The best rides for every budget

This will be the year of the automobiles. And trust us; it won’t just be the Rs 1-lakh Tata car or the small cars from the Suzuki stable that will vie for your eyeballs and your wallet in 2008. Expect a veritable auto explosion in the months to come, as every carmaker, from Suzuki and Hyundai to BMW, Audi, General Motors and Skoda, lure you with new models. Even in the two-wheeler segment, new models from Bajaj and Hero Honda, and superbikes from Japan and Europe, are slated to enter the market.

The cover section this time, therefore, is on the best rides for every budget. The stories do not run along boring, tried and tested lines and merely inform you about which cars in the compact, mid-size or luxury segments and which two-wheelers you should look out for. Instead, we spent the better part of the last month talking to experts, automobile dealers and, of course, prospective buyers, to figure out why people choose a particular vehicle. The cover story this time gives you a low-down on the best vehicles in India for everyone— those who have large families, those looking for a first car, those who want that ultimate luxury on wheels and even those who might be wondering which vehicle would give their pet dog some space to move around.

There’s a lot more, though, to this first issue of 2008. In the style section, we take you into the world of suits and get Pal Zileri’s master tailor Bruno Magnaguagno to tell you about the perfect business suit. For tea lovers, there’s a surprise in store as we take a peek into the world of tea, talk about its healing qualities and leak out a few secret recipes. For the stressed-out executive, the health and fitness section offers quick tips to tackle that nagging back pain. Also, check out our new music review section, read about the three great new books in town or drop in at the chill zones featured in these pages. All this and a lot more await you in this issue. Have a great 2008.