• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

S. Muralidhar

Which of the following — Wagon R LXi, Indica V2 LXi petrol, Santro Xing XP or Suzuki Alto LXi — is a better option if I am looking for a car that is good value for money car and has good resale value and decent mileage?

Or should I wait for the rebranded Matiz from GM or the Getz from Hyundai?

-- Vishnu Prasad

Each of the four alternatives that you have listed is, in certain respects, unique.

The Indica V2 LXi petrol may be a value for money car, but its fit-and-finish quality, fuel efficiency and long term running costs may not be the best of the lot.

The Suzuki Alto LXi features the same multi-point fuel injected 800cc engine as the Maruti 800 and, as a result, will feel underpowered compared to the other cars in the list and as also its own higher-powered VXi variant, which sports the Wagon-R's 1.1-litre engine.

But the Alto LXi will, of course, be able to offer a notch better fuel efficiency than the others.

The only real contenders that will satisfy most of your parameters are the Wagon R LXi and the Hyundai Santro Xing XP.

Both these cars have 1.1-litre engines which are pretty much neck-to-neck in terms of power, performance and fuel efficiency.

Both the cars have bench seats at the rear that may not be comfortable for long journeys.

But overall ride quality, finish and ease of use will be on a par with vehicles even in the entry level C-segment.

The choice will have to be between these two. You may want to wait for the Hyundai Getz which is scheduled to be launched in August.

But the wait for the Chevrolet Spark may be a much longer one, as the car is not expected before mid-2005.

I propose to buy a new car in the C-segment. My budget is around Rs 5-6 lakh. I am trying to choose between the Ford Ikon Flair, Tata Indigo and Opel Corsa.

I am looking for a car that is ideal for both city driving and long distance travel, it should offer class leading fuel efficiency, have a large boot and have a good resale value.

Given the price advantage, I am impressed with the Tata Indigo (diesel variant) with its spacious interior, but I have also read reports of the Indigo facing problems with its gearbox, suspension and lighting.

On fuel efficiency, I do not have a clear idea as each one is claiming it will give a mileage of 10-12 km per litre. I hear that Hyundai is going to launch the Getz very soon at aggressive price points.

Will it be a better value for money car, though, I am not sure that it will be as spacious as cars in the C-segment?

-- P. K. Vijayaraghavan

Our choice would be the Ford Ikon Flair for its more refined performance, its much better fit and finish quality, best in class rear seat comfort and its better resale value compared to the other cars in the entry-level mid size sedan category.

The Tata Indigo is clearly targetted at the extremely value-for-money conscious car buyer, who does not mind the car being a notch lower in terms of fit and finish quality.

But the turbocharged 1.4-litre diesel burner in the Indigo will return better fuel efficiency in terms of per kilometre costs compared to the Ford Ikon Flair.

We are expecting Hyundai to come up with killer pricing for the Getz.

The car itself will be extremely feature rich and will offer comfort, safety and performance that is currently available only in higher end C segment cars.

It will not have a third box in the form of a boot, but should offer more luggage space at the rear than the current clique of small cars.

So, if you are willing to spend Rs 5 lakh plus on a classy compact and couldn't care about buying an entry-level mid-sizer just to show it off as a status symbol, then wait for the Getz or even the Ford Fusion.

(Queries may be sent to: q&a@thehindu.co.in or by post to Q&A, Business Line, 859/860, Kasturi Buildings, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002.)

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Max India: Accept

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line