| My wife and I are dog lovers. Caesar, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra "" two Dobermans and one Labrador "" are like our children. We love travelling, but can't leave our pets behind, especially when we go off on long drives. We currently drive around in our turbodiesel Toyota Fortuner, which has served us well for the last three years. Is there any car in the market which will suit our needs better? Narendra, Mumbai Never in the last 15 years of the Motoring page of Business Standard Weekend have we come across this question. You're in luck! Honda has just the car for you, and it's due in 2011. |
| It's called the Honda Wow (Wonderful Open-hearted Wagon), which was shown as a concept at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. It has a kennel instead of a large glovebox and two units at the rear. It can accommodate two passengers and three dogs with ease. |
| The two side doors and the hatch are specially designed for canines. It looks funky and runs on hybrid power - so no worries on the fuel consumption front either! |
| Family matters |
| I want to upgrade from my Honda FR-V 2.2 CTDi to an SUV. I bought the FR-V because I need space for my family, and the six seats of the Honda clinched the deal. I opted for the diesel FR-V because we travel frequently "" almost every two months "" to Bangalore. However, now I want something that is better looking, without any loss in space. Better diesel performance will be more than welcome. Do you think I should go for the new Renault Egeus? I am not sure whether the Renault will be as reliable as Honda. I am willing to spend up to Rs 20 lakh. Ramnath, Chennai We have recently tested the new Renault SUV and think it will fit well within your needs and your budget. The Egeus is a coupe-styled SUV and has adequate space for six people and luggage. |
| Besides its 250 bhp 3000cc V6 turbodiesel will make short work of the new highway between Chennai and Bangalore. Going by the Logan experience, we feel that Renault has tightened up its sales and service network, so driving around in the Egeus shouldn't be too much of a bother. Go for it. |
| Ad infinitum |
| Finally, I am ready to buy my first car. My budget is Rs 4 lakh. I am confused between the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Plus and the Hyundai Santro Ultra Xing. My driving is confined to mainly city limits. Fuel efficiency, comfortable ride, stylish looks, engine performance, interior space, sales and service network, good resale value, affordable insurance cost, showroom experience, glamour, powerful AC and a dead pedal are all important for me. What do you suggest? Name withheld, via email Here we go again, the 45,576th Wagon R/Santro Xing query. Sigh. Both the Wagon R Plus and the Santro Ultra Xing satisfy almost all your needs. Both make excellent first cars. |
| Since both cars are equal in almost all aspects, we suggest you go to the showroom and take a test-drive and then decide. Planning to buy a car or bike?Ask us at |
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