Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Sunday, Nov 14, 2004
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Sunday, Nov 14, 2004 |
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Investment World
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Automobiles Question `n' Auto S. Muralidhar
M. Palaniappan I am a resident of Chennai and want to purchase a two-wheeler. After an initial round of enquiries, I feel that two vehicles suit my budget — the Bajaj CT-100 and the Honda Activa. Of these, which one is better is better suited for Chennai? Anand Subramanian If you are of average build and height, the Honda Activa will be the ideal choice in the scooterette or gearless scooter segment. Of course, the other point to be noted is that the Activa will be a bit of a compromise when it comes to your expectations regarding fuel efficiency. Being an automatic transmission scooter with a 102cc engine, the Activa will only be able to offer about 40-45 kmpl in city riding conditions in the long run. The saddle height in the Activa is also positioned higher than that of the TVS Scooty Pep and the Kinetic Zing 80. That may be a bit of an issue for riders who are a bit small made. But many of the features of the Activa are positives that make it a better choice than the other two. These include its sleek well-balanced design, its modern scooterette looks, which has been achieved despite the use of metal body panels — the other two scooterettes have plastic panels — and the class leading build quality that the Activa offers. Further, the Honda scooter also features a more powerful 102cc engine which generates a peak power of 7 bhp compared to the peak power of about 4.1 bhp that both the TVS Scooty Pep and the Kinetic Zing 80 offer. However, the two issues that may not go in favour of the Activa, especially in the eyes of the budget scooter shopper, is its higher price tag and lower mileage. The Activa is priced almost Rs 10,000 higher than the Zing 80 and about Rs 6,000 higher than the Scooty Pep. Between the TVS scooterette and the Kinetic Zing 80, the Scooty Pep may be the better choice, despite the marginally higher price, due to its better build quality and innovative, user-friendly features. When the two-wheelers that are being compared are a scooter and a motorbike, the issues that get highlighted inevitably tend to skew the argument in favour of the bike. In most cases, the bike will be able to offer more power using a similar sized engine compared to the scooter. The fuel efficiency of the bike will also be higher than the scooter, especially if the latter is an automatic transmission version. Further, the big wheels and larger wheelbase of the bike makes it the more suitable two-wheeler to ride in poor road conditions. Generally speaking, a bike will be more comfortable to ride on than a scooter due to its bigger wheel and more agile suspension set up. The Bajaj CT 100 is priced very close to the Honda Activa and will therefore, outside of price being the consideration, be the more comfortable and the more fuel-efficient (60-65 kmpl) of the two. I own a Bajaj Pulsar 150cc, and am looking to upgrade to a B segment car. This will be my first car and as yet I do not have any experience driving a four-wheeler. My budget is Rs 6.5 lakh (on-road price). The car should have good mileage, low maintenance, good looks and ample interior space. I plan to keep the car for at least five-seven years. But I am not keen on buying the Hyundai Santro Xing. My usage will be restricted largely to commuting to my workplace, weekend trips and the occasional long distance travel (once in two to three months) to my hometown situated about 150 km away.
Dinesh Bansal With a budget spread out wide, your choice of cars could even extend into the entry-level C (mid-size) segment. Also, with your plans for retaining the car for such a long time frame, another point to be noted is that redundancy and the risk of product discontinuance is high — a fact applicable to any consumer product, not just cars. But going by your expectations the two cars that may be the most suitable for you in the B-segment may be the Fiat Palio and the Maruti Wagon-R. In the entry-level C segment, the cars you may want to consider are the Maruti Esteem and the Ford Ikon Flair. In the B-segment, the Wagon-R and the Palio are being suggested for the higher interior space that the design of these cars offers the user. Though shoulder space at the rear in the Wagon-R will not be more than is available in the Alto or the Zen, the taller design of the Wagon-R provides the user certain advantages which go in its favour. Boot space in the Wagon-R will also be marginally more and the vehicle's refined 1.1-litre engine is another plus. The Palio is a good example of maximising interior space in a small car. But its minuses are lower fuel efficiency and poor resale value. So if these issues do not feature prominently in your list of concerns, the Fiat Palio may be the better option.
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