The First Buy
It's the beginning of the year, and corporate executives all over Dhaka are considering the ways of spending their year-end bonuses, or at least what is left over from all of the barbecues and buying gifts for weddings. Entry level executives aspire to own larger sedans than ordinary, but abilities to afford usually extend to the cars we have here today. Buy smart.
The Up-scale Aspirators:
Toyota Yaris
Price: Starts from 27 lakh taka.
The Yaris comes with the traditional Toyota stamp of reliability and resale value. On the road, the Yaris is easy to manoeuver in tight spaces due to its dimensions and turning radius. The 1.3 liter 2NZFE VVT-i 4 cylinder engine provides decent pickup and will be quite economical, leaving a smaller dent on the wallet. Inside, loads of space for your family, while the exterior is thoroughly modern and hip, befitting the young-executive lifestyle you might want. It’ll be a faithful companion on road trips outside the city, and overall, we’d say it lives up to its duties very well.
Ford Fiesta
Price: Expected range 25-30 lakh taka.
The Ford Fiesta is a funky looking car, raked back hyper modern design topped off with a tried and tested range of powertrains. The Fiesta won a host of awards in Europe and South Asia, due to its reliability, efficiency and economy. Plagued by relatively slow sales in Dhaka, a slightly revamped model will be available for purchase from March, and if you’re worried about parts availability, its not an issue since the dealership provides significant after sales support. This is a serious option to consider if you’re tired of the more common choices.
Look for a review of the Fiesta in an upcoming issue of Shift.
Hyundai Accent
Price: Starts from 23 lakh taka.
The Hyundai Accent is a distinct left-field choice, but its popularity and value for money in Bangladesh are hard to ignore. Korean build quality has leaped forward in recent years, and now they’re beating the Japs on pricing and equipment levels. The reliability issue is yet unproven, since the new Accent has been around for just a couple of years and there is no real benchmark to compare. People who bought the Accent are happy with the equipment and driving experience, so that’s a good omen. Its 1.4 liter MPI “Blue” engine also has great fuel economy, so there’s that.
Look for a review of the Accent in an upcoming issue of Shift.
KIA Rio
Price: Expected to start from 26 lakh taka.
KIA is close behind its Japanese rivals, offering very smart and well thought out alternatives on almost every level. While KIA has mostly attracted the large executive car/SUV buying crowd in Bangladesh with bargains, the entry level categories are also well stocked. The Rio hatchback is a wonderfully designed car, and its sedan version is very good looking as well. Bargain deals are what the Koreans are good at, it seems. The model is currently out of stock, expect a fresh batch to arrive sometime in March.
Look for a review of the Rio in an upcoming issue of Shift.
The Budget Alternative:
Suzuki Swift
Price: Starts from 16.5 lakh taka (hatchback), 18.5 lakh (Dzire manual) and 21.5 (Dzire automatic).
The Swift is a brilliant little car, with mind boggling fuel economy for the manual versions and, if you can live with the smaller space of a hatchback based sedan (or the hatchback itself), it can be a faithful companion on your daily office and family runs. Handling and performance is up there with the best urban cars, and despite the cheap-ish interior materials, its actually a nice place to be in. The Swift Dzire might not be best looking car out there, but these are mechanically sound cars.
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