What’s the next luxury car upgrade you should be eyeing?

We attempt to offer some answers and pick five natural upgrades for your garage

Just like any other toy, the novelty of a new set of wheels doesn’t last forever. Sooner than later, the touchscreen infotainment that you’d found so fascinating at first begins to seem staid. The feel of driving the car and the levels of engagement or excitement may not wane but you become used to the experience. The thrill inevitably deadens a bit. At some point in time, the grey cells are overpowered by the heart that desires an upgrade. If all of this sounds familiar, then here are five upgrades we’ve handpicked for you:

Audi A4 to A6

It’s a big step up, as you’ll have to shell out over ₹ 63 lakh for the A6 as compared to ₹ 54-55 lakh that you’d have spent on the A4. Now, if you go by pure numbers, you might be fooled at first because there’s no difference between the 2-litre petrol engines of the two cars, with both displacing an identical 1984cc. However, the A6 is a petrol-electric hybrid, which will bring you closer to the cool quotient of an all-electric automotive world. Not to forget, you get an additional 50Nm of torque at 370Nm and a lot of extra power on tap–245hp compared to the A4’s 190hp. The A6 feels way cooler too, with Audi’s Virtual cockpit as opposed to the digi-analogue instrumentation on the A4. Additionally, you get the incredible MMI interface with touch functions in the A6. And, it’s a bigger car, which means more space.

Prices
Audi A4: ₹40.49 lakh to ₹ 48.99 lakh
Audi A6: ₹ 59.99 lakh to ₹ 65.99 lakh

BMW 3 Series to 6 Series Gran Turismo

Don’t listen to conventional wisdom and instead give yourself a double promotion by skipping the 5 Series altogether and setting your sight on the sexier 6 Series Gran Turismo, or GT for short. You’ll only need to stretch your budget by an extra five lakh or so in any case. Both the 3 and the 6GT get the benefit of BMW’s Virtual Assistant, ensuring that the driver is connected to the car like never before. But in the 6GT you also get the uber cool Gesture Control function that lets you control the infotainment system without even touching it! In the 6GT, you also get an active rear spoiler that deploys automatically at speeds over 110kmph to aid vehicle stability. Passengers at the rear also get individual touchscreen infotainment systems of their own. All you need to make peace with is the fact that the 6GT gets the same power and torque (258hp and 440Nm for petrol; 190hp and 400Nm for diesel) as the 3 since they both use the same 2-litre engine, whether petrol or diesel.

Prices
BMW 3 Series: ₹ 46.9 lakh to ₹ 55.3 lakh
BMW 6 Series GT: ₹ 69.9 lakh

Land Rover Discovery Sport to Range Rover Velar

Anyone who knows his or her Landie will tell you that when you move from brand Land Rover to brand Range Rover you’ve just ditched the social ladder or the automotive world and taken a lift to the top floor. For the extra that you’ll shell out you not only get the brand upgrade, you also get the benefit of a far more stylish Velar, when compared to the Discovery Sport, which isn’t lacking in style in its own right. Then there’s the sheer amount of extra luxury that the Velar packs in, including the twin touchscreens for all functions on the iconic butcher’s slab dashboard.

Prices
Land Rover Discovery Sport: ₹ 57.06 lakh to ₹ 60.89 lakh
Range Rover Velar: ₹ 86.81 lakh

Jaguar XF to F Pace

Again, a huge leap up as you move from the stately sedan to the more robust SUV body style, which also signals a more active lifestyle to the casual bystander watching you drive past. Both get Jaguar’s Pivi Infotainment system (Pivi Pro in the F Pace with some extra features) and a host of cool features but what you don’t get in the XF is that feeling of being in a commanding position with a great view of the road ahead.

Dynamically, both are super involving and if you enjoy driving you’ll love the leaping cat, or the growling one. Like in the case of the Bimmer, engine options and performance between the XF and the F Pace remain the same with both getting either a 2-litre petrol or a 2-litre diesel. Unless, of course, you can dish up several extra lakhs to get the F Pace SVR, which will then let you access serious firepower under the hood. For now though, you won’t be shortchanged if you settle for the regular R-Dynamic variant.

Prices
Jaguar XF: ₹ 71.60 lakh to ₹ 76 lakh
Jaguar F Pace: ₹ 74.88 lakh to ₹ 1.51 cr

Mercedes-Benz C Class to E Class LWB

From one legend to another, this is the mother of all upgrades. For starters, the sheer amount of extra space that you’ll get in the E Class LWB is otherworldly. You can stretch out like a nawab or a lord of the manor from a bygone era and then dial up the comfort a notch more with the reclining rear seats. The silhouette alone puts you squarely in the S Class category.

The fabulous Burmester Surround Sound System is standard kit (in the C series, you’ll only get it in the C300d). The slab-like glass surface that not only houses the instrumentation but also the infotainment system that lets you enjoy Mercedes’ proprietary MBUX system is ultra cool and looks more like it belongs in the world of high fashion than inside a car. An upgrade that will pamper you to your bones.

Prices
Mercedes-Benz C Class: ₹ 55 lakh to ₹ 61 lakh
Mercedes-Benz E Class: ₹ 67 to ₹ 85 lakh

Also Read: 10 cars that need to be on your auto radar in 2022

Also Read: Are you ready to switch to e-cars?

Also Read: The evolution of the biker’s leather jacket