Has driven everything sold in this country and isn't impressed by half of it. Writes about value, reliability, and the trims nobody needed.
· 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.
