You have finally shortlisted a car that you are going to buy. It was a tough road down here, going through a plethora of brand, model and category options. Yet to made it! Well, this is followed by the choice of the variant. Boom, another choice to make before you finally get the car. The salesperson will surely prompt you to buy the top variant. But is it really worth spending extra amount when there are variants that are offered at lower costs? Let’s find out.
Are you looking for safety?
If it was pre-2019, this point might not have made it to the top. But the Indian consumers have seen a shift in trend for sure. People are looking for safer cars, the increase in sales of Tata and Mahindra cars is proof.
Take a look: Car Sales Report November 2020 | Tata Motors Is On A Roll!
According to BNVSAP rules, it is mandatory for the cars plying on Indian roads to have a driver-side airbag, ABS, speed warning alert, front seatbelt reminder and rear parking sensors. Cars right from the base variant offer these features. Some cars from Tata and Mahindra offer much more in terms of safety right from the base variant. For eg, Tata Nexon offers dual-front airbags, reverse parking sensors, ESP, ABS with EBD, Electronic traction control, roll-over mitigation, hill-hold control, brake disc wiping and ISOFIX child seat anchor points right from the base variant.
Some cars do not come with such features in the base variant but the top-spec variant offers way more. For eg, Hyundai Creta offers 2 airbags in the base variant while the top-spec comes with 6 airbags. Kia Seltos comes with rear parking sensors in the base variant but the top-spec offers a 360-degree camera setup. Recently, Mahindra decided to remove the adjustable hear rests in the base variant, while the upper variants offer it.
So, you have to decide what sort of safety features are you looking for. You must choose a variant that offers the following features:
- Dual-front Airbags
- Seatbelt reminders for the front occupants
- Speed alert
- ABS with EBD
- Electronic stability control
- ISOFIX child seat anchors
- Front disc brakes
- Rear parking sensors
And any package that offers more than these features.
Are you performance-driven?
Next up is the performance. Engine and transmission options vary according to the variants. It is not the case with cars which offer a single engine option. But these too offer options in the transmission part. Are you looking for powerful turbo-petrol engines? Will you settle with the naturally aspirated petrol engine? Or are you going for a diesel engine? Then comes the choice of transmission. You will get a manual one in the base variant followed by a variety of options in the upper variants. Cars like Hyundai Venue have a plethora of options such as DCT or iMT.
So, all you need to do is understand your need and choose the engine and transmission options accordingly.
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Do you fancy features?
Well, who doesn’t? This question might be an abrupt one, but there is much more to it. There are features like the touchscreen infotainment system, rear AC vents, ventilated seats, all-power windows, then you will have to go for the higher-spec variants. But if the basic features like the 3.5-inch infotainment system, basic seats, no AC vents at the rear, normal ORVMs and such features offered in the base variant, you should not go for the higher ones by spending more. This is totally up to you.
And now the final part, the price!
Everyone has a budget that has been preset. You can go a bit up or down the budget, but an overall budget is already set. So, all the above points fall to one place, and that is, the budget. Does top-spec fit your budget? You should definitely go for it. If you are slightly tight on budget, you can go for the lower variants.
Finally, it totally depends upon your choice. You must compare all the variants, choose the best one that suits your needs, and go for it.
