[shivaru]

The contest simply narrows down to two cars - Baleno and i20. The i20 looks great, decent build quality, great Diesel motor. The Baleno is much more spacious, better features across all variants, a good petrol motor. If you are looking for a petrol car then it is definitely Baleno.

[Vitalstatistiks]

Saw a Baleno on the road yesterday. My word, it is B I G !!

It definitely stands out due it it's size. It may be sub-4 meter in length, but Maruti has taken liberty (as it rightly should have) in the width.

But no, having seen Elite i20 up close, it's interiors are from another segment. Very, very cool. Hence, voted for it.

[Smart_Fellaz]

It is a shoot out between Baleno and Elite I20 and My vote goes for Baleno.

I don't think these cars can be pitted against B-Segment hatchbacks simply because I believe these cars are a segment higher than the rest of the competition along with Honda Jazz.

Within the B-Segment hatches, I believe Ford Figo is the winner.

[adutta2k]

My head says Baleno but my heart is with Elite I20.

When the Baleno was launched I was simply taken aback by the looks (yes, I know some people don't like the front, but I find it quite stunning with the DRLs). I went to the NEXA showroom in Bangalore and although I couldn't find anything premium there compared to the regular Maruti showrooms but the car impressed me. A hatchback with space comparable to a sedan. Didn't get much time behind the wheels though. Barely got 5 mins to test drive as there were more people waiting to get hold of the car. I personally had to wait for over 1 hour to get a 5 min test drive.

I had my concerns around the light weight of the car and its handling. Although all reviews on the internet claimed pretty decent handling but still I was wondering how a car almost the same weight as my Alto could be stable at speeds above 100km per hour. The Elite I20 on the other hand really impressed me. The interiors are simply a class apart. They have borrowed heavily from BMW it seems. What I felt lacking was a little more power for the petrol. The diesel is adequate but it comes at a premium of 1.3 lacs making it around 10 lacs OTR Bangalore. Mileage for the petrol is also on the lower side (maybe due to higher kerb weight)

[ravi_shekhar]

Voted for Jazz as i am experiencing it .
Absolutely smooth performance, one has to drive it to feel it. Precise steering and ample of space feels like a big car, very comfortable seats.

--Ravi--

[MercFan]

Baleno, Jazz, Polo GT and I20 are from the same segment. Aren't others from a different segment?

[MonsterTorque]

I voted for the Maruti Suzuki Swift. Though the car is quite old now, it is a fun-to-drive car. Being a petrolhead, none of the other cars have petrol engines that can take on Suzuki's K series. The Baleno was another option, but I am yet to drive it. Also strengthening the Swift's case is the recent announcement by Maruti Suzuki that all variants of the Swift now get optional ABS and Airbags.

[itzvicky201]

Voted for Jazz. To me, space mattered most. With an almost flat reclined driving position, this was the only car which gives that ample amount of space in the rear. Front seats are awesome (read VX), butter smooth engine. Big dashboard and front seat width and makes one feel of being seated in a big car.

Elite i20 is a close second. Not a great steering to hold and drive, a fuel guzzler and a little claustrophobic rear.

Baleno comes third. It appears as a facelifted SWIFT with VFM features. The drive was not inspiring and lacked premiumness.

Though Polo has the best build, but seriously lacks in rear seating, that big hump in the middle makes 5th person very unwelcome. Never driven a Punto, so can't really comment on it.

Finally, its the Jazz for me. For, I own one and second, its nice to maintain exclusivity in a heated market.

[Night Raven]

Voted for others (Fiat Punto Evo). As a proud and happy owner of a 11 month old, 14000 km Punto Evo MJD emotion, it pains me to see it is not even in the list. For me Punto is still worth considering as an alternative to any of those mentioned in the list. It has striking looks, better looking alloys than all the above with good sized tyres, solid bulid, decent looking interiors and the basic safety kit. It is still one of the best when it comes to ride, handling and braking. AFAIK, no other car in the segment has the kind of solid metal engine guard that Punto has, where as Baleno doesn't even have one. It has the best steering in any hatchback in this price bracket. Nothing else even comes close to the precision and feedback. It has a time tested and reliable engine which has enough power for all my daily driving. That's all I want to enjoy my drive. I can live without the LCDs and touchscreens and the auto folding/moving/lighting/dimming things.
Ps: This is my first post in this family, forgive me if I said anything wrong :-)

[jvk84]

I voted for Others.

I see no compelling reason to upgrade my Ritz. If I were to buy a new car today, most probably it would still be the Ritz. Considering how good they were selling last month, i am sure many share my opinion.

[Thebat]

Definitely the VW Polo for me. Was in the market for a diesel hatchback last month and after back to back test drives of all the cars mentioned and narrowing it down to the baleno and polo I picked up the Polo, here's why.
1)It is the most solidly built in the segment , baleno on display in nexa palace road already had minute dents in it from all the people checking out the light build. The RM in VW palace cross hit the car hard and showed how tough the body was , when asked if I could checked the same In Nexa the RM gave a shy smile and told saaarrr maruti is like that only.

2) The engine on the polo is a hoot to drive , I loved how the torque was spread and the leather wrapped short throw gearbox was a joy to use. The baleno although peppy felt a little discomforting to me. Maybe it's only phycological but it didn't coccon me in the drivers seat the way the polo did.

3)The interiors on the Polo are definitely a notch above the Baleno. The part sharing with the swift and other cars from a lower segment didn't impress me , whereas the polo shares some parts like the steering wheel and the gear knob with the jetta which both are a job to hold and use. I must say the steering wheel is a big priority for me as it is the point of contact most used and seen on a car and lovely leather wrapped multifunction flat bottom steering wheel on the Polo amazed me to no end.

4)The exteriors was a little confusing , I like the way both the cars looked, polo with its understated german design and the baleno with its Japanese curve's. Buttt!! Took my mom and dad to see the car and my mom (Very finicky about design and the way things look) asked why this swift looks so ugly and my dad (an artistic part time painter with an eye for detail) felt it looks like a blob of mettle (Pun intended) with no sense of cohershion.

The baleno was out for good this time.

No matter how much I tried to justify the Baleno being a Maruti (OK "Suzuki") with the low running coats and the cheaper maintance and better resale (Still recovering from selling a Chevy recently) and all that , that comes with owing the most popular brand in the country, I just couldn't settle for less. My heart wanted the polo and that was it , nothing else would do and finally got home a Polo TDI high line exquisite edition and it is the best decision of my life.

Some random points - The delearship experience was pathetic at Nexa where I was looked like a good for nothing hipster who was passing time in the showroom and wasn't even offered a broucher or a price list. Was told that I could find them online! . The experience at VW Palace Cross was completely different , I was treated like a king and was given multiple test drives. I for one am starting to believe MS is loosing the way they made my family feel when we got our first 800.

Thanks for reading guys

[StepUP!]

It's Figo TDCi for me!

Car is to power, dynamics, drive, suspension! Figo TDCi beats the competition hands down. It looks cool, is spacious, brings in 6 airbags - a segment first, comes with all required features, A.S.S. is frugal. What else one wants in a car?

[DRIV3R]

Voted for others, my choice would be the Punto. (Like many other enthusiasts)

Since the topic is Baleno vs Other 'premium' hatches, let me elaborate.

VFM - A Punto Evo 90HP MJD can be had for 7.7 L OTR Chennai. After discounts of course, a friend of mine booked one for the same amount recently.

Whereas, the Baleno 75HP MJD Alpha costs around 9.7 L OTR. That is a cool 2 lakhs more, and what do I get for that?

• A fresh design
• Projector Headlamps
• Rear reversing camera
• Touchscreen HU with Apple CarPlay
• 16 inch wheels
• A better Gearbox
• A better service network (As perceived by Non Fiat owners, not me )
• Better ergonomics
• Engine Start/Stop Button
• Fancy Torque/Power curves on MID, etc.

What do I lose?

• Amazing driving dynamics
• Lovely HPS steering with precise feedback and feel
• Great ride quality
• A robust solid build
• 15 BHP of additional power which is evident during highway runs even with the 'crappy rubbery' gearbox
• A better rear bench

To me, that is what matters, and I speak from 87k kms of driving a Punto 90, and 25k kms of driving a Punto 75. I can live without a touchscreen HU, CarPlay and Projectors, I just need to communicate with the car whenever I hold that steering wheel. Well, to each his own.

And yeah, when cars like the Liva, Tata Bolt can make it to this list, wonder why the Punto can't, well this was kind of expected.

The Figo 1.5 TDCi would be the next choice, for it's amazing power, good ergonomics, amazing fuel economy. But the build, steering and handling is a big letdown when compared to the previous iteration of Figo/Fiesta Classic. Should also appreciate the 6 airbags on offer.

[GTO]

A lot of members are asking why some hatchbacks are not included? The reason is simple and precisely why we have the 'others' option in the poll.

We've short-listed cars based on sales & popularity in the marketplace - thus including only the relevant ones. That's precisely why cars like the Punto, Sail, Pulse, Verito Vibe etc. have been excluded. If a segment has over 7-8 competitors, sales performance is the basis on which competitors are chosen in our Official Reviews too.

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

And yeah, when cars like the Liva, Tata Bolt can make it to this list, wonder why the Punto can't, well this was kind of expected.

For one, the Bolt was launched this year! Then, take a look at the sales of the last 3 months. It has sold nearly twice that of the Punto. Liva? Check its sales numbers again.

No more off-topic posts. If anyone has any concerns, they can use the 'contact us' form.

[SPARKled]

The Jazz it is for me. The new Figo was close, but seeing that it no longer sticks to the old Ford DNA of sheer driving pleasure, it had to go down. I just don't like Hyundai's especially to drive so this had to go down. VW and Tata's seem just to problematic to own. Baleno looks odd to me from all angles and the rest are way to old now.