good motoring
It rained cars this year
H. Kishie Singh

The year 2007 could well go down as the Year of the Car for the Indian automobile industry. Some of the best cars in the international market were seen in our showrooms. These included Rolls Royce Phantom. The Bentley Continental was seen in all its models from the flying spur to the G.T convertible, as was the Bentley — Arnage and Azure convertible. Also available were Gallardo and Murcielago from Lamborghini. These are super-duper cars, and if you have about Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore to spare, you will have one in your garage.

Possibly the most important entry into the Indian car market was the Volvo. Volvo has the reputation of being one of the most safety-conscious auto-builders in the world.

Mitsubishi brought in the Montero. It is again a top-of-the-line SUV and is available at Rs 35 lakh plus. The Montero has a four-cylinder engine, 16-valve in the line, turbo-charged common rail diesel with a displacement of 3200 cc.

Another capable car is the new Ford Endeavor. With a new engine, it is good for any terrain. The Endeavor has a four-wheel ABS (anti-braking system) and EBDF (electronic brake distribution force). Its massive size gives it an awesome presence on the road.

Maruti has introduced the Grand Vitara, a vastly updated version over the previous Vitara. The auto gearbox is four-speed and all-time four WD. The price is about Rs 14 lakh.

The German invasion is in overdrive. Every model of the Porsche is available. The Boxter has the reputation of being one of the best performing sports cars. It is priced at Rs 56 lakh. Every model of the fabulous 911 is here. The Carrera, the Carrera-S and the Turbo cost about Rs 1.20 crore each. The Cayenne, Cayenne-S and Cayenne Turbo range from a modest Rs 56 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

BMW has introduced cars the prices of which range from about Rs 40 lakh to Rs 90 lakh. The six-series M version goes up to a crore or more. BMW also offers two SUVS priced at about Rs 40 lakh and Rs 70 lakh.

Then there are the Audi A-4, A-6, A-8 and Q-7 cars. These range from Rs 30 lakh to about Rs 1 crore. The VW Passat, now built in India, is only about Rs 22 lakh. The VW Tourag is Rs 50 lakh.

The aam admi can also take heart. Some of the best cars are available and at reasonable prices. The best car for your money would be the Maruti Suzuki SX-4. It is a luxury sedan in every sense of the word and only just over Rs 7 lakh for the ZXI, the fully-loaded version. It offers luxury, style and good looks.

There is Hyundai’s latest offering — i10. It is slated to outperform the Santro. To begin with, it looks better, which is not very difficult, considering the boxy looks of the Santro. The Magna-O version has airbags and ABS as standard fitment. It has an electronic power steering. Priced at about Rs 5 lakh, it is aimed at the aam admi.

Logan is a Mahindra and Renault offspring. Its greatest claim to fame is its width. It is the only car that I know that has three headrests in the rear seat. The interior is extremely spacious. It is an extremely fuel-efficient engine and should appeal to the Indian buyer. Priced at Rs 6.70 lakh, it is a good buy.

The Ford Fusion went diesel earlier this year. Is it a car or an SUV? Neither; it’s a crossover. It has a refined engine and is also fuel-efficient. It is a good family car, a good city car, a good commuter. I guess that is what a crossover is. An attractive feature is the ground clearance of 198 mm. A good buy at Rs 6.6 lakh.

There is good news for those with champagne taste but beer budget. Two luxury sedans now offer diesel engines. The Hyundai Sonata Embera comes with a two-litre, four-cylinder CRD i engine, which pumps out 141 bhp at 4000 rpm. The interior is more spacious than the Mercedes. Pay Rs 15 lakh and start burning diesel.

The other luxury sedan is the Chevy Optra Magnum. It boasts of a four-cylinder, two-litre TCD i diesel engine. This makes driving a pleasure. The Magnum offers a first in the Indian auto market. The EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) gases are diverted to a cooling system to bring the engine-operating temperatures down. Then the cooled gases are injected back into the combustion chamber. This improves efficiency and results in cleaner exhaust emissions.

Happy motoring.

HOME