‘Like
thousands before me, the 800 is the first car I ever owned’
Five years
with this magazine have allowed me to drive practically every car on sale
in India, but it’s only a few I’ve found really special. So
for this fifth anniversary issue, I thought I'd list my personal five
favourites in the Indian market. Here goes.
5th
Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi
It’s the build quality that’s really amazing. The day we dropped
off our long-term Octavia, after 30,000km, it felt just the same as the
day we got it. You just couldn't tell the car had gone through a year of
some pretty hard driving. I always felt safe and cocooned in the Octy and
that's what I love about it. The ride is so well damped, it ‘thud-thuds’
through potholes in a very European way. It isn't particularly fun to drive,
though. Not many diesels are; but there was never a shortage of power. This
conventional, direct-injection turbo-diesel is more than a match for the
hyped-up common-rails from Hyundai. What never ceased to amaze me was the
fuel efficiency — try as hard as I could, I could never dip below
the 10kpl barrier, 14kpl being the norm for this car.
4th
Chevrolet Forester
To me the Forester isn't a Chevrolet but a Subaru through and through. I
love the frameless doors — a Subaru signature — and the car's
rally pedigree shines through the instant you put your hands on the wheel.
The steering feel and body control are stunning, and it's hard to believe
that this is a quasi-SUV. Even harder to believe is the suspension, which
delivers a flat and consistent ride irrespective of the road surface. If
only it had a more powerful engine to make full use of its outstanding chassis,
it would have jumped several places on this list.
3rd
Fiat Palio 1.6 GTX
It's the only hot hatch we have in this country, and it fits the bill pretty
well. It's good-looking, has a 100bhp engine and brilliant ride and handling
all packaged into a sub-Rs 6 lakh price. What more could you want? Well,
it's practical too. When not in boy-racer mode, it can double up as a family
car, transporting the wife and kids in complete safety. Just wish the brakes
were better, though.
2nd
Ford Ikon 1.6
Ever since I first drove the Ikon for the inaugural
issue of Autocar India, I've just flipped for this car.
It's such a delight to all the
senses. It still looks so good with its sharp, edgy shape and well-balanced
stance. And it drives even better. The 1.6 ROCAM engine
is so responsive, so eager to please that everyone time
I drive an Ikon, I can't stay away from the rev-limiter. The chassis is
the best around, stiff and beautifully balanced with pointy handling you
don't often find in a
front-wheel-drive car. It's so much fun that you tend to forget Ford has
nicked things like anti-roll bars and bigger brakes.
1st
Maruti 800
Like thousands before me, the 800 is the first car I ever owned. Since then
I've raced it, rallied it and even put its roof where its wheels should
have been. It's amazing how much of a beating this cheap little car can
take. I truly got to appreciate its reliability and worth on a tortuous
drive from Kargil to Kanyakumari, where it kept up with a Merc E-class.
The reason it goes to the top of my list is because of what it has done
for the nation, and, after 20 years, how relevant it still is.
I don't think it's too bad to drive either. In fact, the steering is more
direct and positive than in some other Marutis, and despite its small engine,
the throttle response is quite perky. Industry watchers can see that Maruti
wants to eventually replace the 800 with the Alto but before that day comes
I’ll buy one, just to keep a slice of motoring history.
5th
Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi 
4th
Chevrolet Forester
3rd
Fiat Palio 1.6 GTX
1st
Maruti 800
September 2004 
2nd
Ford Ikon 1.6 