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I plan to buy a spacious 7-8 seater SUV within a Rs. 12 lakh budget. As I travel close to 7,000km a month, I would prefer a diesel-engined car. Please recommend a buy.

Sanjay Gupta

For your needs, the Toyota Innova makes perfect sense. It can seat 7-8 people, is easy to drive and handles more like a car than a MUV. It is also very reliable and will give you good fuel economy. At your budget, you can easily buy the top-end V variant and if you want seven seats, opt for captain seats for the middle row.

Will the Maruti SX4 get a diesel engine soon? Is it wise to install an LPG kit on the petrol-engined SX4? I mainly drive in the city.

Rishi Raj Singh

There are no plans to introduce a diesel engine in the SX4 in 2008. An LPG kit on the SX4 is feasible but you need to get it installed by an RTO-authorised installer. Look out for brands like Bedini, BRC, Lovato or Tartarini. After an LPG installation, your car will suffer from a slight drop in power. Also, the fuel economy you get from LPG will be slightly lower than you will get from petrol, but the lower cost of fuel will offset this to an extent. Also note the prices of LPG do fluctuate.

I am a real estate developer and need to drive to sites where the roads are not very friendly. My daily run is around 50-65km. Between the Chevrolet Captiva, Honda CR-V 2.0 and the Nissan X-Trail, which one do you recommend? My priorities are low running costs, good quality and resale value.

Nikhil Thard

The Captiva is spacious, fuel efficient and is a good performer. However, it is way out of your budget. Another option is the Ford Endeavour 2.5 4x2. It is an extremely tough vehicle and will work well on bad roads. However, the ride is stiff and the rear seats aren’t too comfortable. The engine is powerful and refined and fuel efficiency is better than the older Endeavour.

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