The Hindu Business Line : Car with comforts

I want to buy a new car in the Rs 4 lakh-5 lakh range. The car should be able to accommodate five people other than the driver, and have power steering and good air-conditioning.

My use is usually for local trips, but one in three months I travel long distance — over 1,000 km. My friends advise me to buy a petrol-driven car as a diesel-driven one requires extensive maintenance. Please advise me in this regard. Which car will give me trouble free service with easy servicing facility and accessibility at least within Tamil Nadu. -- T. C. Srinivasan

Based on your requirements and your budget, the best option will probably be the Ford Ikon. With the exception of the Tata Indica and Indigo (which would be on a par), the Ikon is the car that is right up there on the list of vehicles in the B and entry-level C segments.

It also has the maximum shoulder space at the rear. Despite its spacious interiors, adequate legroom and class leading seat length, it will still be quite a squeeze to accommodate four passengers at the rear.

So, other than the fact that five passengers, excluding the driver, may be one to many, the Ford Ikon should be satisfactory to you. With build quality that is class-leading in this segment, responsive power steering and effective air-conditioning, the Ikon has now become even more affordable with the launch of repriced, lower trim variants.

Yes, diesel cars, often tend to require higher maintenance compared to petrol-driven ones, especially after two years of ownership.

But there are obvious advantages in terms of running costs. It is due to this that the price differential between the petrol and diesel models needs to be paid back to the owner quickly through fuel cost savings in order to justify paying the higher price.

Within your price band, the only diesel car that is available now is the Tata Indigo LS. You may want to opt for this car, but build and interior trim quality will be a notch lower than the Ikon's.

Tata Indigo is my car of choice. What is the mileage that can be expected from the petrol and diesel versions?

-- Sivaraman. S

The Tata Indigo's petrol engine version comes with the same 1.4-litre, multi-point fuel injected engine that comes standard with the Indica V2. The petrol engine develops a peak power of 75 PS at 5,500 rpm. Despite the vehicle's higher kerb weight and the larger engine, the petrol-driven Indigo should come with a mileage of about 8 kmpl in city driving conditions and a mileage of about 13-14 kmpl on highways.

The diesel-driven Indigo, in contrast, has a 1.4-litre, turbocharged engine, which is also essentially the same mill brought over from the Indica V2, with the addition of a turbocharger.

The turbocharger in the Indigo pushes up the peak power rating of the engine and simultaneously boosts its fuel efficiency. However, the higher weight of the Indigo compared to the Indica V2 pulls down this advantage a bit. As a result, the fuel efficiency that may be expected from the Indigo diesel will be in the 8-10 kmpl range in city and 12-15 kmpl on the highway.

I have never driven a car, but I love bikes. I want to buy a value-for-money car that can be used for a weekend getaway or when relatives visit me. I need a second-hand car with good mileage, air-conditioning and ride comfort in city driving conditions. I am eyeing the Daewoo Matiz as it is inexpensive. With GM scheduled to relaunch it as the Chevrolet Spark, I hope finding spares will not be a problem. What is your view? Or would you rather recommend a Fiat Palio NV?

-- Sidhartha Dutta

If GM decides to launch the Matiz as the Chevrolet Spark and retains most of the older car's specs, then you may be able to find a few spare parts that are common between the two cars. Even if GM does launch the Spark, there may be changes to the body panels and a few exterior dimensions that could preclude the possibility of simply swapping several of the components from the current Matiz with ones that are meant for the Spark.

However, there is still a strong possibility that GM's authorised workshops may want to take on servicing jobs for existing Matiz owners and overall, quite a few of the major components may match with the Spark.

A safer bet may be the Fiat Palio NV, which is available in the market in plenty and has relatively lower resale value largely due to negative customer perception about the Italian Parent Fiat SpA's financial troubles. The Palio NV or its previous version without the NV appendage are well-manufactured cars that should offer you long term value, despite your profile of low vehicle usage.

(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
Investment Quiz

Telecom majors slash tariffs

Taking stock of retail brands

Evaluation check-list

Steel prices: Tinkering with tariffs makes little sense

Ideas packaged as stocks

PruICICI Growth: Sell

Magnum Taxgain: Hold

Sundaram Select Focus

SBI Magnum declares 30pc dividend