.

2. Wireless charger

3. Intelligent Manual Transmission (IMT)

Cons –

1. Use of hard plastics.

2. Shortage of space for third person on the back seat.

3. Tyres feel so small.

How friendly to the pocket?

The Venue has ex showroom price of 6.7lakhs to 11.58 lakhs.

Conclusion –

If you are looking for a car which has fun to drive nature and offers great features. Then you should go for Hyundai Venue.

Competition-

Venue competes with Tata Nexon, Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV3OO, Kia Sonnet and Ford Ecosport.

Mercedes EQC

NEW AGE EV

The Auto Industry is turning towards electric vehicles. The electric vehicles are lot much different than the cars with IC (internal combustion) engines. The electric cars don’t emit gases like other IC engine cars. Tye EVs(electric vehicles) are silent and don’t make any kind of noise and pollution that’s why auto manufacturers are turning towards to the electric vehicles. The same thing Mercedes did by launching its first modern EV Mercedes EQC which is so much modern and expensive too. Let’s see a detailed review of its. 

Exteriors- 

The exteriors are so nicely designed and it is modern too. It is specially designed to differentiate this EV from rest of the merc cars and it is seen clearly when you see the nicely designed front grill with blue linings and the sleek LED DRL joining both the headlamps. These things at the front gives the car a whole new and modern look. The back is also has nice fit and finish. To give a premium and sportier look the bumper is black coloured. The roof line is sloping and it gives this car nice look. The 20 inch massive wheels are good enough to give you the grip you need to conquer every road with confidence. Lookswise , the car is good and feels lot much modern. 

Interiors-

The interiors of the cars are so much premium and there is not much use of soft touch materials on dash but still it feels much premium. The dash  is slightly tilted towards the driver side. The huge touch screen infotainment system integrated with speedometer screen which makes this car lot more rich and technology rich feature loaded car. The dash also has the blue inserts which gives a nice look to dash. The illuminated scuff plates are there with EQC marking which looks nice and give you a premium feel. 

The backseat of the EQC offers nice amount headroom, legroom and under thigh support but one thing might disappoint you that being an EV it still has a exhaust tunnel which is seen in IC engine cars which might make the third passenger feel uncomfortable but still EQC manages to offer good amount of space and it also has the sunroof but personally , I expect a panoramic sunroof for the car offered in the price bracket of 1cr-1.5cr.  Still the sunroof gives roomy and airy environment but you might miss the premium feel that is offered by panoramic sunroof. The boot space is good and enough to accommodate all your luggage. If you want more room the just fold the seats and you’ll get plenty of room. The seats are offered with 60:40 split options 

Ride and Performance – 

The EQC is powered by two 80kW motors and both give the power of 408hp and 765nm of tremendous torque and due to these numbers the car pulls very harder and gets to the red line quickly and make your adrenaline rush. You will really enjoy the performance of this car or you should consider that you’re paying 1cr for the performance and the technology used in this car. The steering has good feedback and the suspension is so much soft and also self adjusting rear suspension which balances easily if you put your stuff in boot. It also has brake energy regeneration system which has 5 modes which works smartly and charges battery while braking and due to this you get a slightly better range. The range of this car is 300 – 400 kms in a single charge. It has AC and DC charging options while DC has fast charging option which charges the car in just 40mins. The AC charger takes nearly about 22hrs to charge this car fully. The range totally depends on your driving style. This car has 4 drive modes and offered with single speed gearbox. It has sport , comfort , eco and custom driving modes. The performance is absolutely fantastic and you’ll ger total pleasure of driving. 

Should You Buy It – 

Well , if you’re looking for a car which give absolute pleasure of driving and offers technology rich features with nice comfort with modern design then you should go for Mercedes EQC. The EQC comes with price tag of 1cr which is bit more expensive but it is worth for the performance and technology loaded interiors. 

Competition- Well , currently EQC doesn’t have much competition as it is totally different from the EV’s are offered nowadays. EQC has futuristic design and fun to drive nature which is seen in Tesla but there is very low possibility of getting Tesla in Indian automarket. Therefore,  EQC doesn’t have much competition

Honda Jazz 2020

Few years ago Honda had launched their product Honda Jazz in Hatchback segment. Jazz did well in its segment but , due to increasing competition and due to new BS6 emission norms Honda Launched Jazz again in 2020 with some new cosmetic changes. Let’s check which are they and how user friendly they are. 

Exteriors –

As I said , new Jazz launched with some new cosmetic changes ; now it comes with new front grill with chrome finish , DRL’s integrated with Headlamps new fog lamps and much more which can put smile on your face. Talking about back , there are not much changes have been done. It comes with its signature LED tail lamps. These things make this car look goods. 

Interiors- 
Interiors of this car is not much changed the same materials are used which were used in older Jazz but they are good and give the premium feel too. The soft touch materials and hard plastics are used nicely. The storage places are also utilized well and offers good storage spaces like cup holders , bottle holders , glove box and much more. the Glove box is of sufficient size and good enough to keep your small things. Dials are analog and multicolour which looks good. One thing attracts you when you enter the car and that thing is the Infotainment system which Honda calls Digipad which is goods and offers great functionality and supports Apple Car play and Android Auto. The UI is nice in terms of use but not much better than the Hyundai offers in I20 because it is one of the easy to use infotainment system in its class. To be concise , the Digipad is good. Let’s check how goods it is at the back seat.
The Back Seat of the Jazz offered the function of reclining rear seat when it was launched last time. Now , it also offers that feature. The rear seat offers good knee room , legroom and headroom. The windows are big enough to provide roomy and airy environment and when it comes to roomy and airy environment it offers First in Class Sunroof. Overall, the Space it offers is nice and it is nice place to be in. 
The boot space is also nice. It offers 354 Litres of boot space which is nice for the car of its size

Ride , Performance , Handing and Safety- 
The New Jazz is Powered by 1.2L BS6 petrol engine which produces 90ps of power and 115nm of torque. This is engine offers nice and decent amount of power. The power delivery is nice and linear , throttle responsive is also nice. The engine has both the manual and CVT transmission options. It offers the fuel economy of 16.6kmpl(manual) ands 17.1Kmpl(CVT). 
The Ride is nice. Suspension is soft and keeps you isolated from the road while you pass through the bad patch of the road. The steering is light and nice but you don’t get the desired feedback. Still it is a nice car for driving. The Safety in Jazz is also nice. New Jazz Offered with 2 airbags , ABS and EBD as standards and it is based on ACE body structure. 

How Pocket Friendly it is-
The New Jazz launched with price price tag of 7.49 lakhs (ex.showroom). The top end variant you can get at 9.8 lakhs. 

Competition-
The New Jazz competes with Maruti Suzuki Swift, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Ford Figo, Hyundai I20, Tata Altroz, Toyota Glanza.

If you are looking for a car which looks good , offers good interiors with nice features and good ride and handling then the new Honda Jazz will be a worthy pick for you.

Honda WRV 2020

Crossover With SUV Styling.

Back in 2017 , Honda had launched its WRV. Now in 2020 , Honda again launched WRV with some exterior updates and new BS6 engine. It might feel like a facelifted version of older WRV but it is new and fresh. Let’s check how different it is from the older one.

Exterior – 

The exterior of this car is now updated and now it feels more fresh and nice. New exterior feels striking than the older one thanks to its new grill with chrome finish , skid plates and new fog lamps. The side profile is not much changed and feels same as the older one but at the back you can find the new LED tail lamps which look nice and are bright too. Not much is there to talk about. Let’s talk about interiors.

Interiors – 

The interior is not much good but it is goods enough to offer the comfort you expect from the car of its size. The interiors are nice. The quality of plastic used is very nice and you will not get the soft touch materials. The 7.0 inch infotainment system offers nice performance but it feels dim under the sunlight. It comes with with android auto , apple car play and on board navigation system. The front seats offer good comfort. let’s check how good it is at the back seat.

 
The back seat of the WRV is nice. It offers good amount of headroom , knee room and under thigh support. One thing you miss at the back and that thing is rear AC vents and rear charging point. The windows are nice and offer roomy and airy environment. It also offers an electric sunroof which gives premium feel. The Interiors are good but not the best as there is no charging point and rear AC vents. But it is still nice place to be in.

 
The boot space of 363 Litres is nice and offers good amount of space for all your luggage. 

Ride , Performance and Safety – 

The new WRV is offers 1.2 L petrol engine which is seen in Honda Jazz and 1.5L diesel engine which is seen in Honda City. The 1.2L petrol engine offers 90ps of power and 115nm of torque while diesel engine offers 100ps power and 200nm of torque. Although numbers are great but you don’t get the option of automatic transmissions in both the engines. This could be deal breaker for the Honda WRV as people are opting for CVT they might feel disappointing.

The new WRV drives well in City and on the bad roads as well. The WRV isolates the people in the car from the road and make them feel comfortable. The Steering of WRV is light and responsive too. The feedback is nice and it feels nicely weighted which let’s you conquer the corners with confidence. The performance is nice. Good throttle response and the mid range is also nice. Once you put your foot down on the gas pedal the car really pulls harder and gets closer to the red line quickly. The performance is the thing where the car never lets you down.

 
The WRV comes with ABS , EBS and dual airbags as standards but cars of its class offering features like HAC(Hill Assist Control) which might feel disappointing but still the car feels safe and nice.

Verdict – 

If you are searching for car which offers decent features , good comfort and great ride and handling in compact package then Honda WRV is definitely for you.

Competition –  The WRV competes with compact SUV’s and Crossovers. It mainly competes with Hyundai Venue , Maruti Suzuki Brezza , Ford Ecosport , Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300.

Maruti Suzuki S Cross

Competes with SUVs but its a crossover

The S Cross was launched in Indian automarket back in 2015. After that , car received 2 facelifts. One of them is received in 2020. This facelifted version fulfils BSVI emission norms. Let’s talk about how good is it.

Exteriors –

The exteriors of this cars are good and look premium. The lights are full LED which are bright and also comes with DRL’s. The grill gets a chrome treatment and Suzuki’s logo at the center. Silver skid plates and chrome treatment on the front gives a sporty look. Definitely these things put smile on your face. Side profile is not also much changed. The black wheel arches(cladding) retains the SUVness of this car. Not much to talk about the rear.

Interors –

The car really shines when it comes to the interiors. Quality of materials used in it is much nice and that makes the interiors feel more premium. Use of Hard plastics , soft touch materials and leather treatment done very smartly and gives you premium feel. MID is analog and still manages to tell about DTE , temperature and all that stuff. The infotainment system to which Suzuki calls smartplay studio is 7.0 inch and you might feel it smaller as compared to newer cars. Cupholders are placed well and the place below the front armrest is noot much good but still it is okay. The glove box is okay in terms of space. The rear seat is so good in terms of legroom but it lacks rear ac vents and rear charging point too. Isn’t it surprising? The third person won’t feel good as there is no any headrest on offer. The windows are big and due to them cabin feels airy and roomy. When it comes to roomy and airy cabin you might feel the lack of sunroof. Being a flagship car from market leader , buyer could expect these things. The boot is 360litres which is good and if you want more room , fold the seats and you’ll get plenty of space. 60:40 split is offered by seats. Let’s talk about safety , ride and handling.

Safety –

The S Cross does well in safety department. It scores 4 stars in Global NCAP. You might feel disappointing as it comes with only 2 airbags. Being a flagship car I expect 6 airbags. The features like ABS , EBD are offered as standard while ESP , Hill hold assists are offered in higher variants.

Ride and Handling –

Now the car comes with BSVI emissions , the engine is changed and now it comes 1.5L petrol engine which Suzuki calls K15 engine which produces 105hp and 138nm of torque which is not sufficient for a car of its size I feel personally. The refinement is so nice and now it has became more smoother. The power delivery is nice , good throttle response and fuel economy of 18.5 kmpl for manual and 18.4 kmpl for auto which is good. Thanks to its SHVS (Smart Hybrid Behivle by Suzuki) system which helps you to get good mileage and power. SHVS does its job nicely which is brake energy regeneration. The steering is light but you might not feel good when it comes to feedback. The clutch is not heavy which lets you drive in heavy traffic easily. But one thing you’ll miss and that is the punch that the diesel engine used to offer. The diesel engine was more puchier and had more torque than this one. Still it manages to give all the performance you need while a quick overtake. The suspension is on stiffer side. That stiff suspension makes this car more stable at high speeds. When it comes to transmission , ot offers both 5 speed manual and 4 speed AT torque converter gearbox. 4 speed AT feels more old school especially when the cars are getting 10 speed AT the S Cross is still stucked with its old school gearbox. The engine is not turbocharged. If we talk about Venue with whom it doesn’t compete is offerd with 1L turbocharged engine. That offeres more power and toque as compared to this car. But the power you get from this vehicle is not also too bad. The overall driving experience is good and the features like Auto headlamps and rain sensing wipers and cruise control give more premium experience. You’ll not feel that you are driving the SUV(crossover). It feels like a hatchback while driving and these things give you confidence and the 16 inch wheels and all disc brakes lets you lead the way with confidence.

How friendly it is with pocket –

Price of S Cross ranges between 8 lakhs to 14 lakhs and the features it offers makes it a value for money package.

Pros –

1. Good Exteriors

2. Premium Interiors.

3. SHVS technology

Cons –

1. 7 inch infotainment system might feel small.

2. Lack of headrest for the person at middle.

3. Lack of rear AC vents and 12V charging socket.

4. Lack of 6 airbags and Sunroof.

Competition-

The S Cross compares with Hyundai Creta , Kia Seltos , Tata Nexon , Mahindra XUV300.

If you want a car which does good at features , drive and value for money then S Cross will be a great pick for you. If you are looking for a car which is good at performance and comfort then you should prefer one of the remaining cars.

Mahindra Thar

An Urban Jack with Wild Core

Mahindra is known for its rigid vehicles and offroad qualities it offers. Each vehicle from Mahindra offers good offroad capabilities and  one of them is Mahindra Thar. Mahindra Thar which is basically based on MM540 , did well in Indian Auto Industry. It offered good offroad capabilities with great looks and these things made this car an icon. The first generation of Mahindra Thar was launched in 2010 and till now it is known for its rigidity and strength of conquering every road. Now , Mahindra came with its new BSVI version in 2020. The vehicle will be launched officially on 2nd of August. It is one of the most awaited cars in 2020. Let’s check how is it.

Exteriors –

You’ll feel that traditional SUV look retained after looking at it. It looks far better than older one. Thanks to its new chunky front bumper,  new front grill and 18 inch tyres who gives this car a whole new look retaining its retro charm. It gives urban touch by offering DRL’s. The 18 inch wheels make this car look more taller and smarter too. The big tyres and wheel arches retain the ‘SUVness’ of this car. It has 209 mm of ground clearance which helps you in conquering any obstacle especially on offroad conditions. The rear tailgate opens in two halves. The taillamps are bright and good. You will find the Thar badging all around the car and you might not agree , but it has 11 Thar badges on the exteriors. After seeing the exteriors you might feel that Thar is now turning to a urban side retaining its wildness.

Interors –

The interiors are better than the older one and feel more premium too. The infotainment system is also not too good. It could be bigger and smoother. But still it shows useful stuff like speed , tyre prsssure and much more. It comes with android auto and apple CarPlay also. MID is good and feels more premium when you start the car and the Thar name shown in it. Storage spaces are also there for cups , bottles and some small things. The glove box is too small and you can lock it also. The silver badge is given on the left of the glove box adds some retro charm. The quality of dash is also good. Getting into the rear seat is bit more difficult in 5 seater version. This car is expected to be launched with 5/6/7 seater versions. The finishing at the rear is not too good and you might feel disappointed too. But the roof mounted speakers at rear add more premium feel but the rear seat is not good for adults for longer rides. The boot space is good enough to take all your luggage. If you want more space , fold the seats and you’ll get ample amount of space while seats doesn’t offer 60:40 split. Let’s talk about performance , safety and ride.

Performance –

Unlike the older Thar , the new Thar comes with 2.0L mStallion130 petrol engine which produces 130hp and 320/300nm of torque and the 2.2L mHawk diesel engine produces 120hp and 300nm of torque. Both the engines will offered with 6 speed manual and 6 speed torque converter gearbox. 16kmpl mileage is expected form new Thar

Safety and ride quality –

The new Thar focuses on safety as well. It gives safety features like dual airbags , ABS , EBD , ESP , Hill hold assist,  Hill Decent control and much more.

The new Thar feels lot more plated and steady on road but , being a vehicle based on body on frame platform it might feels unstable sometimes but its not a big issue , you will be used to for this. The suspension is soft. The steering is so light and well centred. The clutch is also nice and light which let’s you drive in heavy traffic very easily. Far from the traffic you want to cruise calmly then it also comes with cruise control.

Variants –

The Thar is offered in 10 variants among them one is automatic and the rest of the nine are manual while the trims are AX (Adventure) and LX(Lifestyle)

Pros –

1. 209mm ground clearance

2. Sporty and stylish looks

3. Powerful engines and gearbox

4. Light steering and clutch

Cons –

1. Lack of sunroof.

2. Ride might feel unstable sometimes.

Summary –

The Thar is a good vehicle which is adapted to Indian roads and offers great offroad capabilities , power and comfort too.

Tata Nexon

Tata Nexon

Good But Not ‘The Best‘

Tata Nexon is a good vehicle (Compact SUV) from Tata Motors which is good package of pleasing features and best safety features. It is one of the Indian Cars who got 5 stars in Global NCAP. The exteriors are good enough to stand you out of the crowd while the ride quality and the peace of mind comes with 5 star safety rating enables you to keep moving with confidence.

Although it is a facelifted version of the old nexon , still exteriors manage to stand you out of the crowd. Thanks to its silver tri – arrow inserts and scuff plates. These things make this car look like a SUV and give a stylish look too. Being a facelifted version , the side profile haven’t received any major update. Still it manages to give a coupe like look. The back is not much changed but now comes equipped with signature taillamps.

Interors –

The interiors are not much changed but now it comes with 3 tone styling dashboard with tri – arrow inserts on dash and seats and the sunroof gives a premium feel. The sunroof is not also too good as it is small in size and feels upmarket too. It also comes with Xpress Cool feature cools the air nicely.  The infotainment system is not the best in class but it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Along with these pros it also has some cons and one of them is you can’t see it properly when sunlight falls on it. Front seats offer good comfort. The steering can be adjusted by only tilt it doesn’t have telescopic adjustment. The MID is also good. The rear seat is also have much space and three people can seat easily on it. Rear windows make you feel the cabin roomy and airy. The rear AC  vents are also there to keep the back passengers cool and calm. Third person in middle might feel shortage of space due to that AC vent but still it is a nice space to be in. Boot space of 350 litres allows you to keep all your bags and luggage in it. If you fold the rear seats , it’ll give you ample amount of space.  Along with the space for luggage and bags it also comes with smart utility spaces which are mainly for cups , bottle and for some small things. Cupholders and bottleholders are placed smartly. Also it has the space for umbrella in the door in its older version. Talked about the interiors now let’s talk about how does it drive and feel.

Safety and Ride quality –

Nexon offers great safety features. And also gives the peace of mind of 5 star safety rating. It offers ABS , EBD , ESP as standard.

The Nexon comes with 1.2L revotron(petrol) engine which produces 120hp and 170nm of torque and offers fuel economy of 17kmpl while 1.5L revotorq(diesel) engine produces 110hp and 260nm of torque which gives the mileage of 22kmpl. Both the engine options come with 6 speed manual and 6 speed automatic transmissions. These are the technical terms now let’s check how does it drive ?

The ride is good. It takes the rough roads very easily. While the power you receive from the engine is not too good. The car really starts pulling after 2000rpm and gives good performance in mid range. The steering is light , good and well calibrated which lets you go all the way long with confidence. Suspension is good and it is on stiffer side which lets the car stable after passing from a rough road. The 16 inch tyres also offer great grip which lets you go around the corners confidently and the disk brakes in front and drum brakes in rear also perform well. Shortly , it offers good ride and handling but some where it falls in terms of power delivery. But if you are finding a car which is adapted for Indian roads , comes with good safety features and spacious interiors then Nexon would be a worthy option.

Pros

1. Stylish Exteriors

2. Spacious Interiors

3. Safety features

4. 5 star safety rating

Cons.

1. Suspension might feel stiffer.

2. Power delivery especially in <1000rpm.

3. Sunroof might feel outdated.

Competition –

Nexon mainly competes with Mahindra XUV3OO , Maruti Suzuki Virara Brezza , Hyundai Venue , Ford Ecosport and Kia Sonet.

If you want a car which is good in terms of safety and power , XUV300 is for you because , it also comes with 5 star safety rating and 300nm of torque which never lets you down in terms of power while the Hyundai Venue/Kia Sonet feels more enjoyable and looks are also good whereas Brezza offers a package of good safety , average power and good fuel efficiency but the Ford Ecosport is also good when it comes to performance and features. Currently Vitara Brezza is bestselling in this segment and followed by it 2nd bestselling in the segment is Hyundai Venue.

Kia Seltos

Kia Seltos

Overall Good

Introduction –Second largest car manufacturer in South Korea has entered in India auto market with its SUV , Kia Seltos. They call it as a badass SUV.

Exterior – Kia Seltos is a complete package of features which you are expecting from a car. It looks good thanks to the Kia’s signature Tiger Nose grill which adds charm in the exterior. Stylish design , stylish alloys and overall looks of the car makes the people turn around. While the features and the ride puts a smile on your face. This is all about exterior let’s see how it is from interiors. Kia’s interiors are good and feel premium in some aspects. Its huge infotainment system and the use of soft touch materials gives the feel of premiumness while it gives the sporty feel with its ‘Flat – Bottomes steering wheel’ and some red inserts. Bose sound system and ambient mood lighting adds charm to the rich feel of the car

Interiors. – The front seats are good in case of comfort while the rear seats may disappoint you in legroom and under thigh support. Also the rear AC vents which are in middle makes the third person feel uncomfortable sometimes while it can be fixed by giving those vents at the B-pillar(near the rear door). The Air Purifier which is first in segment which makes the air clean every time for your clean breathe.

Safety –
The Kia Seltos is made by using high strength steel. Equipped with 6 airbags and also give safety features like ABS , EBD , ESC , HAC , etc. It also scores 5 star rating in ANCAP(Australian new car assessment program)

The Boot Space –The boot space is good not the best in its class it feels sufficient for a SUV of its size. Still you are feeling shortage of space then just fold the seats and it will offer you plenty of space for your luggage. Seats have 60:40 split. That was all about its appearance and feel let’s talk about how does it drive ?

Ride Quality – The Seltos offered with 1.5 litre (115hp) which is offered in lower variants and 1.4 (138hp) turbocharged petrol engine while diesel is offered with 1.5litre engine which produces 113hp. Both the engines are mated with automatic transmissions and both have 6 speed manual transmission too. But still the ride quality it isn’t great. The steering doesn’t feel much responsive which lets you down in confidence. Still it focuses to the auto enthusiast people to buy it. The Creta gives you much better ride quality than Seltos but if you’re are a person who likes to enjoy the thrill of driving with your loved ones this might be a better option for you.

Pros –

1. Sporty Design

2. Good features

3. Air Purifier

Cons. 

1. Steering response would have been better

2. Lack of under thigh support at the rear seat

3. Third person in rear might feel uncomfortable.

Summary –Kia Seltos is a good package of sporty design and caring features with good ride quality.

Competition – Hyundai Creta , Tata Harrier , MG Hector. Among these Hyundai Creta is best because it offers good ride quality , plush interiors , pleasing features and space too. If you want buy a car which offers many features from Seltos and Creta and which is bigger in size then you should prefer Tata Harrier. The ride quality of MG Hector might feel disappointing