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 We always wondered about the best soft-roader available in the Indian market. So , we decided to test the mettle of Chevrolet Captiva , Suzuki Grand Vitara , Honda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail. It all started when we got the Chevy Captiva for a road test earlier this year. My better half came along for the shoot and was mighty impressed with the vehicle. A month later , i went to pick up the 2.0 L Honda CR-V from Mumbai with my wife. Girls love cribbing , comparing things , arguing over the slightest of issues for a good bitching session , don’t they? We had just hit the expressway on our way back to Pune when the so called ‘guru gyaan’ started.
I had a hard time reasoning with her about the pros and cons of both vehicles , the Captiva and CR-V , eventually giving up. If that wasn’t enough , when my father-in-law purchased a Vitara last month , our disagreement over the best soft-roader in India turned into a heated debate. You can call it my sheer bad luck or destiny , but a week back , I happened to show my wife spy pictures of the new X-Trail due to be launched later this year. She got curious about the current X-Trail too , and that led to a whole segment war.
Love was lost and egos were hurt. Thankfully , before things went beyond repair , I decided it was time I dug into facts and figures to see which One of the four actually proved its metal. I resolved to take the Captiva , the CR-V , the Vitara and the X-Trail out for a day’s drive and chalk out a clear winner.
CHEVROLET CAPTIVA
 We were impressed with the Captiva when we tested it way back in February. It has great road presence being the biggest as well as the heaviest of the lot. Riding on chunky 17-inch alloy wheels , the SUV looks great. The front of the car looks muscular with slightly swept back headlamps , an angular grille and a creased bonnet. The rear end of the vehicle , unlike its muscular front is more on the cute side with small tail lamps merging into the body. The twin exhausts look sporty.
Once inside the Captiva , you feel thoroughly pampered. Airy interiors with a rich mix of cream and black justifies the price tag that it carries. There is good use of silver inserts – be it in the steering wheel , central console or the air vents. Being a seven-seater doesn’t mean that the seating space in the middle row is compromised. The driver’s seat is high and offers the driver a commanding veiw of the road ahead.
But the highlight of the Captiva isn’t the looks or the interiors. Chevy has employed a retuned version of the the 2.0-litre turbo mill that powers the company’s Optra sedan , making it churn out an extra 29 horses. Though the Captiva is the heaviest vehicle here , it has a decent power-to-weight ratio. The engine is very strong in the low end range and making your way through slow moving traffic is a breeze. Silent and fuel efficient , the 2.0-litre VCDi (known as TCDi on the Optra) mill is the ideal kind of engine to be employed on a highway muncher. But all is not well when it comes to the car’s occasional off-roading capabilities.
At Rs 21.78 lakh (OTR , Pune) , the Captiva is a good buy. The lack of 4WD is an issue for those looking at adventurous weekend drives , but apart from that , the Captiva surely makes for an enjoyable ownership experience.
SUZUKI GRAND VITARA
 Maruti’s earlier attempt in the premium soft-roader segment cannot be termed as a success. The Grand Vitara XL launched in April 2003 , had a gem of a V6 engine which could put a lot of D segment cars to shame when it came down to laying power on the road. However , that was probably the only good thing about it. It drank petrol like there was no tomorrow and the interiors couldn’t exactly be termed as luxurious. Four years later , Maruti launched the all new , much awaited Grand Vitara in order to try its luck once again in a segment it had failed in earlier. More than Rs 2 lakh cheaper than the model it replaced , the Vitara instantly became a value for money proposition. Maybe that’s the reason my father-in-law , a true-blue accountant , went for this option!
With fresh and modern lines , the new Vitara looks compact and sporty. A clear lens , dual beam and projector headlamps stacked below the raised bonnet add muscle up front. The honeycomb grille (a la Maruti) , integrated fog lamps on the front bumper and flared wheel arches further add substance to the front. What I particularly love is the tight bonnet lip , running across its complete length. The Vitara is not the smallest of the lot , but the compact design of the car along with 16-inch alloy wheels (which are common in this segment) lend a sporty and to an extent , a racy feel to the way it looks. The centrally placed spare wheel at the rear with a prominent Suzuki logo is a nice touch.
At just Rs 16.80 lakh (OTR , Pune) for the manual transmission version , the Vitara spells a value for money deal. There are a lot of goodies thrown in with a standard on the fly 4X4 set up. The next cheapest option in this segment is a full Rs 3.70 lakh more! If you can live with the not so hot performance , then the Vitara does make a lot of sense.
HONDA CR-V
 The Honda CR-V , without an argument , has been the class leader for some time now. Launched five years back , it was an instant success. There was no manual transmission and Honda didn’t offer a diesel engine option too , but nevertheless , the car had its own merits to take the competition by storm. The new CR-V , launched more than a year back , further enhanced the vehicle’s position in the market. The upgraded looks , as well as completely new interiors make it seem segments above the rest. Viewing head on , you can’t help but get impressed by the muscular look of the car. There is a double front grille with the projector headlamps merging into the flowing bonnet. The car has a very urban look with swooping windows , seven-spoke alloy wheels and a matte black side cladding for the front and rear bumper. The CR-V surely turns quite a few heads.
The modern , yet luxurious theme greets you on the inside too. The CR-V is well designed with ample space and quality touches. Once seated on the plush leather seat , you instantly find yourself comfortably placed to easily access all the controls. The speedometer console displays a wealth of information on the multi-info LCD display. The placement of the gear lever below the centre console means that a lot space is freed up between the driver and co-driver. Further , a central console with cup holders and a storage box for CDs as well as a dedicated glass holder for the rear passengers make sure long drives are a joyful affair.
The CR-V is priced between Rs 21 to 23.3 lakh depending on the model. This is surely fantastic value for money considering the quality of interiors and the Superb engines that the car comes with. Even though the competition has stiffened up lately , the CR-V is still the segment leader.
NISSAN X-TRAIL
 The X-Trail is visually the most car-like SUV here. It is the smallest of the lot here with the most sedate curves. It is not exciting , but then Nissan is already testing the latest avatar which will hit showrooms later this year. The front has a certain degree of boldness but the rear of the car is quite disappointing and boring. On the inside though , one feels pampered. You sit low , like in a car though the centrally placed instrumentation console takes some time getting used to. Quality of the bits employed in the interior is top notch and you have a good list of amenities too. Having said that , space is at a premium. The silver finish central console swoops down into the six-speed gear box lever. The speedometer console sits on the top followed by the audio system and climate control as well as the 4WD selector knob. Ample space for knick-knacks is a bonus.
This Nissan looks and feels like a car and drives like one too. The diesel mill lacks in low end punch but once it gets above 2400rpm , cruising on the highway or overtaking traffic is a breeze. The six-speed gear box has well chosen ratios and infact while pushing the X-Trail on the way back from the shoot , keeping the engine in the meaty bank with the car in 4WD mode made munching miles fast a fun affair. Body roll is limited and the suspension too feels perfect for easy as well as spirited driving. On the highways , the sixth gear pays dividends when it comes to getting good mileage figures.
There are two versions to choose from. The cheaper comfort variant retails for Rs 20.50 lakh , while you pay an extra Rs 4.40 lakh for the high-end Elegance model. Whether the extra money is worth the extra goodies depends on your bank balance though.
VERDICT
 We had an awesome time driving all these vehicles back to back. After all , how often do you get a chance to drive such machines over terrains that best suit them? Our role , as automobile journalists , is not all about having fun and getting our hands on the best of cars around. We have a very crucial responsibility of judging these vehicles based on various criteria.
The Grand Vitara and X-Trail are great products. While the Vitara is certainly a value for money buy with a few extra goodies thrown in , the X-Trail emerges as a luxurious vehicle. It feels like a car , yet doesn’t disappoint when it comes to treading the countryside. But as we found out , the competition betters both of them in a lot of essential areas. We would have loved to see a much powerful mill under the Vitara’s hood and probably more character to the car to be an all-round soft-roader. Nissan’s X-Trail is a capable car , but looks too dated for today’s times. We are looking forward to the new version that will be out later this year. It only means that the current X-Trail won’t be a good investment.
That leaves us with the Chevy Captiva and the Honda CR-V. The Captiva won our hearts with its lovely diesel mill. It loves being revved , is reasonably punchy and returns exceptional fuel economy figures for its size. The interior has an airy feel and the quality of the fit-and-finish too is better than most of the contenders here. But , there are shortcomings too. There is no 4X4 option – a very important consideration in this category. Not to mention that it also has a poor air-conditioning system that doesn’t blow out enough air to chill the cabin quickly (probably that was the case only with the car we had on test , but that’s what we observed nonetheless). We found ourselves sweating even after ten minutes of the air-con running at full blast.
The Honda CR-V , ladies and gentlemen , tops this class and with a comfortable margin. A gem of an engine , airy interiors that exhibit luxury of a higher segment of cars. The CR-V has always been the class leader , and remains so even today. We don’t really see any reason to crib about the vehicle other than the lack of a diesel option. However , a diesel CR-V will be launched here soon.
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I had a hard time reasoning with her about the pros and cons of both vehicles , the Captiva and CR-V , eventually giving up. If that wasn’t enough , when my father-in-law purchased a Vitara last month , our disagreement over the best soft-roader in India turned into a heated debate. You can call it my sheer bad luck or destiny , but a week back , I happened to show my wife spy pictures of the new X-Trail due to be launched later this year. She got curious about the current X-Trail too , and that led to a whole segment war.
Love was lost and egos were hurt. Thankfully , before things went beyond repair , I decided it was time I dug into facts and figures to see which One of the four actually proved its metal. I resolved to take the Captiva , the CR-V , the Vitara and the X-Trail out for a day’s drive and chalk out a clear winner.
CHEVROLET CAPTIVA
Once inside the Captiva , you feel thoroughly pampered. Airy interiors with a rich mix of cream and black justifies the price tag that it carries. There is good use of silver inserts – be it in the steering wheel , central console or the air vents. Being a seven-seater doesn’t mean that the seating space in the middle row is compromised. The driver’s seat is high and offers the driver a commanding veiw of the road ahead.
But the highlight of the Captiva isn’t the looks or the interiors. Chevy has employed a retuned version of the the 2.0-litre turbo mill that powers the company’s Optra sedan , making it churn out an extra 29 horses. Though the Captiva is the heaviest vehicle here , it has a decent power-to-weight ratio. The engine is very strong in the low end range and making your way through slow moving traffic is a breeze. Silent and fuel efficient , the 2.0-litre VCDi (known as TCDi on the Optra) mill is the ideal kind of engine to be employed on a highway muncher. But all is not well when it comes to the car’s occasional off-roading capabilities.
At Rs 21.78 lakh (OTR , Pune) , the Captiva is a good buy. The lack of 4WD is an issue for those looking at adventurous weekend drives , but apart from that , the Captiva surely makes for an enjoyable ownership experience.
SUZUKI GRAND VITARA
With fresh and modern lines , the new Vitara looks compact and sporty. A clear lens , dual beam and projector headlamps stacked below the raised bonnet add muscle up front. The honeycomb grille (a la Maruti) , integrated fog lamps on the front bumper and flared wheel arches further add substance to the front. What I particularly love is the tight bonnet lip , running across its complete length. The Vitara is not the smallest of the lot , but the compact design of the car along with 16-inch alloy wheels (which are common in this segment) lend a sporty and to an extent , a racy feel to the way it looks. The centrally placed spare wheel at the rear with a prominent Suzuki logo is a nice touch.
At just Rs 16.80 lakh (OTR , Pune) for the manual transmission version , the Vitara spells a value for money deal. There are a lot of goodies thrown in with a standard on the fly 4X4 set up. The next cheapest option in this segment is a full Rs 3.70 lakh more! If you can live with the not so hot performance , then the Vitara does make a lot of sense.
HONDA CR-V
The modern , yet luxurious theme greets you on the inside too. The CR-V is well designed with ample space and quality touches. Once seated on the plush leather seat , you instantly find yourself comfortably placed to easily access all the controls. The speedometer console displays a wealth of information on the multi-info LCD display. The placement of the gear lever below the centre console means that a lot space is freed up between the driver and co-driver. Further , a central console with cup holders and a storage box for CDs as well as a dedicated glass holder for the rear passengers make sure long drives are a joyful affair.
The CR-V is priced between Rs 21 to 23.3 lakh depending on the model. This is surely fantastic value for money considering the quality of interiors and the Superb engines that the car comes with. Even though the competition has stiffened up lately , the CR-V is still the segment leader.
NISSAN X-TRAIL
This Nissan looks and feels like a car and drives like one too. The diesel mill lacks in low end punch but once it gets above 2400rpm , cruising on the highway or overtaking traffic is a breeze. The six-speed gear box has well chosen ratios and infact while pushing the X-Trail on the way back from the shoot , keeping the engine in the meaty bank with the car in 4WD mode made munching miles fast a fun affair. Body roll is limited and the suspension too feels perfect for easy as well as spirited driving. On the highways , the sixth gear pays dividends when it comes to getting good mileage figures.
There are two versions to choose from. The cheaper comfort variant retails for Rs 20.50 lakh , while you pay an extra Rs 4.40 lakh for the high-end Elegance model. Whether the extra money is worth the extra goodies depends on your bank balance though.
VERDICT
The Grand Vitara and X-Trail are great products. While the Vitara is certainly a value for money buy with a few extra goodies thrown in , the X-Trail emerges as a luxurious vehicle. It feels like a car , yet doesn’t disappoint when it comes to treading the countryside. But as we found out , the competition betters both of them in a lot of essential areas. We would have loved to see a much powerful mill under the Vitara’s hood and probably more character to the car to be an all-round soft-roader. Nissan’s X-Trail is a capable car , but looks too dated for today’s times. We are looking forward to the new version that will be out later this year. It only means that the current X-Trail won’t be a good investment.
That leaves us with the Chevy Captiva and the Honda CR-V. The Captiva won our hearts with its lovely diesel mill. It loves being revved , is reasonably punchy and returns exceptional fuel economy figures for its size. The interior has an airy feel and the quality of the fit-and-finish too is better than most of the contenders here. But , there are shortcomings too. There is no 4X4 option – a very important consideration in this category. Not to mention that it also has a poor air-conditioning system that doesn’t blow out enough air to chill the cabin quickly (probably that was the case only with the car we had on test , but that’s what we observed nonetheless). We found ourselves sweating even after ten minutes of the air-con running at full blast.
The Honda CR-V , ladies and gentlemen , tops this class and with a comfortable margin. A gem of an engine , airy interiors that exhibit luxury of a higher segment of cars. The CR-V has always been the class leader , and remains so even today. We don’t really see any reason to crib about the vehicle other than the lack of a diesel option. However , a diesel CR-V will be launched here soon.
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tel me xact date of when crvi diesel model ll b launched
Any news when the diesel CDV will be launched in India? Also, when do you plan to do a road test of the Mitsubishi Outlander? How would it compare to the CRV and Captiva? It seems to be the hotest new thing in the international market nowadays?
Wish to see something about the Toyota Fortuner.