Watekar Gershe

This is a super important decision, because a bad kit or installer can give you endless headaches. As of 2024-2025, the market is largely dominated by a few reputable brands, but your choice also heavily depends on the authorized installer in your city.

• Lovato & Tartarini (Now Under ONE Company): First, key info—Lovato and Tartarini are now both under the same parent company (OGL). They are still sold as separate brands and are arguably the top two in terms of widespread recognition and spare parts availability. Tartarini (Italian origin, manufactured in India) is often praised for its smooth performance and refined kits. Lovato is also excellent and has a very strong network.
• The Rising Star - Landi Renzo: This is another Italian brand with a stellar global reputation. Many experts and users report that Landi Renzo kits offer exceptional reliability and the best fuel efficiency (mileage). Their after-sales network is growing fast in major metros.
• Other Notable Brands: STAG (from Poland) is known for advanced, computer-controlled systems and is a favorite among tech-savvy users. Bigas (Italy) and Sprint Gas are also solid contenders.

Here’s my real advice: Don't just pick a brand. Do this: 1. Find the RTO-approved and brand-authorized workshops in your area for, say, Tartarini and Landi Renzo. 2. Visit them. Ask to see installations they've done. Talk to other customers there if possible. 3. Check which brand's spare parts (like filters, injectors) are most readily available in your local auto market. 4. A top-tier installer with a slightly less-hyped brand is often better than a shady shop fitting a "Tartarini" kit with duplicate parts.

Performance-wise, you won't feel a huge power loss with any of the top brands if the tuning/mapping is done correctly by the installer. That tuning step is where 50% of your satisfaction comes from. So, prioritize installer reputation over obsessing between Tartarini and Lovato.

I lived through it! In 1986, my dad bought one of the first CD players. It cost a fortune and we had maybe five CDs: Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms (which was like the demo disc for CDs), some classical music, and a weird compilation. We still bought all our new music on vinyl or cassette. CDs felt like science fiction—skipping to track 8 instantly was mind-blowing. But by 1988-89, friends started getting CD players for birthdays or graduations, and record stores started having bigger CD sections. But cassettes? They were everywhere. Every car had a tape deck, every kid had a Walkman. So, popular in the tech sense? Yes, among those who could afford it. Common compared to tapes? No way, not until the very tail end of the 80s, maybe 1989.