| Re:FEATURES comparison of select cars in Rs 6.40-6.70 (P) & 7.50-7.80 (D) lakhs range
Points of note for each car compared
Honda Amaze
Honda with the Amaze brought a credible contender to the indomitable Dzire by Maruti Suzuki. With similar pricing and a decent set of features, plus more space on offer & coupled with Honda's brand equity - the Amaze has carved out its own space. The diesel is powerful and most fuel efficient diesel (though with high NVH - Noise, Vibration, Harshness levels). Even though the VX variant is not that much value for money (considering the base variant has all the essential features - HVAC, power steering, 4 power windows & central locking), still in this comparison, it is a competitor. Downmarket interiors are its big negative and this will be exploited by the recently launched Xcent & Zest which will hope to cash in on the compact sedan craze with its feature-rich offering coupled with quality interiors.
Maruti Suzuki Dzire
The king of the segment, even though other sedans in the comparison have more passenger as well as boot space than the Dzire. Being a Maruti, it still sells like hot cakes. Speaking of features, the “Z” variants being compared here are well-loaded - twin airbags, ABS, Automatic Climate Control (ACC), music system with steering controls, electrically adjustable ORVM, and a rear seat armrest - though these features are also offered in the Xcent & Zest (Amaze loses out on ACC).
Hyundai Xcent
Hyundai has upped the ante with its booted version of the Grand i10. Built on the same wheelbase as the Grandi10 (which infact is an extended wheelbase of the new i10 sold in international markets), the Xcent offers decent rear legroom, plus the advantage of a boot and the image that comes with it, as considered by most Indians. The only weak link is the three cylinder diesel mill, which though fairy refined, is down on power and torque as compared to the immediate competition.
The top-end SX (O) variant being compared here boasts of class-leading (compact sedan) & unique features such as keyless entry with push button start, reversing camera, inbuilt 1 GB hard disk for storing songs on the music system. Features such as rear A/C vents, rear seat armrest with cupholders, 12V charging points for rear passengers; make it a genuine chauffeur driven car – bettering Dzire’s rear seat (glasshouse & legroom), and Amaze’s average interiors. Add to it Hyundai’s quality interiors and the Xcent makes the Amaze, Etios & Verito seem quite ordinary.
The only major omissions are adjustable front seat headrests and a full fledged MID - still can't understand why Hyundai shirks away from providing this feature - is it afraid that its real world fuel efficiency is not as great as its competitors.
Toyota Etios
The Etios is a built-to-price sedan, but the Toyota badge gives it a Halo and quite a few Indians forgo its foibles, such as a cheap looking centre-mounted instrument cluster, rear seat without armrest and the seat itself doesn’t even fold, only one wiper, no MID with average or DTE display – in even the rather pricey “V” variants being compared here. In spite of all these shortcomings it is the most expensive car in the comparison (only the EcoSport & Ertiga diesel is more expensive but then both belong to different segments). But the supposed bullet-proof reliability of Toyota engines and the space on offer, clinches the deal for it and at the same time seals the fate for the Verito which has space as its only trump card.
Fiat Linea Classic
Though arguably the best looker of the lot - Linea is let down in terms of brand value & After Sales Service. It has overall a solid build quality and is in fact heavier than all the cars in the comparison – but this weight does tend to blunt performance and with the 75 BHP MJD, the Linea Classic feels a bit under-powered and is only saved by the low-end drivability which is better than the 90 HP variant. Feature-wise the Linea Classic+ is a mixed bag with a full-fledged MID, rear seat armrest & follow-me-home headlights. On the other hand it loses out on the airbags and driver's seat height adjust.
Tata Manza
With its base variants starting from Rs. 6 lakhs, the Manza is a veritable hatchback cannibalizer and an underdog in this comparison. It is overshadowed by Tata’s A.S.S. and below average build quality – but it is a worthy contender. It doesn’t look like a hatch with a boot, as was the case of the older Indigo, and has a generally pleasing appeal with a big car feel. The VX variant being considered here is fairly well equipped – it has ABS (no airbags though), a Bluetooth enabled music system with steering controls. The only glaring omission one could say is the lack of ACC, although Tata has given it cost-effective electric controls for HVAC which are fairly contemporary to look and refined to operate as compared to manual controls.
Chevrolet Sail
The Sail is a nicely executed sedan, with none of the awkwardness of a sub 4 metre sedan as in the Dzire and as a consequence has a significantly better rear seat space and a decent size boot (370 litres vs Dzires 315 litres). Though the 90s look interiors are left wanting. Nonetheless the Sail is fairly well-loaded with features such as Airbags, ABS and Bluetooth enabled music system and a rear seat armrest with cup-holders. Notable omissions include MID (Distance to empty & average display) and height adjustment for driver’s seat (not present even in the top variant compared here). Also the placement of power window switches on the centre console (rather than on the front door-pads) might not be to everyone’s liking.
Mahindra Verito
The former Renault Logan which started off as Dacia Sandero, is a bit of a compromise – a built to price Romanian sedan (Left Hand Drive) which is not so cheap to buy in India. In fact the literal conversion from a LHD car has ruined it. There is no redeeming feature in the Logan except the space on offer and even in this department the Etios fares equally well and the Manza is not far off. On paper it has the least powerful Petrol & Diesel engines (even when compared to most B+ hatchbacks).
In order to eke out as much profit as possible from this Renault licensed Dacia model, Mahindra has commendably addressed the power window switch location (now on doors) and A/C control knobs issue (now correctly oriented with electronic controls) and the wipers are also as per RHD. All these changes have made the Verito acceptable. But there are still a few anomalies / imperfections like the bonnet release lever on the front passenger side, single light for left and right indictor (you won’t know which side indicator is on), no centre or rear cabin roof lamp for such a big car (only 1 lamp in the front) and limited storage space in terms of cubby holes & door pockets and only 2 cupholders for a full-fledged 5 seater.
Tata Zest
Tata has thrown a strong challenge in a segment it spawned (sub 4 metre sedan) with the Indigo CS, but was for quite some time lagging behind its competitors in the segment. The Zest is a well-round package with affable exteriors, pleasant interiors, decent space (passenger & boot) and a good enough feature set in the top-end XT variant being compared here. But the pricing, even if introductory, has set the cat among the pigeons. With the Zest, Tata Motors has made the biggest improvement in terms of interiors of a vehicle, possibly with inputs from professionals from Jaguar & Land Rover.
Even though the Zest comes with equally powerful (89 BHP) turbo petrol (segment first) & diesel engines, it loses out to the competitors in terms of outright pace and fuel economy due to its higher kerb weight. But what Tata brings to the table is not being offered by anyone else - a diesel with AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) for just Rs 7 lakhs odd, which though is offered only in the mid XMS variant in which one loses out the airbags, Automatic Climate Control and the Harmon-Kardon touchscreen Infotainment system and a few other features.
The top-end XT variant being compared here is fairly well-loaded and also boasts of segment first features such as alloy wheels as standard (across 89 BHP variants). The talk of the town is the 8 speaker infotainment system by Harmon-Kardon. This integrated music system has a 5-inch touchscreen interface with controls even for the air-conditioning and also acts as a display for the rear parking sensors. Strangely the Zest misses out on rear seat armrest and 12V outlet for rear passengers, features available in the Manza & even the Vista (only 12V outlet). Also addition of rear A/C vents would have made it a complete package. Tata's sales and service could probably be the only missing link.
Nissan Sunny
The Sunny is not really in the price range being considered in this comparison, but provides a peek into the next segment and helps in assessing the value for money quotient of the cars being compared in this thread. The Sunny is playing its space card quite well and sales have been decent and the badge re-engineered Scala launched by Renault at an unreasonable premium has made the Sunny seem even more value for money.
Although the Sunny is built-to-price, its size belies its rather light built for a full-size sedan – the petrol variant weighs in at only 1027 kgs versus the lightest sedan in the segment - the Honda City at around 1050 kgs. Though it is to be noted that the Sunny’s XL variant being considered here, comes equipped with Airbags & ABS. The light weight make the Sunny fairly spritely, helped by the fairly powerful 1.5L (97 BHP) petrol & 1.5L (84 BHP & 200 Nm torque) diesel motor. You get a proper chauffeur driven car with acres of legroom, A/C air redirecting fan vents for the rear passengers and an armrest with cup-holders.
Ford EcoSport
The brash boy in town has set the car market on fire, attracting buyers from every segment – be it hatchback, sedan or SUV. Ducking under the crucial 4 metres length and availing excise benefits, the EcoSport is a competitively priced urban SUV, which makes the Duster look over-priced. Though space (leg as well as shoulder room) is at the premium in the rear seats, which makes it a comfortable 4 seater rather than a full-fledged 5 seater, which the Duster can lay claim to.
The butch exterior styling and the futuristic interior design lends it an upmarket feel. The list of features is decent even in the base Trend variant and it seems Ford has left no stone unturned and ensured that the EcoSport has everything that people are looking for in today’s competitive car market. There are even three engine options - a staid 1.5L petrol (with automatic option), a frugal 1.5L diesel and a 3-pot 1 litre turbo petrol that claims to offer the best mix of power and fuel economy (though it is available in only the top-end variant). The only deterrent for buyers in addition to the long waiting period, is the image of Ford cars as relatively expensive to maintain and the petrol variants not being very fuel efficient and having poor resale value.
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
Maruti Suzuki has injected some life in the staid MUV segment. Ertiga is a MUV targeted for in-city commuting mostly and just about makes the cut as a 7-seater. Considering the average Indian’s height/built, seating seven adults should not be very uncomfortable for short distances and if need be the odd same day short excursion (500 km) round-trip should be manageable, plus one saves on hiring a taxi or taking two cars.
The Ertiga is not pretending to be a full-sized MUV, but is a city people carrier or a spacious hatch (with a huge boot) depending on the need of the hour. The Ertiga is a very competent package for the large Indian families which have hitherto shied away from big, bulky & mini-truck like MUVs (Sumo Grande, Xylo, Tavera) and the Innova which is really priced at a premium (though is the leading MUV as an overall package) – though all of them are more spacious than the Ertiga which is a size smaller on the outside as well as inside, but the Ertiga has a fairly large wheelbase to its credit.
Feature-wise the ‘V’ variants are fairly well-loaded with a slight bias towards the diesel variant which has ABS as standard as compared to an optional extra for the petrol variant (Vxi).
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Most of the information has been collated from the manufacturers’ website for their respective cars and their brochures (so it is liable to change anytime at manufacturer’s discretion). Inclusion of some models & exclusion of others are solely on my personal criteria for comparison.
P.S. There are some blanks (“?” in the sheet) which need to be filled – so if owners of those vehicles can pitch-in, it would be great. Please report to me any anomalies in the analysis, as owners of these models would have a better idea and even the manufacturers also sometimes inadvertently don’t give the complete information or the details are mentioned incorrectly in their communication (online / brochure). I have tried to cover all possible features, but if any have been left out owners can point it out, preferably with supporting pictures (and remember they should be of same variant compared here). Please note that we are considering only the latest variants of the respective cars, say 2014 model and not the earlier ones or the ones that are no longer produced (e.g. Pre-facelift Dzire, Etios or Manza)
Last edited by jessie007 : 2nd September 2014 at 17:50.
Reason: Re:FEATURES comparison of select cars in Rs 6-8 lakhs range
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25th April 2012, 18:56
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