[extreme_torque]

Why not the Linea.... the ride is better than Altis for sure and the rear seat is very comfortable, has foot and knee level AC vents at the rear and will save more than 3 lakh upfront even if he goes for top end the diesel variant. The running costs would be lower as well.

[yzfrj]

Err.. why not Skoda Octavia , he he just kidding guys.

I'm wondering why no once suggested VW Jetta, its a bit more than 13L I think.

If image is not that an issue Linea would be a great choice (as pointed out by extreme_torque) from what we have seen so far.

[harry10]

Altis seems to fit the bill perfectly.
Though i would support Greenhorn's suggestion if drive and image are not major considerations.
Give a pass to city and civic and Magnum(magnum cos of uncertain future of GM and the low resale of their cars, otherwise i find magnum fantastic VFM and passes your requirement test as well)

Edit- read your post again, Image factor is a consideration so Indigo xl is ruled out.
Altis it should be then, A.S.S wont be a worry as well along with good build quality of the vehicle. Also it gives more features than Civic.

[drashkum]

linea is a fair choice may be a petrol model emotion pack variant. a good fuel efficient car. it gives 11-12kmpl with 100% a/c on within the city and has a great suspension ( independent suspension with helical springs) for pot holed rads.

95% of the driving will be done by the chauffer. So the main highlight of the car needs to be the best back seat in its class, followed by a great suspension to take care of the bad roads

i think it has the best back seat comfort it has a rear a/c vent and a foor level a/c too separately for back seat and a rear sun curtain too. the back seats are comfortable and had enough legroom even when the front seat is pushed back to the maximum. it has a 500l boot space which is pretty decent.

Last but not the least, the image factor, easy maintenance and robust build also need to be considered.

the image factor- it is a fiat a maker of ferrari. though it is a tad low on the minds of people it has been getting rave reviews in t-bhp. fiat is on the rise after tata-fiat alliance. the car definitely has a great build as per european standards. maintanence is going to be great as tata is there every nook and corner for service. the spares for fiat are now available freely as they have set up a plant in ranjangaon near tata plant. and to everyone surprise the spares are dead cheap.

You can have a look at the cost of spares from this post.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1237842-post158.html

[madhukar_n]

Altis is the way to go. quite spacious and the back seat is good. i have been on a corolla(not altis) for a year(in the back seat) for close to a year during car pooling days. i liked it a lot.

[loving_alaap]

Altis is the way to go.

But also try one more option"Mitsubishi Cedia" worth considering.

[VMG]

for less money, you can have the same comfort with 175 GC, i think Cedia is the best choice.

[akj53]

I bought Altis VL Automatic last week after evaluating all cars. It is a very very good car and a very safe buy. Since you will have a driver, so can go for the G or GL version also.

[psp62in]

Requirements:
1. Location - Kolkata
2. Mostly chaffeur driven
2. bad roads
3. good ac
4. rear space
5. decent luggage space.
6. the image factor

One answer - ALTIS

[ashthedivx]

If you can stretch a bit to look at higher segment cars take a look at Sonata Transform... It is sheer Value for money for features and snob value offered. I believe It's somewhere 14.xxxx on road for Calcutta. You might get a hefty discount as add-on.

Not in mood of stretch the budget.. pickup Altis with closed eyes

[nnandi]

Well in kolkata, the 4th point (snob value) is the highest for honda cars. I remember growing up admiring the Honda city. Whenever someone said that his dad had/bought a honda, we used to just say- wow! awesome!
But that was long back, so don't know if the 'snob value" icon have changed since then!
here, seeing your requirements, the mind says- Altis (or as some have also suggested- Petrol Innova).
but heart is always for- Honda (either city S or civic basic ver).

[architect]

My choice:

1. Corolla Altis (has almost everything and it's a Toyota)
2. Linea E pack (just for excellent ride quality, rear AC, better reported FE and low sticker price)
3. Indigo XL (the best back seat after the Ambassador and i think it hs a rear AC as well, doesn't it?)
4. Lancer Cedia (I have heard HM-Mitsu support is better in Kolkata, but only if it is true)

[Guna]

Originally Posted by dcreator

I know that today is April Fool's mate, but recommending the Indigo over any of the 5 shortlisted cars above has to be madness!

Hope you have noted that he is talking about XL, which has a stretched chassis (to provide one of the most spacious rear seat around), 100 bhp engine and comes with many laxurious features.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

From your list, altis is the choice to make.
However, considering the car is chauffeur driven and needs good comfort with a lot of airport duty, why don't you seriously consider the innova? Why only a sedan? In terms of external dimensions, the innova and altis are quite the same size. Innova will have a great ride with captain seats in the middle row as well.

[LOVE HER(ALD)!]

love you all guys!

thanks for the tremendous support and valuable suggestions... now i know what a wonderful family team bhp is.

the indigo XL sure has the best back seat... but is a hideous car to look at...

the innova has to be ruled out due to height issues... the basement car-park in our apartment block is not high enough for muvs/suvs (can you imagine that!!)... so all the utility vehicles are parked out on the road if the ground floor parking is full.

i am quite attracted to the linea's looks but scared about it being a fiat product...

the cedia is non-palatable when viewed head-on... guess the car has to look good if that kind of money is involved.

i think i should td the corolla altis, as most votes are in favour of it... although i am quite annoyed with toyota for such an ugly face-lift... the front is so bad, it seems as if the car is frowning angrily at you!