Top 8 luxury cars we tested
Driving a powerful, ground-hugging sports car is fun and so is crawling over difficult terrain in a large off-roader but sometimes you just want to sit back, relax and have somebody else drive you around while you isolate yourself from the rest of the world. Now there are some carmakers who have been making ultra-luxurious vehicles for decades, meanwhile others have evolved into making cars that deliver a truly great backseat experience for reasonable money. This year we have driven many a luxury cars at different price points and here are our top six cars if you want to be chauffeured.
Porsches have always been right on top of every enthusiast’s list and it does not have to be the legendary 911. Even their SUVs are on top of the game and the Macan, even though it is their entry level SUV, has the Porsche DNA stamped all over it. It is pretty much a sportscar on stilts. With all-wheel-drive, fantastic chassis balance and plenty of grip, it corners flat and gives you lots of confidence. And with the safety net of AWD, you can just push harder and harder. The compact dimensions means it’s not cumbersome to weave through traffic and with the meaty 400Nm on tap, the Macan makes it into gaps with absolute ease. Overtaking too feels like a breeze as the Macan just passes everything effortlessly making it a great combination of sportscar and commuter.
Mercedes S-Class
There is one carmaker, which for years, has been claiming that one of their models is the best car in the world. Period. And if you are properly into cars you would know that we are talking about the Mercedes Benz S-Class. The W233 generation S-Class is all the things we have always loved about Mercedes’ most expensive sedan. Yes, its appearance may divide opinions and over time the S has gotten quite expensive as well but then so have all its rivals. And let’s be honest, in many key areas like rear seat comfort, brand value and technology, it is still the most affluent of them all. The W223 generation offers performance and composure in equal measures and if you ask us, it is undoubtedly the most comfortable and relaxing sedan that one can buy for under Rs 2 crore.
It’s the most extravagant, the most pampering and the most expensive Jeep you can buy. In fact, the Grand Cherokee is the American alternative to the likes of the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. What’s going for it though is that it’s a tough, off-road ready luxurious Jeep in a world full of glitzy, tarmac-friendly SUVs. Think of it as a properly sophisticated Wrangler that you can go off road in with ease. At Rs 77.5 lakh ex-showroom for the fully loaded Limited (O) version, the Jeep Grand Cherokee represents superb value. The pricing makes it cheaper than entry-level versions of the BMW X5 or the Audi Q7, neither of which is as well-equipped when it comes to technology and off-road hardware. So it isn’t the last word in luxury or snob value but the new Grand Cherokee is plenty nice, properly solid and there is no arguing its biggest selling point, i.e. its ability to go off-road in comfort.
The Volvo XC90 may be a little underwhelming to drive, but for all other intent and purposes, it’s a lovely, posh SUV. We found it to be extremely comfortable inside and gorgeous to look at (not something you say to describe a full-size SUV, I know). At over 4.9m long, 2m across and with a wheelbase of nearly 3m, the XC90 is a big old beast and it shows in the amount of space you get inside. So, no surprise that there's heaps of space everywhere, even in the third row. More importantly, it’s got the real SUV look on the outside and lots of high quality bits on the inside. Add in the smooth drivetrain and the overall refinement and the XC90 is an all-purpose vehicle that’s worth a crore rupees.
Ditching the diesel engine, the new Kodiaq’s petrol powertrain is powerful, fast and equally fun. Although it’s just a nip and tuck in terms of design and interior, the new engine has changed the character of the new Kodiaq. It was an opportunity for the Czech carmaker to overcome the Kodiaq’s shortcomings with this update, but there weren’t many in the first place. So you get a slightly tweaked face and minor feature additions. The cabin is barely touched and yet we could say it doesn’t need any changes for now. Secondly, the fact that the Kodiaq buyers won’t be bothered about the rising fuel cost or its fuel efficiency, the petrol-engined Kodiaq has got going for itself an understated character, high practicality, a well-built interior that oozes quality, long list of features and creature comfort, and even the newer powertrain doesn’t give any reason to complain. At the end of the day, you simply cannot go wrong buying the new Kodiaq.
Mercedes-Benz GLB
With no direct alternatives that provide a three-row configuration in its space, the GLB offers a good practicality package, decent driving dynamics, loads of features and everything else the Mercedes-Benz badge comes with as default. Being a full import, it is expensive for its size but considering that the new-gen GLC – which is due later this year – will eventually get more expensive, and the GLB has a high chance of garnering the same popularity the GLC has enjoyed in India all these years. We have driven the diesel model which has good grunt for everyday driving. It’s also fairly refined although the GLB’s biggest USP is still its three-row seating and versatility which many buyers would find appealing.
The new Defender 90 is an icon already. It’s exactly how a modern take on a classic should be – a simple yet purposeful design that pays homage to the original without being ostentatious or loud. One good look at it, and you know it’s rugged, and you know it wants to go off-road and show you what it can do. So besides 4x4 with locking differentials, off-road driving modes, and air suspension with adjustable ride height, the Defender 90 also gets Land Rover’s very capable terrain response system, ground view camera and a wading depth of 900mm, which is incredible. It is truly exceptional off-road and overall, there isn’t quite anything like the Defender 90 out there.
The new-generation baby S-Class is a big step up from its predecessor in terms of features, and space but in this C200 guise, performance is not so much. Sure, it’s a hybrid and that means it is going to be quite efficient in the long run but lacks the necessary punch. The nine-speed gearbox is fantastic but could have done with access to another additional 100-150Nm for better drivability. What it lacks in punch, it makes up for in terms of ride quality and refinement both of which befits a car in this price category. The feature lists great for the segment but lacks a 360-degree camera and more importantly advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Pictures by Kapil Angane and Kaustubh Gandhi
