Best wheels this Eid

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25 June, 2023, 03:00 pm
Last modified: 25 June, 2023, 03:03 pm

Toyota Crown RS Advance

The RS Advance is the highest trim offered in the Crown lineup. It comes with ventilated, leather, memory seats, soft-touch panels, a sunroof, and more leg space than any other sedan from Toyota — apart from the flagship Toyota Century.

The 15th generation S220 Crown RS Advance is a worthy option for people looking to buy midsize luxury sedans. It packs an efficient 2500cc A25A-FXS engine paired with an electric motor, producing a combined output of 223 horsepower sent to the rear wheels. The Crown RS Advance competes directly with the BMW 5 series and Mercedes E Class in Bangladesh, but is significantly lower priced. 

The luxury sedan takes the 'crown' for having the most sophisticated exterior design in its class. The car is wide and long with sharp lines and sporty touches all around. 

Photo: Collected

The RS Advance is the highest trim offered in the Crown lineup. It comes with ventilated, leather, memory seats, soft-touch panels, a sunroof, and more leg space than any other sedan from Toyota — apart from the flagship Toyota Century. Although it has sporty touches, it also retains the iconic swinging AC from Crown's past generations.

Toyotas are known for their industry-leading  reliability and hybrid technology. This makes the Crown the perfect daily driver for petrolheads who want to commute through the city in style without compromising on fuel economy, power and driving pleasure.

Price: Tk95 lakh (approx.)

Photo: Collected

Mitsubishi Xpander Cross

The Xpander Cross is as practical as a 7-seater crossover can get in this price range. It offers seven adult-sized seats which are leather wrapped and also has dual AC as standard.

The Xpander Cross, at first glance, looks like it's meant to go off-road. In fact, Mitsubishi Motors has designed the Xpander Cross to appeal to the most adventurous buyers, who'll use this car beyond the bustling city streets for daily drives. 

It's as practical as a 7-seater crossover can get in this price range. It offers seven adult-sized seats which are leather wrapped and also has dual AC as standard. Headroom and legroom are decent with cup holders and USB ports for every row of passengers. It also comes with a 7" infotainment system connected to six speakers and has both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. 

Although it still comes with a 1500cc 4A91 DOHC MIVEC Inline-4 engine paired with  a continuously variable transmission, the engine produces a mere 103 horsepower, meaning the Xpander Cross is definitely not meant for sand, mud or any off-road trails, especially given that it is front-wheel-drive. But the low power figure is adequate to attain highway speeds, as well as for overtakes.

Price: Tk50 lakh (approx.)

Photo: Collected

Audi e-tron 50 Quattro 

The e-tron 50 Quattro is the first European electric vehicle to have been launched in Bangladesh. It comes with a dual electric motor which produces 313bhp and a staggering 540 Nm of torque.

Given the current dollar crisis and inflationary pressure, prices of all cars have increased significantly, and so has fuel prices. The e-tron, however, is one of the cheapest European SUVs available in Bangladesh.  

The e-tron 50 Quattro is the first European electric vehicle to have been launched in Bangladesh. It comes with a dual electric motor which produces 313bhp and a staggering 540 Nm of torque. This makes the EV go from 0-100km/h in only 6.8s. 

Audi Bangladesh stated that the e-tron has a range of 300km/h in Bangladesh. The cars can be charged at home with the complimentary home charger provided with every unit of e-tron or users can also charge their EVs on the go from Audi's official service centre at Dhaka's Tejgaon area, where Audi has also set up the very first charging station of Bangladesh.

Electric vehicles are said to be the future of cars. And if anyone is in the market for European SUVs then the e-tron 50 Quattro is currently the only EV model officially available in Bangladesh that will come with servicing facilities and eight years of electric battery warranty. 

Price: Tk1.62 crore (approx.)

Photo: Collected

Hyundai Creta 

Adopting Hyundai's modern design language, much similar to the more expensive Tucson, the Creta comes with features like second-row AC vents, a panoramic sunroof, and ambient lighting.

The Creta is a 5-seater SUV from the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai. Fair Technology Limited, the local authorised distributor of Hyundai, have come to an agreement with the automaker to assemble the Hyundai Creta in Bangladesh, setting up an assembly plant in Gazipur. 

This has resulted in the Korean crossover being as much as 21% cheaper compared to the imported model, also previously sold by Hyundai Bangladesh themselves. 

Korean cars have come a long way in terms of build quality, performance and features. The Creta is no different. Adopting Hyundai's modern design language, much similar to the more expensive Tucson, the Creta comes with features like second-row AC vents, a panoramic sunroof, and ambient lighting.

A 1500cc engine powers the front wheels, giving it an edge over other SUVs in the market in terms of Annual Income Tax. The 'Made in Bangladesh' Hyundai Creta will also be covered under a five year or up to  one lakh kilometre warranty period. Hyundai Bangladesh also promises a buy-back facility at 60% of the price within three years of the purchase of the Creta if the user hasn't driven the car for more than 40,000km. 

There aren't many family SUVs offered with such competitive pricing as the locally assembled Hyundai Creta is in its segment. Given the features, a small engine ensuring low AIT and the after-sales service facilities that Hyundai promises, it's surely a worthy option to have a look at and be one of the first supporters of automobile production in Bangladesh. 

Price: Tk34.50 lakh (approx.)

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