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#1
Guys, this is a decision journey of an upgrade from lovingly ‘TallBoy aka WagonR’ to its big sister LUV-Ertiga, followed by an ownership review of LUV. Grab your favorite drink and be ready, as I unfold this long story!
It was in January of 2007, we welcomed the TallBoy(LXI) in our family. It was my friend who drove the car home as I still had to learn driving, LUCKY he!
Needless to say, I learnt my first driving lessons in tallboy and it continued for next 70k km’s over 6.9 years. My entire family always enjoyed all trips (short/long) we made in companion with tallboy. We were blessed with a princess in 2010 thus making ours a 5 member family. Tallboy served the purpose for 2 years to follow but as our princess started growing, we felt that she needs her own space in the car for naughty activities. Besides this, I developed a good interest in new technologies in the Car (features/engines) and the features in tallboy (being LXI) were nowhere in competition.
This started the hunt for the new big Car (Sedan) in 2012. Vitamin M is always crucial to decide the new Car and I fixed it to around 7 Lakhs. Not many (< 4 mtrs) were fitting into this budget; still I went for a search in the market.
The requirements being:
Disclaimer: Treat below observations as my personal unbiased opinions and I do not intend to hurt sentiments of anybody (specially the owners of those cars) so no offence!
Toyota Etios: I liked the design of this Car when it was launched and being a TMC family Car, looked like it inherited the quality and the brand trust in first impression. I went to see the car with my dad to DSK Toyota showroom on NH4 near Bawdhan in Pune and was greeted well by the SE. The Car looked solidly built from outside but when I entered inn; I was not impressed by the look and feel of the interior packaging. Seats looked good and were comfortable, but the dashboard design didn’t look premium or upmarket to me. I asked for a TD and it was given immediately. Car pulled nicely (remember I was comparing to Tallboy then) but the clutch felt very hard to operate and though the power delivery was gradual, it was not that inspiring in the mid-range which I was looking. Then I asked the cost (diesel) for top end and middle end variant which was above 8 Lakhs in both case. But since I was not impressed fully, I decided to move away Etios from my list, even though dad liked it!
Tata Manza: One of the most spacious CAR then and serving all my requirements thus went on to see it at CONCORDE Motors on NH4 near Baner along with entire Family. We entered the showroom, Manza kept there was looking stunning and I kept wondering why it does not look so good on road . I understood the reality only when I realized that that was new Club Class version of Manza. I took TD immediately and baring the tight clutch (same again.uhhh), I liked everything in it. The 1.3 MJD was superb to drive and I liked the mid-range solid punch after 2000 rpm which matched my expectation. The interior color theme was brilliant with plum and black combination. It was heavily loaded with features such as ACC, AirBags, Touch screen ICE, multifunction steering wheel etc. Wifey liked all features and the color combinations available but the cost of this top end and middle end version were out of my budget, and spending 10Lakhs for a Car with Tata logo looked too much (Tata still has to overcome taxi image fully-let’s see whats there in plate for Zest & Bolt). So tata to Tata.
But this made me realize, I cannot satisfy all my requirements in a budget of 7 Lakhs and I need to upgrade it to 10 Lakhs, obviously plan was postponed. And all of a sudden I felt Tallboy can serve 1 more year
It was March of 2013, my inner core again started shouting for new Car, as I could see many new cars running around. Yes, it was the time to upgrade. But, I didn’t want to hurry this time and so didn’t opt for TD and instead started looking at different online forums to learn about new cars and their reviews. I must admit that TAI forum helped me immensely gathering all the required information on different cars satisfying my requirements.
By now, new requirements piled in on top of earlier ones:
9. ABS & EBD (mandatory)
10. AIRBAGS (mandatory)
11. Alloy Wheels
12. Multi Information Display
13. Rear Defogger with wiper
14. Driver Seat Height Adjustment
15. Steering mounted Audio Controls
16. Bluetooth enabled double din stereo system
So, was I looking for top end variant?
Unfortunately in India, safety equipment’s are still considered as luxury features and are provided normally in top end models. Remember, most of the Indian hot selling cars failed at NCAP tests recently for safety measurements. Though there are some improvements when we look at VW group who are now providing Airbags in all variants (Polo), we have a long way to go before CAR manufacturers and government puts across safety first approach and don’t put ‘we’ Indians at the mercy of God on roads.
Nevertheless, I went through reviews of VW Vento, Nissan Sunny, Renault Scala, Hyundai Verna, Skoda Rapid and also went to see them physically followed by TD.
And the verdict:
VW Vento & Scoda Rapid:
Pros: Both solidly built, straight design, awesome interior fit & finish, peppy classy engine (diesel), excellent ride quality
Cons: VW Comfortline variant (which was in my budget) was/is under featured, no ABS forget Airbags.
For Scoda Rapid, ASS still was/is a big issue (courtesy: feedback from owners)
Nissan Sunny & Renault Scala:
Pros: Acres of space to my liking, good VFM feature least
Cons: Bulky design, Dashboard design is practical but very boring (bulky) and looks out of date (2014 Sunny dashboard looks better now)
Hyundai Verna:
Pros: The best designed car in this price segment. Looks absolutely stunning, loaded with features, many variants to choose from, class leading peppy engine (128BHP,wow!), Excellent ASS of Hyundai
Cons: Low GC and soft suspensions, ride quality not so good (2014 updated Verna has increased GC and better tuned suspensions), somewhat vague steering feedback
To sum up, nothing clicked till this time until I saw a beast soon to arrive ‘Ford ECOSPORT’. Even though it was showcased in Auto Expo a year before, I was not sure if the same design would be carried on to production version. I started following all updates regarding this small SUV and its launch. Finally the time came and it was launched on 26th June 2013 at mouthwatering price. The following weekend I went there with entire family to see and TD the SUV, and I knew I am gonna book it anyway. I took the TD and was astonished to see all advanced features physically. The already proven diesel engine felt good and was easily drivable. There was absolutely no turbo lag as the torque starts quite early. Gear ratios were tall thus moved along in 2nd gear effortlessly even at speed of 80.
And the verdict:
Pros: Eye catching design with big front grill, unique & trendy design, endless feature list including ABS, Air Bags, Bluetooth stereo system, nice alloy wheel design, reach/recline adjustment for steering wheel , many first in class features like Sync, excellent ride quality and many more
Cons: Not so good rear leg room and rear space not for 3 people (adults), huge waiting period of 4 months then.
But I was sold to this beast and wifey too liked it. And I was ready to compromise on the space which was one of major criteria in upgrading from Tallboy. The checkbook came out and the SUV was booked in July 1st week with a promise (?) from dealer for a delivery within 3 months. The variant booked was Titanium (diesel) with on road price as 10,30,000 INR.
And the never ending wait started. I kept calling my SA almost twice a week to take the status with his reply being the same ‘no allotment from Ford yet for Titanium variant’. I was getting frustrated by the wait and started writing Ford officials directly, off course without any outcome. 3 months passed and I became very furious on the delivery of the SUV as there was no update from dealer. Then I wrote to MD of Ford (mail id was available on ford official webpage) regarding my booking, then I believe gears were shifted finally and there was a call next day from my dealer for the updates. He explained to me that they get only 2 Titanium variants in a month and mine would be available only in April 2014. Also, in between Ford increased cost of all variants and removed some features from Titanium. This fixed final nail into the coffin and I decided to cancel the booking with very heavy heart.
And the hunt began again for the 3rd time. I thought for Duster as well but fully loaded (110 BHP) variant was crossing 12 Lakhs and the rear leg room was not good & features were not great, thus rejected.
It was in January of 2007, we welcomed the TallBoy(LXI) in our family. It was my friend who drove the car home as I still had to learn driving, LUCKY he!
Needless to say, I learnt my first driving lessons in tallboy and it continued for next 70k km’s over 6.9 years. My entire family always enjoyed all trips (short/long) we made in companion with tallboy. We were blessed with a princess in 2010 thus making ours a 5 member family. Tallboy served the purpose for 2 years to follow but as our princess started growing, we felt that she needs her own space in the car for naughty activities. Besides this, I developed a good interest in new technologies in the Car (features/engines) and the features in tallboy (being LXI) were nowhere in competition.
This started the hunt for the new big Car (Sedan) in 2012. Vitamin M is always crucial to decide the new Car and I fixed it to around 7 Lakhs. Not many (< 4 mtrs) were fitting into this budget; still I went for a search in the market.
The requirements being:
- Good interior space (especially rear leg room)
- Big boot
- All power window (all were manual in my Tallboy)
- Integrated ICE
- Highway cruiser
- Modern day equipment list
- Burner- slight inclination towards diesel to save running cost
- Good GC-I wanted a good GC as it was certain that we would travel across two states quite frequently.
Disclaimer: Treat below observations as my personal unbiased opinions and I do not intend to hurt sentiments of anybody (specially the owners of those cars) so no offence!
Toyota Etios: I liked the design of this Car when it was launched and being a TMC family Car, looked like it inherited the quality and the brand trust in first impression. I went to see the car with my dad to DSK Toyota showroom on NH4 near Bawdhan in Pune and was greeted well by the SE. The Car looked solidly built from outside but when I entered inn; I was not impressed by the look and feel of the interior packaging. Seats looked good and were comfortable, but the dashboard design didn’t look premium or upmarket to me. I asked for a TD and it was given immediately. Car pulled nicely (remember I was comparing to Tallboy then) but the clutch felt very hard to operate and though the power delivery was gradual, it was not that inspiring in the mid-range which I was looking. Then I asked the cost (diesel) for top end and middle end variant which was above 8 Lakhs in both case. But since I was not impressed fully, I decided to move away Etios from my list, even though dad liked it!
Tata Manza: One of the most spacious CAR then and serving all my requirements thus went on to see it at CONCORDE Motors on NH4 near Baner along with entire Family. We entered the showroom, Manza kept there was looking stunning and I kept wondering why it does not look so good on road . I understood the reality only when I realized that that was new Club Class version of Manza. I took TD immediately and baring the tight clutch (same again.uhhh), I liked everything in it. The 1.3 MJD was superb to drive and I liked the mid-range solid punch after 2000 rpm which matched my expectation. The interior color theme was brilliant with plum and black combination. It was heavily loaded with features such as ACC, AirBags, Touch screen ICE, multifunction steering wheel etc. Wifey liked all features and the color combinations available but the cost of this top end and middle end version were out of my budget, and spending 10Lakhs for a Car with Tata logo looked too much (Tata still has to overcome taxi image fully-let’s see whats there in plate for Zest & Bolt). So tata to Tata.
But this made me realize, I cannot satisfy all my requirements in a budget of 7 Lakhs and I need to upgrade it to 10 Lakhs, obviously plan was postponed. And all of a sudden I felt Tallboy can serve 1 more year
It was March of 2013, my inner core again started shouting for new Car, as I could see many new cars running around. Yes, it was the time to upgrade. But, I didn’t want to hurry this time and so didn’t opt for TD and instead started looking at different online forums to learn about new cars and their reviews. I must admit that TAI forum helped me immensely gathering all the required information on different cars satisfying my requirements.
By now, new requirements piled in on top of earlier ones:
9. ABS & EBD (mandatory)
10. AIRBAGS (mandatory)
11. Alloy Wheels
12. Multi Information Display
13. Rear Defogger with wiper
14. Driver Seat Height Adjustment
15. Steering mounted Audio Controls
16. Bluetooth enabled double din stereo system
So, was I looking for top end variant?
Unfortunately in India, safety equipment’s are still considered as luxury features and are provided normally in top end models. Remember, most of the Indian hot selling cars failed at NCAP tests recently for safety measurements. Though there are some improvements when we look at VW group who are now providing Airbags in all variants (Polo), we have a long way to go before CAR manufacturers and government puts across safety first approach and don’t put ‘we’ Indians at the mercy of God on roads.
Nevertheless, I went through reviews of VW Vento, Nissan Sunny, Renault Scala, Hyundai Verna, Skoda Rapid and also went to see them physically followed by TD.
And the verdict:
VW Vento & Scoda Rapid:
Pros: Both solidly built, straight design, awesome interior fit & finish, peppy classy engine (diesel), excellent ride quality
Cons: VW Comfortline variant (which was in my budget) was/is under featured, no ABS forget Airbags.
For Scoda Rapid, ASS still was/is a big issue (courtesy: feedback from owners)
Nissan Sunny & Renault Scala:
Pros: Acres of space to my liking, good VFM feature least
Cons: Bulky design, Dashboard design is practical but very boring (bulky) and looks out of date (2014 Sunny dashboard looks better now)
Hyundai Verna:
Pros: The best designed car in this price segment. Looks absolutely stunning, loaded with features, many variants to choose from, class leading peppy engine (128BHP,wow!), Excellent ASS of Hyundai
Cons: Low GC and soft suspensions, ride quality not so good (2014 updated Verna has increased GC and better tuned suspensions), somewhat vague steering feedback
To sum up, nothing clicked till this time until I saw a beast soon to arrive ‘Ford ECOSPORT’. Even though it was showcased in Auto Expo a year before, I was not sure if the same design would be carried on to production version. I started following all updates regarding this small SUV and its launch. Finally the time came and it was launched on 26th June 2013 at mouthwatering price. The following weekend I went there with entire family to see and TD the SUV, and I knew I am gonna book it anyway. I took the TD and was astonished to see all advanced features physically. The already proven diesel engine felt good and was easily drivable. There was absolutely no turbo lag as the torque starts quite early. Gear ratios were tall thus moved along in 2nd gear effortlessly even at speed of 80.
And the verdict:
Pros: Eye catching design with big front grill, unique & trendy design, endless feature list including ABS, Air Bags, Bluetooth stereo system, nice alloy wheel design, reach/recline adjustment for steering wheel , many first in class features like Sync, excellent ride quality and many more
Cons: Not so good rear leg room and rear space not for 3 people (adults), huge waiting period of 4 months then.
But I was sold to this beast and wifey too liked it. And I was ready to compromise on the space which was one of major criteria in upgrading from Tallboy. The checkbook came out and the SUV was booked in July 1st week with a promise (?) from dealer for a delivery within 3 months. The variant booked was Titanium (diesel) with on road price as 10,30,000 INR.
And the never ending wait started. I kept calling my SA almost twice a week to take the status with his reply being the same ‘no allotment from Ford yet for Titanium variant’. I was getting frustrated by the wait and started writing Ford officials directly, off course without any outcome. 3 months passed and I became very furious on the delivery of the SUV as there was no update from dealer. Then I wrote to MD of Ford (mail id was available on ford official webpage) regarding my booking, then I believe gears were shifted finally and there was a call next day from my dealer for the updates. He explained to me that they get only 2 Titanium variants in a month and mine would be available only in April 2014. Also, in between Ford increased cost of all variants and removed some features from Titanium. This fixed final nail into the coffin and I decided to cancel the booking with very heavy heart.
And the hunt began again for the 3rd time. I thought for Duster as well but fully loaded (110 BHP) variant was crossing 12 Lakhs and the rear leg room was not good & features were not great, thus rejected.
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