What does your road trip need—a hatchback, a sedan or an SUV? Five vehicles that can beat the dust and take you almost anywhere
Quite often, vacations present a multitude of dilemmas: Where do you go, what do you see, what do you do, where do you live, how do you get there. Putting aside several of these variables, let us dwell on the kind of vehicles that make the best sense for you in a road trip.
A road trip by itself is a wonderful way to explore not just your destination but also get intimate with the journey. Driving to your destination provides you the freedom of managing your time according to your convenience. It is also money saved on several tickets if you fill your car with four passengers and split the costs; plus, you don’t need a rental at your destination. All that money can go into that top-of-the-line aroma therapy at a nice spa.
On a road trip, keep in mind the size of the country you are in. If planning a road trip within India, distances, fairly long already, get extended when you account for traffic, weather and road conditions. It makes sense, then, to have a comfortable car, one that is durable and can withstand all that India can throw at you.
How do you zero in on the vehicle that makes best sense? Can a hatchback cut it, will a sedan do the deed, or would you need an SUV? If this were a road trip within India, the no-brainer is to go gallivanting in an SUV. This is because you get better visibility, usually more space, higher ground clearance and a commanding presence that prevents other road users from messing with you.
There are all types of SUVs these days. Here’s a list of the best SUVs at various price points that will get you almost anywhere.
Nissan Terrano
It is the same as the Renault Duster and is a basic entry-level SUV priced roughly around Rs 13 lakh. It is a tremendously spacious car to take on any road trip. Wide, long and tall enough to accommodate five passengers with enough space in the boot for a road trip that would last a fortnight. A healthy and robust diesel engine ensures your money isn’t flowing out of your pocket at the same rate as petrol out of a tank. It lacks a four-wheel drive but makes up for that with a rustic ruggedness that will easily withstand a terrible beating from some of the worst roads this country has to offer. And that masculine styling is guaranteed to electrify any landscape.
(This story appears in the 02 May, 2014 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)