THE SCORECARD EXPLAINED

Under this head, we evaluate everything which has to do with the body of the car be it space or payload. The ‘Front Space’ of the car is evaluated by measuring a host of features which include the maximum and minimum head room, knee room, and even shoulder room. To negate advantages owning to long rails on which seats slide, we have a specific measurement which is done to give every car a level playing field. At the same time seats are specifically measured at the squab and seat back as well. When it comes to ‘Rear Space’, we use a 1m front leg room as a benchmark to measure usable rear knee room. Again, head and shoulder room is calculated before arriving at points for rear space. While most of the parameters are measured, ‘Feeling of Space’ has nothing to do with measurements, but how our senses perceive it. So, if the car has light interiors, a large glass area, and a high roof, it will feel more spacious. And since buyers buy based on feel rather than absolute dimensions, this is an important consideration for comfort too. Under the ‘Boot space/Flexibility’ section we return to measure up the boot manually. Our data reveals usable space rather than absolute space. Flexibility meanwhile depends on a number of aspects, from right loading height to boot opening height and width to whether the seats split and fold and how well they do so. So a Citroën C5 Aircross for instance will score more thanks to the fact that all three seats at the back can be adjusted individually. Points for ‘Visibility’ are arrived at after considering the view the driver has over the hood, via the A-and B-pillars, through the rear glass, and also from all the rear-view mirrors. Feel of quality takes into consideration measurements of the various gaps between panels as well as the consistency of these gaps. The ‘Payload’ is the simplest of them all and is calculated using the gross and kerb weights. For ‘Safety’, our starting point is a crash-worthy body structure, good for one point. Then depending on the number of airbags, drive assist systems, and 15 other aspects, points are awarded.

COMFORT: The second aspect which allows us to calculate the most comfortable car is ‘Comfort’. This section starts off evaluating every car for how much comfort and convenience they offer right from good ride quality to comfortable and supportive seats to easy ingress and various related equipment like climate control, armrests, storage space, and even cup and bottle holders. Under the ‘Ride Quality’ section, cars are judged for low speed and high, laden and unladen, for noise and vibrations. Next up is ‘Front Seats/Ingress’ which tells us how cushy, supportive, large, and adjustable the front seats are. Also, how easy it is to get in and out of the front is also reflected in the points a car garners here. Similarly, points are also tabulated under the ‘Rear Seats/Ingress’ section for the rear half of the cabin. It also important to know how well insulated a car’s cabin is. This makes all the difference in how fatigued one gets after a drive. The quieter the cabin, the less tiring a drive is. We arrive at the interior noise in decibels by using sophisticated sound measuring equipment. This test is carried out at three different speeds and hence points are awarded on the Driving Noise aspect. ‘Handling’ is probably one aspect that has most of our readers confused. ‘Handling’ is generally associated with enthusiastic driving, but the fact is, if a car handles well, it’s less stressful to drive fast. It gives the driver more confidence and relaxes their senses cutting fatigue levels. ‘Comfort Equipment’ plays a vital role in making a car comfortable. Our judging list includes everything from basic power windows to high-tech features. Under the aspect ‘Operability’ we judge the car’s ergonomics in addition to how well a car has been engineered when it comes to the working of various controls onboard from the air con to the infotainment system to the steering wheel and seat adjuster to even the mechanism used to drop down the rear seats to liberate more luggage space.