Car queries and answers

Any chances of Honda City
coming out with a diesel variant?
What would be a better
buy between Verna Fluidic 1.6
SX and Vento Highline TDi in terms of comfort
and mileage considering I drive 80-90
kms within Mumbai on weekdays?
— Ravindra Puranik, by email
Honda does have a diesel engine under development,
but it will take a long time to hit
the roads, as far as we know. The Verna should
be your first choice followed by Vento.

I have a petrol Indica Xeta V2 bought in
November last. I get a mileage of hardly 7-
8 kmpl. My daily usage is about 15 kms. I am
currently thinking of going for a new vehicle
in the range of `4-5 lakh as my daily usage
would be increasing shortly. Is it advisable
to go for a diesel/CNG vehicle in view
of the increased cost of petrol? Which is the
ideal vehicle for me? — A Thomas, by email
Hi, the mileage on your car might be so
low because the engine might not have
warmed up completely during the short distance
drive. If you’re happy with the car otherwise,
try using it for a couple of long distance
drives and see if the mileage improves
any. If you still want to buy a new car, take
a look at the Chevrolet Beat Diesel or the
Toyota Etios Liva diesel.

Recently I bought an i10 Asta which has
Bluetooth connectivity. The user manual
says the Bluetooth can be activated using
voice recognition button on the steering
controls. It also mentions how to operate the
button in detail. But the button is not there
in my car! The dealer said the feature is not
available in India, hence there’s no button.
— Sandeep Devarchetti, by email
Normally, the steering wheel buttons on the
left control the audio and the right one controls
Bluetooth/ phone. It’s surprising there
are no buttons at all on your steering wheel,
since the feature is very much available in India.
Please make sure you indeed have the Asta
variant, or take it up with the company.

Ours is a joint family and we are contemplating
replacing our third vehicle — a
11-year-old Accent with a CNG variant. This
would be mostly driven in Mumbai (40-60
km a day), and at times out of town. Could
you advise on a car based on efficiency of
the engine, boot space, maintenance,
mileage and availability of a CNG variant?
— Prashant Changrani, by email
In that segment, the available CNG options
are a bit sparse, but considering your usage, a
diesel variant would suit your requirements
nicely. Go for the new Verna diesel.
I own an Aveo and am thinking of buying
a new sedan. My daily running is 30
km and budget `10-12 lakh. Please advise.
— Sanjay Bhandari, by email
In the budget you listed the top of the line
Verna makes the most sense. Stretch it a little
though, and you can look at the Honda Civic.
It’s a great car and since you don’t use it much,
the petrol variant should be fine for you.

I m using a Maruti Zen LX since 1999. So
far, the going has been smooth, except
for a recent problem with the air-conditioner.
I’m a senior citizen, using the car
for comfort and safety. It is self- driven.
Normally, my wife and I use it for about
300 km per month, locally in Ahmedabad.
We have clocked 45,000 kms so far. Due to
age, should we change the car? I am satisfied
with service network of Maruti. So,
which of their cars would you suggest?
Wagon R, Swift or the new Zen? Also,
petrol or diesel? —Avinash N K, Ahmedabad

Age really so much of an issue with
the car; if it’s given regular servicing, it
should serve you just fine for another 40-
50,000 km. But if you still prefer a change of
scene, the Wagon R is your best bet since
ingress and egress is very easy because of
high seats. Petrol is the way to go for your
kind of usage.

I bought a Ford Fiesta 1.6 SXi petrol in
2009. My daily running is around 25 km. I
get a mileage of only 7.5 kms per litre in
Mumbai city. With petrol prices rocketing
and bad mileage, I am thinking of converting
to CNG. Is it a good option? If so, which
kit is better? — Nikhil Shah, by email
If your daily usage is only 25 kms, we suggest
you continue using the car as is, but make
a few changes to your driving style to save fuel.
Be conscious of, and reduce clutch usage, be
soft on the accelerator, use engine braking
(shift to lower gear and de-clutch fast) instead
of slamming on the brakes and turning off the
car at signals. Get an inside-out servicing done
too. And no, CNG doesn’t make sense.

I have 2 cars in my family - a Hyundai
Santro and an Indigo GLS I. I get an average
of around 9 km. My approximate monthly
running is about 1,000 km. I have been told
that I can get 50% more mileage if I change
some parts such as go for an Iridium spark
plug, a PiperCross air filter and engine protection
oil solution. Is this possible? Or
should I go for an LPG or CNG kit?
— Harish Thakker, by email
There’s no formula to increase the fuel
economy by a massive 50%. All the modifications
you mentioned increase the efficiency
of the engine. What that means is for the same
amount of fuel, you generate more power, not
necessarily miles. Your usage limit is borderline
to warrant a diesel or LPG/CNG car. Financially
or performance-wise, conversions
would not make much sense for the amount
of driving you do.

I have booked the Tata EV2 petrol but I
am confused because I have read both good
and bad reviews about it.
Kindly advise urgently.
— Patty Golay, by email
It’s an excellent car for
the money. Since you’ve
already booked it, take
delivery and enjoy the
drives.