When it comes to buying one in the ‘Sub-4 meters category’, it’s been one of the toughest choices to make since the car makers have started putting their full interest in improving their mini SUVs. Every car is good in its own aspects, yet we will try to give our opinion about what we think would be the best choice for you.
Car for Plush Ride and Comfort
The ever-popular and sales chart-topping car very frequently since its launch in 2016, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, is the most obvious choice for buyers. It packs Maruti’s in-house workhorse K15C Smart-Hybrid engine. This 1.5L unit produces around 103bhp/4400rpm and 136.8Nm/4400rpm and returns around 19-20kmpl with a 48L tank. The suspensions are probably the best in the segment. This car is great for low-speed city ride comfort. The seats offer great support and cushioning.
With the recent facelift, Brezza now gets much more handsome both inside and out. A 360°-surround camera, heads-up display, electric sunroof, wireless charger, and 6 airbags now add to the interest of the buyers as well. But it is the most expensive SUV in its segment currently which acts against its impressions.
Car for Tackling Bad Roads Frequently
Tata Nexon is one of the safest cars in the segment with a 5-star crash test rating. The Nexon has always been a very robust and safe car. A solid and robust chassis and a suspension that can take a heavy beating and is well-tuned for Indian roads. A vast dealer network and hassle-free service experience make it a super deal to close.
It also matches the feature-packed competitors. The anxiety of missing out on some features is sorted with the recent update made to the Nexon. The option of having more than 70 variants is also a great point of attraction.
Car for Tech-Savvy People
While talking about price, the two Korean siblings, Kia Motors’ Sonet and Hyundai’s Venue, have the upper hand. These folks are feature-loaded, very smartly packed, and aggressively priced. These cars have the most number of connected car tech. These tech options might be buying criteria for many Indian car buyers.
These two have a host of engine and transmission options which is great but at times feels a bit too confusing. The 1.2L petrol unit with 83ps @6000rpm and 113.8ps/4000rpm & 115ps/4200rpm in Venue and Sonet respectively gets only 5-speed manual transmission. 1.0L turboGDI, 120ps/6000rpm and 172Nm/1500-4000rpm, gets 6-speed iMT & 7-speed DCT, in both. The diesel is a very efficient, around 19-24kmpl, unit and gets 6 -speed in manual only in The Venue but with a 6-speed Automatic option available in Sonet with 15ps & 10Nm more than manual.
The Venue was safety rated 4 stars in ANCAP while Sonet is 3-star rated from GNCAP. Both these cars have the option of rear disc brakes but it is not standard equipment. These cars don’t boast safety ratings similar to other Indian car manufacturers.
Car with A Perfect Blend of All
Mahindra 3XO has a very versatile powertrain and gearbox portfolio.
Petrol: 82 kW and 96 kW of power on tap mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter gearbox.
Diesel: 85.5 kW 1.5-litre CRDe diesel mill has an option of a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed AMT gearbox.
Some important features in 3XO are, the Harman Kardon premium audio system, 65W USB-C fast charging for phones, First in Segment Level 2 ADAS, and Skyroof (Panoramic Sunroof).
XUV also comes with ADAS level 2 and the previous XUV 300 had a better safety rating when compared to Tata Nexon. It also comes with rear disc brakes as standard across all the variants. We can say that is a very safe car.
XUV might not be a good looker but it is a great car. It might be the most expensive (depending on the variants) but it provides value for your money.
Conclusion
In conclusion we can say that there might be a car everyone’s needs. It all comes down to understanding what you want from your car, what budget you have and what you extract from that vehicle. Indian sub-4 meter car segment is very popular and experiences good sales number every month.
All the cars mentioned above are among the top 15 most-selling cars every month. We have tried to simplify the buying criteria for these hot selling cars.
