Luxury cars in India is a segment that is growing rapidly. With companies like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Bentley and Rolls Royce showcasing ever growing sales every year, there is an ever growing number of Indian customers who can afford a flashy luxury automobile. But a luxury car isn’t just supposed to be a comfortable and large automobile that offers a great rear seat experience. With the customer becoming smarter every year, every luxury car is now expected to offer great driving dynamics, phenomenal quality, and of course reliability. We take a look at some of the best luxury cars that you can buy in India today.
Rolls-Royce Phantom
Rolls Royce Phantom
Lets begin with the godfather of them all! The mighty Rolls Royce Phantom. With prices starting from about Rs 7.5 Crore for the standard version and over Rs 8.8 Crore for the extended wheelbase version, the Phantom is the most expensive sedan in India. And of course, there prices are before you customise and individualize the car to your specifications. Certain owners have gone as far as to add over Rs 3 crore of custom options to their Phantoms ranging from special leather and carpets to embossed and gold lined fittings with their family crests or names and even a diamond studded Spirit Of Ecstasy mascot. As long as you have the money, there is no shortage of what you can do with your Phantom!
Bentley Bentayga Mulliner
Bentley Bentayga
The highly polarising Bentley Bentayga SUV is the world’s most luxurious mass produced SUV. While the design might not please everyone’s palette, the Bentayga certainly has one of the most epic road presence characteristics of any car currently sold globally. The Bentley Bentayga is also one of the only SUVs in the world that comes only with a high performance W12 petrol engine – no pedestrian diesels here! The Bentayga’s party piece though has to be the extremely luxurious and cool interiors. With an almost unlimited number of customisation options and the ‘World’s most expensive automotive option’, a Rs 1 Crore Mulliner Tourbillon clock, the Bentayga is, without a doubt in a class of its own. Incidentally, it is also, as of today, the worlds fastest SUV with a 0-100kmph time of just under 4 seconds!
New Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
While one might expect the S-Class to be our pick for this list, it is actually the new extended wheelbase E-Class that makes the cut instead. With the new E-Class, Mercedes-Benz has really stepped up its game in the luxury car segment. Powered by a petrol and a diesel engine, the new E-Class is the ultimate sub Rs 1 Crore luxobarge! With enough leg space in the rear to throw a house party and with seats that recline too, the E-Class has truly become one of the best chauffer driven cars in India today. The E-Class is great to drive too and even with a new longer wheelbase handles quite well.
BMW X5 M-sport
BMW X5
The X5 SUV has been one of the most popular BMW models in India for the German luxury car-maker. The BMW X5 is the largest SUV that BMW makes and comes only with a diesel engine option for the non-M models. The engine, a 3.0 diesel is a 6-cylinder motor that makes 258 bhp and 559 Nm of peak torque. Performance figures are impressive too for such a large and heavy car with 0-100 kmph coming up in under 7 seconds and a top speed of 230 kmph. The BMW X5 also gets a ‘M’ model with a fire breathing 4.4 V8 petrol engine that makes a shattering 575 bhp of peak power and 750 Nm of peak torque. Prices for the standard car range from Rs 67.9 to 78.5 lakh with the X5M priced at a cool Rs 1.62 Crore.
Audi A4 Diesel
Audi A4
The Audi A4 is Audi’s bread and butter model in India and is also one of the nicest cars the Ingolstadt based luxury carmaker makes in India. The A4, based on the MQB platform gets a 1.4 litre petrol engine and a 2.0 litre diesel engine and is much much nicer to drive than the past generation versions. The new car is also a much better car in terms of ride and handling characteristics and also gets a very high quality interior package. The A4 is also very spacious in the back with a really comfortable bench seats and yes, the car gets leather interiors as standard. The new A4 is priced reasonably well from Rs 38.1 lakh to Rs 41.2 lakh. We do hope Audi adds the S4 in the India lineup soon too.
Volvo S90
Volvo S90
The Volvo S90 takes on the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6 and the Jaguar XF but with the typical simplicity and functionality that the Scandinavians offer! The S90 is also a masterclass of exterior and interior design with its very conventional sedan silhouette and large form combined with some very contemporary elements like the large Volvo grille and the LED headlamps. The Volvo S90 is offered with a 2.0 diesel engine and while performance is not the best in class, it does hold its own vs everything else in every other department. The Volvo S90 is also one of the most comfortable cars in its class and the interior is genuinely one of the nicest in the sub Rs 1 Crore range. The S90 also has its butch cousin, the V90 Cross Country which will join the lineup very soon!
Jaguar F-Pace
Jaguar F-Pace
The winner of the 2017 World Car Of The Year and the Design Of The Year Award, the Jaguar F-Pace is a new chapter for the iconic British automaker. The new F-Pace is not just a pretty (possibly the prettiest in the world) SUV though but is also a great car to drive and comes packed with an even nicer interior with bespoke leather fittings everywhere. The F-Pace also offers two very capable diesel engines, a 2.0 and 3.0 diesel, both mated to an all-wheel-drive system and an 8-speed ZF gearbox. The 2.0 diesel makes 177 bhp of peak power and 430 Nm of peak torque while the 3.0 diesel makes 296 bhp of peak power and a staggering 700 Nm of peak torque. The 2.0 diesel is priced at Rs 68.4 - 77.8 lakh while the 3.0 diesel gets the R-Sport and the ‘First Edition’ variants and is priced from Rs 1.18 – 1.23 Crore (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Range Rover SVAutography
Land Rover Range Rover
Before the Bentley Bentayga came into existence, the Range Rover was the final word in luxury SUVs. And to some, it remains even today. With typically SUV-esque proportions and a very regal road presence, the largest car from the Land Rover family has always been the de-facto choice for a long line of heads of state, monarchs, sports personalities and yes, Bollywood too. The Range Rover, especially in its long wheelbase ‘Autobiography’ variants is also possibly as luxurious as the Bentayga with the choice of bespoke interiors and variable seating options. The Range Rover gets a choice of engines too, a 3.0 diesel V6 that also underpins the Jaguar F-Pace and the range topping supercharged V8 petrol with 500 bhp! If you are considering one, they cost between Rs 1.58 – 3.47 Crore!
Porsche Panamera Turbo S
Porsche Panamera
The Panamera is as much a sports car as it is a luxury car. In fact, the new Panamera Turbo which has been launched recently is the fastest 4-door sedan in the world with 0-100kmph well below the 4 second mark! The new Porsche Panamera also looks a LOT better than what it used to in the past with a new sleeker look and a much nicer rear end. The coolest thing about the Panamera though has the be the new multi piece spoiler that rises up from just below the rear windscreen and adjusts as per the speed of the car. The Panamera always got a really cool interior package but the new one takes it a step further with a huge centrally mounted touchscreen and other touch type buttons on the central console and the steering wheel. Truly, from being an ungainly 4-door 911 to a bespoke 4-door sedan that can hold its own in any luxury car park, the Porsche Panamera is one of the coolest luxury cars in India. Prices range from Rs 1.93 – 2.05 Crore (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Maserati Quattroporte Review
Maserati Quattroporte
The Maserati Quattroporte is the kind of car that makes you want to dress up in a stylish Italian silk suit, wear some lovely Italian leather shoes and gulp down a bag of Cannoli every time you drive it! As a competitor to the Porsche Panamera Turbo, the Maserati Quattroporte – literally meaning four doors, is one of the most soulful 4-door sedans you can buy in India today. Powered by a bespoke Ferrari V8 under the bonnet in the GTS variant and a 3.0 diesel in the standard variant (just get the V8!!), the Quattroporte is priced at Rs 1.52 – 2.22 Crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Quattroporte also has a great and very sporty interior with high quality leather and an exhaust note to die for!
