Has driven everything sold in this country and isn't impressed by half of it. Writes about value, reliability, and the trims nobody needed.
· 6 min read
Maruti’s Jimny has genuine off-road engineering and unusual charm, but buyers should not mistake capability for everyday value. Most Indian families will be better served by a roomier, quicker and more efficient crossover.
· 6 min read
The Hycross remains one of India’s most rational expensive family cars, but scarcity, feature bundling and top-trim theatre make buyers spend far beyond their needs. Toyota should improve availability and simplify the range before adding another screen or cosmetic flourish.
· 6 min read
A flex-fuel strong hybrid suits India’s fuel-security problem better than another cosmetic SUV edition. Toyota should make the powertrain accessible, explain real ethanol efficiency and stop reserving sensible technology for overloaded top trims.
· 7 min read
Mahindra’s electric coupé-SUV is genuinely ambitious, but buyers should ignore cosmetic ladders and pay only for range, safety and comfort they will actually use. The middle variant is usually where sense survives.
· 6 min read
Feature-loaded variants have turned car buying into an anxiety auction. Most Indian families should prioritise safety, powertrain, visibility, tyres and service—and refuse expensive trim ladders padded with gadgets they will stop noticing in a fortnight.
· 6 min read
Mahindra built a genuinely capable, usable five-door Thar, then buried the straightforward buying decision beneath powertrain permutations and showroom baubles. Most owners need a mid-spec rear-wheel-drive version, not an accessory catalogue with tyres.
· 5 min read
Mahindra’s electric SUV is fast and theatrical, but buyers should resist top-trim theatre and battery subscriptions they have not modelled carefully. The best variant is the one that fits home charging and real journeys, not showroom vanity.
· 5 min read
The five-door Thar is far more usable than its predecessor, but buyers can easily spend family-SUV money chasing wheels, screens and badges. The middle of the range is where the vehicle’s argument is strongest.
· 2 min read
A five-star badge means less when the tested equipment is unavailable to the family buying the base model. India’s safety programme must push comparable, variant-specific disclosure.
· 1 min read
No compliant column was completed for this slot.
· 6 min read
Mahindra has built a genuinely capable and more practical Thar, then buried the sensible purchase inside a maze of engines, gearboxes, drivetrains and feature packs. Most owners need a well-chosen middle trim, not the showroom’s panoramic-sunroof reflex.
· 7 min read
Mahindra has turned a capable, charismatic SUV into a configuration exam. I think most buyers should ignore the luxury bait, decide whether they genuinely need four-wheel drive, and spend the savings on fuel, tyres and patience.
· 6 min read
India’s crash-test programme is changing buyer expectations, but a model-level star badge can mislead when safety equipment varies by trim. The rating must follow the exact car a customer signs for.
· 5 min read
The Nexon’s safety and broad capability are persuasive, but Tata’s trim maze turns a straightforward family-car decision into catalogue archaeology. Most buyers should ignore cosmetic editions and choose the lowest variant that delivers essential safety, drivetrain and comfort features.
· 6 min read
The revived Sierra has comfort, space and genuine presence, but Tata’s sprawling trim strategy turns buying into clerical work. Most customers should ignore the nostalgia tax and choose the simplest powertrain-and-feature combination that survives real Indian use.
· 1 min read
Manufacturers use equipment lists to make weak value propositions look busy. An editorial package should not repeat the trick with headlines, tags, and thin prose.
· 4 min read
Mahindra has built a genuinely usable five-door Thar, then buried the best value inside a maze of trims. Most buyers need the mid-spec diesel or petrol, not a costly catalogue of features they will rarely use.
· 5 min read
Indian manufacturers keep stuffing expensive trims with giant screens, cosmetic kits and fragile convenience features. Most buyers would be better served by choosing the lowest variant that includes the essential safety equipment.
· 3 min read
The Roxx’s appeal is real, but expensive variants pile lifestyle gadgets onto a vehicle whose strongest virtues are space, stance and mechanical character.
· 5 min read
Honda’s facelift adds showroom sparkle, but the sensible Elevate remains the lower or middle trim with the proven petrol engine. Buyers should pay for mechanical usefulness, not a tower of features they will demonstrate twice.
· 7 min read
Mahindra’s electric SUV has the performance, range and chassis to justify its swagger. Buyers should resist the top-trim circus and spend on the battery, charger and insurance—the parts that improve ownership after the showroom lights go off.
· 6 min read
Tata’s affordable electric hatchback works because it fits Indian city life, not because it impersonates a luxury gadget. Buyers should ignore decorative trims, choose the battery their routine actually needs and keep money aside for home charging.
· 7 min read
India finally has a domestic crash-rating programme that can make safety comparisons easier. The next scandal is hiding in plain sight: manufacturers still scatter essential equipment across variants, while buyers are trained to spend on sunroofs before structural protection.
· 5 min read
Honda has improved the Elevate without ruining its core virtues, but buyers should resist the expensive trim ladder. The mid variants preserve the engine, space and reliability case without paying heavily for showroom theatre.
· 5 min read
Mahindra’s electric flagship proves Indian engineering can compete globally. It also proves how quickly a sensible family car can become an expensive catalogue of features nobody uses.
· 5 min read
Mahindra has made the Thar far more usable, but buyers still confuse capability with suitability. Most should choose a sensible two-wheel-drive trim—or admit they really want a different SUV.
· 5 min read
Indian car buyers are trained to chase sunroofs, giant screens and badges that light up, while paying too little attention to tyres, visibility, service and mechanical simplicity. The Brezza is not exciting, but the right mid-spec version remains a better ownership decision than many feature-stuffed rivals.
· 6 min read
Feature-packed top variants flatter brochures and dealership margins, but mid-spec cars usually deliver the safety and mechanical value owners actually use. Buy the engine, structure and service network—not ambient lighting.
· 6 min read
The Sierra EV’s design and family-car strengths are real, yet most buyers should resist the biggest battery, largest wheels and longest equipment list. Value lives in the variant that matches an owner’s weekly routine, not the showroom’s most flattering display.
· 5 min read
India’s crash-test culture is finally becoming useful, but buyers must look beyond a five-star badge. Variant applicability, child protection, active safety and repair quality matter more than showroom glitter.
· 6 min read
The five-door Thar is far more usable than the original, but buyers should resist expensive trims and fantasy accessories. I think its best version is the one that admits it will spend most of life commuting, not climbing mountains.
· 6 min read
Indian carmakers increasingly confuse a spreadsheet of trims with genuine choice. Most buyers need a safe, reliable powertrain and a sensible equipment bundle—not a treasure hunt through suffixes, sunroofs and strategically deleted rear wipers.
· 6 min read
The Thar Roxx is far more usable than its image suggests, but Mahindra’s sprawling trim ladder pushes buyers toward expensive equipment they may never need. Buy the powertrain and safety essentials, not the showroom chandelier.
· 5 min read
Reworking the Tigor into the Aeris gives Tata a chance to revive the compact sedan. The company will waste it if basic safety, an automatic gearbox and useful equipment are scattered across needless variants.
· 6 min read
The JSW Combat’s rugged plug-in-hybrid pitch sounds tailor-made for our SUV obsession, but styling and imported technology are the easy parts. I want pricing, service reach and real-world efficiency before I salute another squared-off bonnet.
