Best of 2015: Top car and SUV reviews

Through this year we have consistently brought you all the latest launches and drives, some of them exclusively even. From all-new offerings like the Renault Kwid and Hyundai Creta to evolutionary models like the new Honda Jazz and Hyundai i20 Active, we have covered them all. To give you a brief recap of the year that has gone by, here’s a list of the most popular reviews on our website in 2015.

Honda Jazz review
The first generation Jazz was a spacious and practical hatchback but wasn’t very successful with Honda having priced the car at a premium compared to the rest of the segment. The new Honda Jazz is an all-new model built on the same platform as the older car but is clearly identifiable as a Jazz with its mono-volume shape. The new car has sharper styling with angular headlamps, a new design grille, sharper belt lines, 3D-effect tail-lamps and a fair bit of chrome garnish. Inside, the new car is as spacious as ever and gets features like touch-screen infotainment system and touch-sensitive climate control system. So does the new Jazz match up to its established rivals? We drove it to find out. Read our review of the new Honda Jazz here.

Maruti S-Cross review
Maruti’s entry into the crossover segment was with a model that felt more like a large hatchback than proper crossover. The styling, like with all other cars from the manufacturer, is conservative rather than bold while interior quality is unlike any other Maruti model till date in the country. Marketed as a ‘premium crossover’ rather than a SUV, the S-Cross has an all-new engine in its line-up, which is a Fiat- sourced 1.6-litre diesel motor alongside the tried and tested 1.3-litre diesel. So just how good is the new diesel crossover from Maruti ? Click here to read find out.

Hyundai Creta review
Hyundai calls its all-new Creta ‘the perfect SUV’; a bold claim, especially since it competes in an extremely competitive segment of the SUV market. It’s got all the right ingredients that are essential in this segment – three engine options, manual and auto transmissions, a spacious and well-built cabin packed with equipment and, above all, proper SUV proportions. So, has Hyundai walked the talk? We drive the SUV to find out. Click here to read our review.

Maruti Baleno review
The second Maruti to feature on the list, the Baleno is the manufacturer's answer to the Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz. Featuring a new design language along with a spacious and well-equipped, but slightly dull interior, the Baleno is set to make a strong case for itself in the Indian market. So does it have what it takes to contend with the segment leading Hyundai i20? Here's our review.

Renault Kwid review
The Kwid is Renault’s entry into the low-budget, high-volume entry-level hatchback category. Featuring SUV-like styling with details such as body cladding, a rugged grille, nicely detailed headlamps, neat looking tail-lamps, chunky fog lamp enclosures, a squarish shape overall along with a raised ride height as compared to rivals, the car looks almost like a mini-Duster. Inside, there's the segment-first touchscreen infotainment system along with a spacious interior. Will it see success in the market? We put it to the test. Check out our review.

Maruti Ciaz road test
We reviewed the Ciaz late last year, and this year we put Maruti’s new mid-sized sedan to a thorough road test to see if it's worth investing in. Maruti has left no stone unturned this time and ensured that its latest crack at the mid-sized sedan segment has ticked all the right boxes. It’s spacious, well equipped, fuel efficient and superbly priced. You can buy the Ciaz in both petrol and diesel  mild-hybrid versions and the petrol car gets an optional automatic as well. Our test car is the petrol manual which, to start with, has great pricing on its side. Read our detailed road test report here.

Mahindra TUV300 review
The TUV300 is Mahindra’s latest attempt at a compact SUV following the Quanto which was launched in 2012. A rival to the Ford EcoSport, the compact SUV features a squared-off design with a tall stance, chunky bumpers, huge air dams and an upright grille. Inside it gets seating for seven with jump seats in the boot. The TUV300 draws power from a 1.5-litre diesel engine. So just how good is it? Read our driving impressions here.

Renault Lodgy review
MPVs, with their ability to carry entire families and fit in a whole household worth of luggage, are a popular draw in India. And the segment has a new entrant – the Renault Lodgy. This big new MPV is based on Renault's last big ticket product – the Duster.  But can it repeat the Duster's success? While it does look good enough on paper, we simply had to get behind the wheel to find out. Find out the details here.

Ford Figo Aspire review
The Figo Aspire is Ford's first entrant to the four-metre sedan market in India occupied by well-entrenched models such as the Maruti Dzire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent and Tata Zest. Unlike many of its predecessors, the Aspire has been engineered from scratch for customers in developing markets like India and Brazil, where much of the developmental work on the car was done. But just how good is the sedan? Read our review to find out.

Hyundai i20 Active review
In the segment of crossover hatchbacks, manufacturers have followed two paths – adding crossover styling cues to the car and leaving it mechanically unchanged or going the distance by adding a boot- mounted spare wheel and a raised and revised suspension. The i20 Active, however, sits in between the two. It’s not got a boot-mounted spare wheel like the Fiat Avventura nor is its ground clearance the same as the standard i20. So how does the i20’s crossover sister car fare? Read our review to find out.