Of practicality and endurance

October 11, 2021 10:56 am | Updated October 13, 2021 10:44 pm IST

I am looking for a car that will primarily be used in the city with occasional highway drives. I have shortlisted the Maruti Suzuki Swift VXi, Hyundai Aura and Nissan Magnite XL. Which is the best car for me?

Rishiwanth Subramani, via email

All the three cars are quite different. The Magnite is good value for money and does a good job in the city as well as on the highway. It is spacious and has a decently-sized boot too. You get a lot of features, and the touchscreen is the best of the lot. The Swift is the nicest car to drive, thanks to a smooth 1.2-litre petrol engine whilst the Aura, being a compact sedan, is the most practical and feels the most premium of the lot. We would lean towards the Magnite as it is fresh and has a nice, high seating position which gives you good visibility on the highway.

I am planning a mega road trip of about 2,000km in my 2020 Toyota Glanza. What are the things I should keep in mind?

Abhiram, Bengaluru

It would be a good idea to get a preventive health check-up done on your car to ensure that all vital fluids — like engine oil, coolant, brake oil and wiper washer liquid — are in place and up to requisite levels. A thorough check-up of the brake pads, tyre tread levels, alignment, and tyre pressure, with ensuring proper functioning of all lights is important as well.

Furthermore, since the journey is going to predominantly involve highway driving, we recommend you get an underbody/engine protection guard for your Toyota Glanza.

While the Glanza and Maruti Suzuki Baleno come devoid of an engine sump guard assembly from the factory, it can be easily fitted at the service centre. You can order the following part numbers online, preferably on Boodmo, and get them fitted at the nearest Toyota service centre.

Part number 72410 M 54T00 corresponds to Cover Comp, Engine Under, while 72812 M 54T00 and 72822 M 54T00 correspond to the Covers, Main Floor Under, which come pre-installed on the latest Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Swift; they are a plug-and-play fitment on the Baleno as well as Glanza, as all these cars are essentially based on the same platform.

This entire engine-guard assembly, made of ABS plastic, will ensure that the oil sump remains protected from debris and unwanted stones that could be encountered and not circumvented at high speeds.

Alongside, we also advise you to keep an emergency kit with a tow strap, jumper cable, puncture repair kit and a portable tyre inflator in the boot to be prepared for any situation.

Sufficient recharge of the vehicle’s FASTag and ensuring that refuelling is only done at seemingly shipshape fuel stations, would be a good practice to follow while on a mega road trip. Lastly, we would also stress upon stocking enough sanitisers, face masks and surface disinfectants, considering the COVID-19 situation.

Hormazd Sorabjee is the editor of Autocar India. Mail your feedback and queries to roadshow@thehindu.co.in

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