Upgrading to a mid-size sedan
Akshat Tiwary, Bilaspur: I want to upgrade from my 2012 Maruti Suzuki Dzire compact sedan to a mid-size sedan that is reliable, comfortable and safe enough for 1,000km+ (self-driven) drives. I am considering the new Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Skoda Rapid TSI, and the Volkswagen Vento. Also, is the Hyundai Venue a good option?
If you are self-driven then we suggest you go in for the Hyundai Verna 1.0 T-GDi as it has a strong engine, lots of equipment and is good value. The new City is very good too and has the best back seat in the business. The Verna has some good driver-centric features, like cooled seats and an all-digital instrument cluster. The Rapid and Vento TSI are good cars to drive too, but they are now outdated in comparison to the Verna and new City.
Better headlights needed
Imran Khan, Jamshedpur: I own a 2011 Toyota Fortuner 4x4 MT. I feel the headlights are not sufficient for the highways at night. How can I upgrade the headlights and how much will it cost me?
Given the age of your car, it is possible that the condition of the headlamp reflectors has deteriorated over time. We would first suggest getting the glass refurbished by opting for a professional detailing service. After this, you could replace the high beam halogen bulbs with 100/90W specification bulbs from Philips Xtreme Vision or Osram Night Breaker series and fit them using a relay. This should cost approximately ₹2,500-3,000.
To ensure optimum lighting during highway drives, we strongly recommend fitting a pair of auxiliary driving lights to complement the throw from the main headlights. You can opt for Hella Rallye 700FFs and get them mounted ahead of the grille. A set would cost around ₹5,500 and should solve the problem to a great extent. However, do take care to switch them off on two-lane state highways to avoid blinding oncoming traffic.
Hormazd Sorabjee is the editor of Autocar India. Mail your feedback and queries toroadshow@thehindu.co.in
