Introduction

SUVs are generating the headlines in India and there seems to be a major growth in the compact SUV segment. These are SUVs that are less than four metres in length, have the requisite SUV/crossover looks and are all priced marginally higher than premium hatchbacks and compact sedans that currently exist around this price range. We have picked up five of the most popular (by numbers) vehicles that are on sale and using our criteria listed below scored the cars.

How we did it?

Below is the detailed list of pointers that we have taken into consideration. Each car is rated individually on a scale of 10, with the winner getting maximum points and then the rest in descending order. The car with the highest score wins.

Price: We have considered the top-of-the-line versions of each car and the most affordable one gets maximum points and vice versa.

Efficiency: The most efficient car gets maximum points followed by the second, third and so on; The fuel efficiency figures that you see are an average of the city and highway runs conducted by our expert reviewers.

Power: The car with higher power rating wins. In case two cars have similar power rating, then the car with higher torque figure gets more points.

Utility: We cannot quantify cabin space that easily, but boot space, cup holders, bottle holders and other storage place can be listed on paper. The more the boot space, more the points, these are then added together with the points on ergonomics. Every additional cup holder, bottle holder and storage place over the front door pockets get counted in the total score.

Convenience: Every feature that is worth mentioning gets one point. So a basic music system will lose out to one with Bluetooth telephony, while a touch-screen system with navigation scores over most others. Projector headlamps, rear AC vents, parking sensors and all other features will get counted here.

Warranty: Higher the number of years, more the points. If the number of years is the same, then weightage would automatically shift to kilometres. Unlimited is better than 1,00,000km, which is then preferred over 50,000km and so on.

Safety: Basic safety like the front airbags, ABS-EBD are a must, anything less and the car loses points. If we have more safety features here, it will certainly boost the score.

Top compact SUVs

Tata Nexon (63/70)

It’s the newest kid on the block and there should be a minimal amount of surprise that it tops the test. Given that compact SUVs have been around for a while, Tata has taken its time, observed the competition and raised the stakes quite a bit. It has all the segment standard stuff and a bit more that has given it an edge over the others. This includes rear AC vents, diesel engine output and having the lowest price among the competition.

Honda WR-V (61/70)

The WR-V is Honda’s answer to the whole compact SUV race and in that typical Big H fashion, it has decided to go with a crossover like design rather than a conventional SUV approach. It has the best warranty package and at 3 years/unlimited km Honda has managed to offer a deal that will keep tense owners at ease post car purchase thanks to the vast numbers in the offering. With such a strong offering, the WR-V has only marginally fallen behind the Nexon and its success is visible in its monthly sales numbers which is now hovering around the 5500 mark.

Mahindra TUV300 (57/70)

The Mahindra TUV300 has been a surprise on this podium. This we suspect is the introduction of the new T10 variant which has brought the car up to the level of the rivals. It’s score, however, has been boosted by it having the largest boot amongst all the competitors thanks to its high roofline. Away from the criteria of this test, it’s also the car that looks most SUV-like thanks to its square lines and high stance.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza (54/70)

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza might be the segment leader in terms of volumes but it’s been beaten by the new players in the fray. It’s the last car among the five to score a 10 and this it has earned in the safety criteria where it has the addition of brake assistance as compared to the rest of the competition. However, it has the smallest diesel engine with the lowest output as well one of the lowest boot capacities in the fray.

Ford EcoSport (53/70)

It’s the vehicle that began the game and is the one that has been around for the longest- 4 years to be precise. In that time Ford has played catchup and every time there has been a new rival, Ford has updated the EcoSport to match the competition. It is two points down on the car that ousted it from the top of the compact segment and this, in the clearest way is down to its high pricing. In fact, among the manual transmission cars, it is the only one that breaches the 10 lakh rupee mark. There will be a new one later this year but for now, its stands at the bottom of the pack.