Hey beautiful!

LET'S TORQUE

Which is the most gorgeous car sold in India today? To me, it's the Mercedes-Benz CLS. This unique "four-door coupe" is magnificent to look at "" a beautiful, slippery and proportionate form that can wear that three-pointed star with pride. I love the CLS' sweeping roof arch, distinctive headlamps and remarkable poise, whether at standstill or while in motion.

But the Porsche 911, the Lamborghini Murcielago and Gallardo, the Maserati Quattroporte, the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz SL500, the Audi TT (oh, but it's been replaced internationally) are also sold in the country, and I find these also highly irresistible.

However, since we are talking about cars operating in rarefied heights "" you know, the kind of automobiles that you won't see on our roads everyday (unless of course you own any one of them) "" let's switch to machines that roll off assembly lines in India.

It's easy, actually. To me, the Suzuki Swift is the most good-looking production car in the country. Though you may see most of them wearing that passionate shade of red, the Swift can carry off any colour.

It's a chirpy little hatchback that's extremely refreshing to jaded eyes. I particularly love the blacked-out A-pillars and the slanting greenhouse. But I do have a list of honourable mentions: Skoda Octavia/Combi, Skoda Laura, Honda Accord, Honda Civic and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

So now for the next question: which is the ugliest car sold in India today? Where do I begin?

srini@business-standard.com