Ravishing Cars |

The Maruti SX4 is one of the best value for money deals in the market is no secret, but so is its smaller sibling the Swift Dzire. The diesel is more especially once you realise that the Swift Dzire diesel costs only around Rs 50,000 less than the SX4 and costs half the amount to run compared to the SX4, which offers mediocre economy. The SX4 will set you back by around Rs 21,450 every month while the Dzire will cost you around Rs 20,270 evry month. That’s a savings of Rs 14,160 in just one year and comes to around Rs 42,480 in three years. Add this to the other costs and you save yourself around Rs 1,70,000 in the first three years of buying and running the car. The quality and features of both the cars are identical and both similar virtues like light controls, good ride and a decent boot too. The only department where the SX4 trounces the Dzire is in rear legroom.

The Outlander is aimed squarely at the Honda CR-V and this SUV from Mitsubishi is expected to be a serious rival to the Chevrolet Captiva as well. Expect the Outlander to come loaded with features like a stability control package, where each wheel gets its own individual braking to control the car in adverse conditions. You could also get side and window airbags as options on the top end variant. A switch allows you to select between front and four wheel drive, or an automatic mode that directs power to whichever wheels need it. The Outlander’s wide, cushy seats provide fine comfort and there’s a decent range of movement for the steering wheel. The dash is sensibly laid out and puts everything within easy reach, but some of the minor switches and instruments could be difficult to read. The Outlander won’t come with the seven seat option that is available in international markets and is just a five seater. There is only one engine choice a 2.4 litre petrol producing around 170bhp and mated to a manual transmission. Unfortunately there is no diesel option available.

The new car is 35mm longer than its generously proportioned predecessor and interior space is even better than before. That’s saying something because the stretched Superb was known for the huge legroom it offered. The Superb will come with a common rail diesel engine, the first in Skoda and promises better refinement and performance than before. You can expect the Superb’s exquisitely built cabin to be noticeably quieter. The cabin comes clad in black upholstery and you get faux wood inserts on the dashboard, which lend an upmarket touch to the cabin. The big round gauges indicate the speed and rpm and house the smaller temperature and fuel gauges with a small info screen between them. Expect quality to be nothing short of topclass. The rear seats offer great levels of comfort and you can rest assured that the Superb will trounce many rivals on this count. The Superb also offers either a conventional boot or a full hatchback. By choosing a lever you can open either the hatch or the entire boot. And with over 500 litres of boot space the Superb is a generous partner for those shopping mall binges.