Keeps an electronic eye on the car's speed so that you don't have to apply pressure on the accelerator to keep the car going at a constant speed. A useful feature if you do a lot of highway driving.
Inflatable bags of gas that deploy in the event of a crash, preventing injury - for example, like that arising from a driver's face hitting the steering wheel during a crash. In cars with eight or more airbags, they practically surround the occupants in a crash, insulating them from the worst. They need to be used in conjunction with seat-belts, else they aren't effective.
An Anti-Lock Braking system helps you retain steering control during panic stops and in low-grip situations like in the wet. It regularly will shorten on-road stopping distances as well. A must-have that is well worth every paisa.
Denotes twisting force of your engine. Is a good indicator of how drivable your car is - the higher the torque figure, the less you'll have to change gears in heavy traffic or to overtake on the highway.
Denotes the swept volume of the engine. The more the displacement, the less stressed your engine will be. This isn't a direct relation to power or torque figures any more with the widespread use of turbocharging.
Measures distance covered during that trip only in km. This can be reset, unlike the odometer which logs the complete distance that the car runs during its lifetime. Some cars have a multi-function display that shows a lot of information, including tank range, instantaneous fuel consumption and ambient temperature.
Keeps an electronic eye on the car's speed so that you don't have to apply pressure on the accelerator to keep the car going at a constant speed. A useful feature if you do a lot of highway driving.
Fog lamps help visibility when it is in short supply, and are therefore needed if you live in a place where winters mean frequent periods with fog. No real gain in clear conditions.
Proximity sensors fixed in the rear (and sometimes front) bumper that give either audible or visual indication of how far your car's bumpers are from obstacles.
Helps condensed water evaporate from the glass area at the back, improving rear visibility. Is especially useful in humid or cold areas. If you see thin horizontal lines running across the rear glass, a rear defogger or 'heater' is present.
Means that you don't have to take your key to the rear of your car to open the boot. Most cars today have a cable release accessible from the driver's seat, a button on the dash or a button on the key fob.
Means that you don't have to take your key to the fuel filler flap. Most cars have either a cable release accessible from the driver's seat, or a push release that unlocks with the central locking.
An Anti-Lock Braking system helps you retain steering control during panic stops and in low-grip situations like in the wet. It regularly will shorten on-road stopping distances as well. A must-have that is well worth every paisa.
An advanced version of ABS, EBD regulates braking force for each wheel. Helps immensely in differing situations like when the vehicle has only one occupant, or all five. Or even if a single wheel goes off into the dirt, EBD could be the difference between a scare and a crash.
Inflatable bags of gas that deploy in the event of a crash, preventing injury - for example, like that arising from a driver's face hitting the steering wheel during a crash. In cars with eight or more airbags, they practically surround the occupants in a crash, insulating them from the worst. They need to be used in conjunction with seat-belts, else they aren't effective.
Prevents a wheel from spinning up under hard acceleration either by applying the brake to that particular wheel or cutting power. This helps maintain vehicle control.
The Electronic Stability Program makes sure that the vehicle is travelling in the direction that the front wheels are pointing, thus ensuring greater vehicle control.
It'll take more than just a properly cut key to steal a car with an immobiliser: the key and engine share a radio-frequency code that has to match before the car's computer will allow the engine to start with the key.
Makes the rear doors non-responsive to the inside door handles. They open with the outside handles, though. Prevents unsupervised children or escaping convicts from opening the rear doors.
The European New Car Assessment Program rates all new cars sold in Europe on a scale of 1-5 stars for safety. Only cars that are sold in Europe and with ABS qualify for the test, so the ratings for the Indian versions might differ. It's still a good indicator of how safe a car is.
The weight of the vehicle. A lighter car will use less fuel, be quick, and change direction more readily - all positive characteristics in a car. Safety features like ABS, airbags and even crumple zones add to the weight of a car, but not by much.
The distance from the ground to the nearest object on the car's underside. Will your car clear the little hill masquerading as a speed breaker on the road outside your house? Here's where you find out.
Denotes whether the tyre is a tube-type one, tubeless or a runflat tyre. Tubeless tyres prevent blowouts and don't lose air quickly when punctured, therefore are safer. Runflats allow you to drive on without air but are hideously expensive and make for a back-breaking ride.
Denotes the swept volume of the engine. The more the displacement, the less stressed your engine will be. This isn't a direct relation to power or torque figures any more with the widespread use of turbocharging.
Denotes twisting force of your engine. Is a good indicator of how drivable your car is - the higher the torque figure, the less you'll have to change gears in heavy traffic or to overtake on the highway.
The more the number of cylinders, the more power that can be generated from a given displacement. Manufacturers are cutting down on this figure now - less manufacturing costs (lower sticker prices) and increased fuel efficiency (less internal friction) are the obvious benefits.
Valves are what allow air and fuel in and out of your engine. More the valves, the better your engine will breathe and the more efficient it will be. The 2-valve-per-head designs offer very good torque at low revs, making them very good for commuting.
Turning radius is a good indicator of how manoeuverable a car will be - the smaller this figure, the easier it will be to dart in and out of gaps in traffic and make U-turns.
The Honda Brio is the Japanese carmaker’s first small car for India. Its radical styling has managed to polarize the consumers to an extent, but the Brio manages to be popular largely amongst the young and trendy customers. Honda has managed to price the Brio very competitively and with its ‘safety first’ attitude, the Brio is also one of the safest cars you can buy for small-car money.
Built on the Swift platform, the Ritz shares many components with the Swift, including its price. However, it caters to a more mature buyer with its more spacious interiors and suspension set to favour ride over handling. Our pick from the Maruti stable is the diesel.
Hyundai's little hatch has seen success due to its bewildering array of variants that fit every budget. It also offers a number of features like a bluetooth-enabled audio system and sunroof. Variable valve timing makes its debut in the segment, offering a good blend of performance and economy from the i10 Kappa2.
The Beat is the update to the Spark, and its funky styling, long features list and great value have made it a success. It also has garnered a little star power with an apperance in one of the Transformers movies. The diesel version is one of the most fuel efficient cars you can buy today, no exceptions.
