IT'S OIL RIGHT
Diesel into luxury does go, and goes rather fast too. Oil-burning luxury cars give the best of both worlds, but which is best?

HYUNDAI ELANTRA CRDi
List price (ex-showroom, Mumbai) Rs 11.11 lakh
Top speed 185kph
0-60kph 5.07sec
0-100kph 11.62sec
Kpl 13.15 (overall)
For Top-end performance, equipment, value for money
Against Looks, low rear seat

SKODA OCTAVIA ELEGANCE 1.9TDi
List price (ex-showroom, Mumbai) Rs 12.81 lakh
Top speed 187kph
0-60kph 5.68sec
0-100kph 13.49sec
Kpl 15.8(overall)
For Efficiency, build quality
Against Cramped rear seat

Luxury diesel? Sounds like an oxymoron, but no more. New tech, like common-rail and pumpe duse means the traditional pitfalls — start-up time, clatter, dull performance and emissions — are history, and strengths like great torque, efficiency and tractability have hit the dance floor. Diesels are suddenly sexy, not only acceptable but often preferred over petrol in even luxury cars. This trend has reached India too, and luxury car buyers now have two formidable diesel options: the Skoda Octavia TDi, and the Hyundai Elantra CRDi. The much-lauded Octy's been around a while, with its relatively low-tech direct injection diesel, and Hyundai's CRDi technology is the toast of India. This test answers some crucial questions: is common-rail what it's touted to be? Is German stolidity better than Oriental flash? And, is diesel the future?