Should I buy a diesel car? My monthly useage will be around 1,000 km. Secondly, which car among these should I opt for — the Ford Figo diesel (Titanium), Skoda Fabia 1.2 TDI Ambiente or the Suzuki Swift 1.2 VDi? My budget is around Rs 6.5 lakh. I am looking for features, mileage and ease of maintenance. Please guide me towards the right decision.
Anand Mantri, Pune
Since your priorities are mileage and ease of maintenance, the Suzuki Swift would be the ideal choice for you. In fact, if you can wait for a bit longer, the new Swift will be here. Expected in the month of August, the new Swift is longer, taller and more comfortable than the current model. It also has more features and from what we understand, Maruti Suzuki is looking at a ZDi version of the diesel with airbags and ABS as standard, something the current Swift diesel doesn’t have. We recommend you visit your nearby Maruti Suzuki dealer and find out about booking dates.
Fluidity
I am keen to purchase a diesel sedan. At present, I drive a Suzuki Swift (petrol). My monthly useage is approximately 2,500 km. I’m interested in the new Hyundai Verna 1.6 diesel, but I have a doubt about its fuel efficiency. The company is claiming 23 km per litre, but is this true? I will base my buying decision on your answer!
KM Jain, Nagpur
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The new Verna is pretty efficient. In our own runs, it delivered about 16.5 kmpl overall, which was a combination of runs in Mumbai city and out on the highway. This figure could be higher for a city like Nagpur, where the roads are probably less congested than Mumbai. All things considered, you should go ahead and opt for it.
Wings of Dzire
We are looking to replace our Tata Indigo with another car, a sedan preferably. My husband drives around 25 km a day in Bangalore city, and he is particular that the car be fuel efficient and reliable. Our budget is about Rs 6 -7 lakh. What are the choices that we have? We are confused as to whether we should buy a diesel or petrol vehicle.
Aparna Achar, Bangalore
The Suzuki Swift Dzire would be the ideal choice for you. For your kind of running, the petrol version should be fine. It’s reliable, the petrol motor is powerful and efficient, and it’s reasonably comfortable and loaded as well. It will also enjoy good resale value when you plan to upgrade a few years later.
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