The Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz ClA get updates for 2017. If you wanted an excuse to buy an entry-level German car, the petrol-engined variants of both cars give you one
A few years ago if one debated dipping their toes in the luxury pool, the question I would always ask them would be if it was worth itIJ Why spend 35 lakhs on a car when you could get a perfectly good sedan of a similar size for a third of the price — the Suzuki Ciaz and Hyundai Verna do just fine; or you could have something bigger for half the price like an Elantra or Corolla. But that had me thinking far too practically, looking at the car solely as a mode of transportation, something to get you from A to B.
Now, the recent strike not withstanding, app-based taxi-hailing services have changed that slightly. The fact is that using Ola or Uber which remain relatively cheap and cost marginally more that the cost of ownership of a car which is fuel, depreciation and service costs. That plus the fact that you’re driven around is a big plus, albeit more recent cab drivers on both services at least in Delhi are usually totally clueless about the city’s layout.
So if you look at a car as a simple transportation tool, why use a car at allIJ Well, there are still a couple of good reasons to own a car in India, other than striking taxi drivers, which is an excellent reason to keep your car. In many parts of Delhi and other cities, public transport options are extremely limited when it comes to the last mile. Second hailing a taxi or an auto-rickshaw in the midst of an emergency is not easy. There may be no reason to keep multiple cars in a family, but even asking millennials to give up the thought of a car in India, if they can afford it, is ridiculous.
But a car, is more than a tool. Particularly in India, which one has to remember remains a country where a majority of people are still picking themselves out of poverty. For a large number of car buyers, a car remains a symbol of status, a sign of having having arrived, both economically and socially.
Now, if you are considering a Mercedes-Benz ClA or Audi A3 you are obviously not buying your first car. But you are buying or projecting status. But here is the thing. These are both superb cars, extremely refined and fun to drive. And of course, that is the other thing. These cars are both about being behind the wheel. They are both front-wheel drive cars, so don’t expect the excitement of their larger brothers. As far as makes no difference they produce the same amount of power on their diesels, although Audi’s smaller petrol unit gives much less power than the Mercedes petrol. That said, Audi’s 1.4 TFSI petrol variant is the cheapest way into the segment at just over 30 lakhs.
Personally speaking, the lines on the ClA are very attractive but after the new A3 facelift, the Audi also looks brutishly handsome. That said, I’d probably pay the five lakhs more for the Mercedes ClA 200 over the Audi 1.4 TFSI simply for the extra power (and fun). But then again would I buy a car to project statusIJ I don’t think so, but I also am not judging anyone for doing so.