The Long Road to Luxury

When Sahil Chhabra, a first-generation business owner, walked into a BMW showroom in Gurugram last year, he thought he was finally about to tick a box off his wishlist. The 3 Series had been his college obsession - sleek, powerful and the ultimate badge of success. But as the weeks went by, excitement gave way to cold math.

The on-road price nudged Rs 70 lakh once taxes and registration were factored in. Plus, the annual service packages looked steep, and he discovered that a three-to-five-year-old BMW could lose more than half its value. Three months later, Sahil drove home ...