The replacement vehicle should have a good build quality & a peppy engine for spirited driving. I’m inclined towards the VW Polo.
BHPian tsk13 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Hello, BHPians!
My current ride is a 2013 EcoSport Diesel Titanium+ which has clocked 1.90 Lakh kms and is still young as ever.
Since I live in Delhi, the car only has another 18 months left to attain its 10th year and I’m looking for an appropriate replacement.
My daily drive is around 70 Kms with a mix of traffic, free-spirited driving and quick overtakes in the outer areas of the city.
I’m looking for good-built, coupled with a peppy engine, hence, NAs are absolutely out of question. Although I’m a fan of the Korean Twin Diesels (Seltos and Creta), they don’t live upto the build standards of the EcoSport.
Kushaq is still an option but going by the niggles and deletion of auto foldable ORVMs, I’m a bit off. Somehow, I find the Polo to be a worthy competitor as a replacement for my EcoSport. To some, it might appear as a downgrade but the situation for EcoSport owners is surely like Beggars can’t be Choosers.
Apart from the EcoSport, I have the new i20 Asta and XL6 but both aren’t meant for spirited driving.
My core interest revolves around build and drive, hence, Polo, as they say, the last of the Germans (in this price bracket) is what I’m leaning towards in the Highline Plus trim.
Looking forward to your input.
PS – I’m open to options till 16L OTR but a bit inclined towards Polo, hence, request you to please be forthcoming with all the help you can. It’s not about Diesel or Petrol, my dilemma is all about Build and Spirited Driving.
Thanks!
Here’s what BHPian headbanger had to say about the matter:
My first instinct to your query was 3 cars – Nexon Diesel, XUV3OO and base variant of XUV7OO.
If we omit Maruti, Honda and Hyundai twins, the only manufacturers to put together a build quality and hence safety is Mahindra and Tata apart from the Germans.
Unless you need a boot, XUV3OO is a hoot to drive and is solidly built too. My recommendation will be XUV3OO.
Here’s what BHPian sunikkat had to say about the matter:
If you like Polo, go for it, you can’t go wrong with it. Else wait for Slavia as it’s around the corner.
But hands down, Polo meets your requirements.
Here’s what BHPian MadRasTan4986 had to say about the matter:
For your EcoSport, please check Spinny for offers. I recently sold my 65k run 2015 Figo diesel for a good amount.
Regarding your upgrades, I’d say Kushaq you avoid because those interiors were a huge letdown. I recently test drove one and although the chassis and engine are good, the interiors really left me disappointed.
Taigun is a good option. They seem to have sorted out the interiors there to a good extent. And the 1 lit is a hoot to drive esp. with the paddle shifters, it’s even more fun. But the manual is fun too. The 1.5 is a blast though you will have to stretch your budget for the same.
Nexon is another option. We own one and after getting spoilt with Ford dynamics and build quality; and since you are used to Ecosport and Ford that comes close and tops in build quality and the ride even though a tad stiff feels great to throw around corners and the diesel engine has ample torque. Good fun when you throw it around and very well settled over long journeys.
If Polo is your secondary car, I’d say pick it up. I’m in the process of getting one myself too. Can’t beat that little hatch in terms of driving dynamics and fun.
Keyword: Rs 16 lakh: Fun-to-drive car to replace ageing Ford EcoSport