Maruti Suzuki A-Star ZXi Opt

Seat upholstery is offered either in fabric or leather.

Describes whether the rear seats of the car fold down to form a bigger boot. Some rear seats may have a 60:40 split.

States if the glove compartment is illuminated.

Meter that shows how fast the engine is spinning in rpm (revolutions per minute).

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.

Usually are jets of water directed onto the headlamp lenses to clear dirt from them.

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.

An additional parkinng help feature that displays a feed from the rearward-facing camera on a screen in the car.

Electronically controls cabin temperature and fresh air requirements.

Dedicated air-conditioning vents for the second/third row of occupants.

Locking one door (usually one of the front doors) engages or disengages the locks on all doors.

Denotes whether the steering wheel is non-adjustable or adjusts for height or height as well as reach.

Denotes if seat adjustment is manual or electric.

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.

Headlamps that turn on automatically once it gets dark.

Wipers that turn on automatically when it rains. Some cars automatically adjust wiper speed as well.

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.

Exterior dimensions.

The distance between the front and rear axles. A good indicator of how much space - legroom - the cabin will have.

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.

States whether the wheels on the variant are steel or alloys.

The type of engine along with its code, if available.

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.

Shows how powerful your car is. Is a good indicator of top speed.

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.

A high compression ratio generally denotes a more efficient and/or powerful engine. However, high compression ratios and poor fuel don't mix well.

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.

Denotes the type of fuel delivery system of the engine.

Fuel efficiency as denoted by the Automotive Research Association of India.

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.