I am looking for a petrol sedan and cannot decide between the Fiat Linea, Maruti SX4 and the Honda City. Please help. My driving is limited to the city with an odd trip out of town, once a month.
Arvind Misra, via email
This is a difficult one, especially since you have not specified what you expect from your car. So briefly, here are the pros and cons of the three cars. Linea: Pros — looks, value for money, loaded with features, ride quality and cons — underpowered, inconsistent build quality. SX4: Pros — reliability, ground clearance, performance, value for money and cons — fuel efficiency, rear seat comfort, quality of plastics. City: Pros — engine performance, efficiency, looks, space, driving pleasure and cons — not value for money, plastics. Now, we guess, you can choose between the three based on your requirements for a petrol sedan.
Automatic choice
Which is the best automatic hatchback in India? Will the Volkswagen Polo come with an auto option?
Matt, via email
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When it comes to automatic hatchbacks, we don’t have much of a choice in India. So depending on your budget, you can choose between the Hyundai i10 and the i20 1.4. Both cars are good in their own way. The i10, with the Kappa engine, makes the automatic quite peppy and easy to drive on city roads. A bigger budget gives you the more powerful 1.4 petrol in the bigger, loaded i20. Your call. The Polo will come with an automatic option, but it will be introduced at least a year after its launch early-2010.
Dzire the Ikon?
I need your advice on two cars I’m planning to buy — the Ford Ikon and the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire. The Ikon now uses the diesel engine of the Fiesta and its fuel efficiency is good, plus I find Ford’s build quality solid and I like the way it looks too. But it gives bad resale value, while Ford’s spares are more expensive than Maruti’s. Also I am unsure about Ford’s after-sales service while the Ikon is an old platform that’s unchanged since the last eight years. On the other hand, the Dzire is a good car and wears the Maruti tag. It will offer decent resale value, is fuel efficient and its performance is also good. The downside of the Dzire is that I don’t like its looks while it is essentially the Swift with a boot and so heavier by an additional 30 kg. I am very confused between these two cars; can you please advise?
Nikhil Kashyap, Jaipur
Since we don’t see cost here as an issue, we recommend you go for the Dzire. We agree that it doesn’t look all that great but with time, we’re sure the looks will grow on you. And that should genuinely not be a reason to discount the car. It’s more spacious on the inside than the Ikon, which is pretty cramped for four to five persons. Though both the diesel engines are equally refined, the Dzire’s MultiJet as a whole feels like a generation up on the Ikon’s oil-burner. Ford’s service setup has yet to come up to the kind of levels Maruti functions on. And yes, the Ikon is dated now - you will feel it instantly as you drive the two cars back to back. Go for the Dzire and enjoy peace of mind.
Any automotive questions? Ask us at bijoy.y@bsmail.in
