MÊLÉE À TROIS

Got a spare crore to spend on a midsize luxury SUV? Here's a three-way showdown to help you pick the right one.

- SHIVANK BHATT

You have raised massive capital for your startup. Business is booming. Profits are through the roof. You have bought your dream apartment and signed up for wealth management services to secure your future. Everything's looking bright. You can feel the success not just in your bones but also in your bank accounts. Life's good. And now...it's time to indulge yourself with luxury cars.

Say you have capped your budget at around a crore, and you want an SUV, which one should you buy? Should you pick one of the usual German suspects - the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC - or should you go offbeat and pick the Lexus NX 350h instead? Wondering about the Audi Q5 and the Volvo XC60? Well, don't, because both are due for an update, which is why you don't see them here.

Anyway, back to cracking the puzzle for you - which midsize luxury SUV deserves your hard-earned funding - sorry, money? Let's find out!

BRAND POWER: BADGE OF HONOUR

When the wealthy choose their set of wheels, it's the badge on the bonnet that dictates their preference more than the aesthetics of the product itself. Sure, looks do count to some extent in this class of vehicles, but they aren't a deal-breaker. The rich and the famous pick vehicles based on their aspirational value, period!