I live in Nagpur. I have been driving my trusty old Fiat Uno for many years now, but I guess it’s time to replace my faithful car. I don’t drive more than 20 km a day in the city. The car will be driven only by me and won’t be carrying more than two people at any given point of time, so rear legroom and boot space are not that important to me. What I would like is a petrol car that’s easy to pilot. I have evaluated the Ford Figo and the Maruti Suzuki Ritz. I noticed that the Figo baulks over speedbreakers and at very low speeds and being over six feet tall, I find the seats slightly unsupportive. I am quite comfortable with the Ritz and its performance, but the Figo variant I am looking at is cheaper than the Ritz by Rs 40,000. What do you think I should do?
Giri, Nagpur
If you are looking at value for money, the Figo is an excellent deal. It is a new car, rides and handles well and is quite cheerful to look at too. However, since you are looking at essentially a point-and-shoot car for Nagpur traffic, the Ritz makes better sense for you. The engine is peppy and the gearing is quite suitable for city traffic. The tall seating position of the car is also of help to you. Agreed that the Figo is cheaper, but the Ritz seems to suit you better.
Gas been
I own a Maruti 800 and I want to buy a new car. The budget is around Rs 4.5 to 5 lakh. I have driven around 60,000 km in six years, and I do around 1,000 km every month in both city as well as out of town drives. Should I look at an LPG car option, or should I go for a diesel like the Suzuki Ritz or Ford Figo?
K Gopalakrishna, via email
Your kind of running doesn’t warrant a diesel and unless you plan to increase that figure, we don’t see why you should opt for one. As far as LPG options are concerned, the Hyundai Santro and the Chevrolet Spark are the only cars to come with factory-fitted gas options, as the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Duo has been discontinued. We suggest you look at the Maruti Suzuki Ritz petrol, which is pretty efficient by itself, and if you would still like to see that improve, we suggest you opt for a gas kit from a reputed manufacturer like Lovato.
Verna-cular choice
I am planning to buy a sedan with a maximum budget of Rs 9-9.5 lakh on road in Mumbai. I own a Suzuki Zen Estilo and my current run is about 25,000 km a year. Would you recommend a diesel car? Cost of ownership is important to me and I was considering a Hyundai Verna diesel automatic. What would you recommend?
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Abhijit, Mumbai
With your sort of usage, we would recommend a diesel car, and we’re happy to back up your consideration of a Hyundai Verna diesel automatic. It’s good value for money and has a decent amount of space inside its cabin. The engine is the car’s USP — there’s lots of power and torque on offer, and it can be quite good fun to drive. The automatic gearbox is a boon in Mumbai traffic, and Hyundai’s service network is widespread and efficient.
Any automotive questions? Ask us at bijoy.y@bsmail.in
