Renault Kwid What you'll like:
• Distinctive styling! Looks swell for an A-segment hatchback
•
Value-for-money pricing. A lot of car for the money
• Well-packaged cabin with good space, comfy seats & lots of storage
• Huge 300 liter boot. 2nd biggest among all hatchbacks!
• 799 cc petrol has sufficient pep for the city. ARAI fuel efficiency rating is the highest for any petrol car
• Suspension offers a comfortable ride with neutral handling. 180 mm of ground clearance too
• Equipment in a budget car (driver's airbag, digital meter cluster, touchscreen ICE, navigation, full MID & more)
What you won't:
• 3-cylinder engine causes vibrations (especially when idling) & sounds unpleasant (as the revvs climb)
• Some essential features missing (internally adjustable ORVMs, retractable rear seatbelts etc.)
• Mediocre expressway competence. Best driven <100 km/h
• Renault's dealer & after-sales network is far weaker than that of Maruti or Hyundai
• 28 liter fuel tank is the smallest in the segment and its 5 meter turning radius the biggest
• No 1.0L engine variant like the Alto K10 & Eon 1.0
Link to Official Review Maruti Alto 800
What you’ll like:
• A much improved Alto at the same price point
• F8D engine has excellent driveability & fuel economy. Neat gearshift too
• Comfortable ride quality. Soft suspension is absorbent
• Convenient city car: Light, agile & easy to drive
• Effective air-conditioner
• Driver-side airbag & factory fitted CNG kit available
• Maruti's excellent after-sales service & fuss free ownership experience
What you won’t:
• Cramped rear bench. Also, the seatback is very short
• Thin, budget seats offer basic levels of support
• Poor outright performance. Mediocre expressway handling. Best driven <100 kph
• Puny 145 mm tyres. An upgrade is highly recommended
• Lacks the design appeal of the Hyundai Eon
• Fared poorly in recent crash tests
Link to Official Review Hyundai Eon
What you’ll like:
• Great looking, modern design for 3 lakhs. Makes other budget cars look outdated
•
Best-in-class interior quality, fit & finish. Excellent air-conditioner too
• Many segment first features (tilt steering, gear indicator etc.)
• Frugal 3-cylinder petrol engine delivers high fuel efficiency
• Big 215 liter boot has a practical layout
• Hyundai's excellent after-sales service
What you won’t:
• Overall NVH is unimpressive
• Pricing is too close to other 4-cylinder hatchbacks (including the i10). Top variants overpriced @ Rs. 4 lakh+
• 0.8L engine doesn't really impress in any particular area
• Steering is too light & sensitive at highway speeds
• Hyundai's service costs are usually higher than that of the competition
Link to Official Review Datsun Go
What you'll like:
• Clean, inoffensive styling that will please all & offend none
• The Go is a size bigger than its direct competitors. Evident on the inside & outside
• 1.2L engine results in the segment best torque-to-weight ratio
• Urban ride quality is superior to most other entry level hatchbacks
• Light driving controls & small turning radius make it well suited as a city car
• Large 265 liter boot is very accommodating
• Features such as
follow me home headlamps, full MID & speed-sensitive wipers
What you won't:
• Cost cutting is obvious, especially with the interiors
• Too noisy. Overall NVH levels are rather poor
• Datsun is an unknown brand & Nissan's after-sales service is substandard
• Fared poorly in recent crash tests
• Awful 155 mm
Strada brand tyres
• The Micra Active is close, especially from an EMI perspective
• Missing essentials (
glovebox lid, retractable rear seatbelts, ORVM adjustment stalk, day/night IRVM, proper head-unit)
Link to Official Review Tata Nano GenX What you'll like:
• Cute & cool styling. A car that will make you smile
• AMT, light power steering & small footprint make it effortless to drive in the city
• Innovative packaging results in spacious interiors for 4 adults. Generous legroom & headroom
• Openable tail-gate & bigger fuel tank make the Nano more practical to live with
• Powerful air-conditioner will chill you to the bone
• Features such as the Bluetooth-stereo, full MID, Zest steering wheel, twin gloveboxes etc.
• 4 year warranty is standard (
limited to 60,000 kms)
What you won't:
• Struggles on steep inclines. Unsuitable for highway runs
• Drum brakes at the front (no discs)
• Basic, bumpy ride quality
• Low cost nature & quality.
Cheap car image is a deterrent for many
• Tiny 94-110 liter boot
• Niggles & issues as reported by existing Nano owners
• Tata's sub-par after sales service isn't a match to Maruti's
Link to Official Review Maruti Alto K10 What you'll like:
• A much improved Alto K10 at the same price point
• Power-to-weight ratio of 91 BHP/ton makes this one peppy li'l hatchback
• More fuel-efficient than before. AMT variant is also an easy sipper @ 24.07 km/l
• Compliant low speed ride quality. Soft suspension is absorbent
• Convenient city car: Light, agile & easy to drive (
especially the AMT variant)
• Driver-side airbag & factory fitted CNG kit available
• Maruti's excellent after-sales service & fuss free ownership experience
What you won't:
• Cramped rear bench. Also, the seatback is very short
• Sensitive steering & nervous handling at speed. Best driven <100 kph
• VXI (O) trim & airbag unavailable with the AMT. No ABS on any variant
• Questionable structural strength. The car which it's based on (
Alto 800) fared poorly in crash tests
• Skinny 155 mm tyres beg for an upgrade
• Flimsy build & economy grade quality. Poor NVH levels as well
• More accomplished WagonR & Celerio are priced not too far away
Link to Official Review