[Deep Blue]

Time for Ford to launch the Fiesta hatch?. Excellent dynamics with some premium feel.

[VRPAI]

Originally Posted by d3mon

Anyone who's driven the Figo diesel and cares even the slightest bit about performance will never even look at a Baleno or an i20. I drive a Ford Figo Aspire and recently test drove an i20 (D). The performance difference, especially at low RPMs before the turbo spooled up, was so stark that I was left wondering if there was anything wrong with the demo car. I didn't feel the interiors to be much (any?) more premium than the Figo.

The Figo's engine is truly a gem. There is no turbo lag at all and the car jus behaves like a petrol car albeit with a lot of torque.The i20 diesel does have a bit of lag but that's about it. The figo to me lacked the finesse of the i20. The doors felt light and the car did not have the sturdy feel that was expected from a ford. The only place i guess the Ford lacks is that, it does not feel as much premium and as well put together as than Hyundai. The i20 felt a lot more desirable to me than the figo although it is a brilliant car. The Ford ASS in my city is pretty good these days as well.As a whole package is where I think some people opt for the Elite.

The punto still feels like a dream to drive like someone suggested. It's build is great,the awesome steering ,everything. They even give you great discounts .But the problem with the punto I guess is that, it feels too old. The other makers have upped the ante where as fiat has Fiat hasn't. Its still the best driving car of the lot though.

Just my two cents

[Vinodh_Gowda]

Got into the thread, read the intention behind the thread, searched for the Option "Punto", on not finding the desired option clicked on the 'Other' radio button with no confusion whatsoever.

By my above words it's apparent that my choice would still be FIAT's Punto, Punto EVO to be precise.

My choice doesn't actually mean that the others are bad or that the Punto is exceptionally good. It means that my requirements are met by the Punto and only the Punto - Hydraulic steering and segment best brakes. I am a software engineer by profession but strongly feel too techy and geeky the car gets, too boring it is to drive. Some things should be left the old school way and steering mechanism is one of them.

[Dr.Naren]

I voted for Baleno.
Baleno is the most practical and VFM hatch. Baleno Zeta gets all features of swift top model plus few extra equipment and costs only 25k more. Baleno is cheaper variant to variant with safety features compared to Jazz and Elite i20. My only concern is light kerb weight and waiting for crash test results.

[maninr]

My vote did not feature in the list

Im looking buy a hatch in the next 3 months and have started test driving a few of them.
Last week I test drove the new Figo and it seemed like a breeze to drive it in Bangalore traffic.
Pros:
-Easy to drive
-Great diesel engine which is definitely more powerful than the old Figo
-Nice front looks
- Lots of storage
Cons:
-Felt extremely light (might be a good thing for a lot of people)
-There was no connect with the steering
-Rear passenger seats were too stiff and upright. Aspire felt much more comfortable.

I then went to the Fiat Caffe in Domlur to test drive the Punto Evo- 90hp diesel.

Boy o boy, what a difference. The lower gears were pretty sluggish to be honest, where you had a feeling that the engine might start knocking or even stall. But a slight press on the pedal for the RPM to cross 2000 you get the real deal. I guess the steering too plays a major role in the handling and feel of the car. You have this instant connect with the Punto Evo which was clearly lacking in the Figo. As a bonus the missus too loved the fiat

Pros:
- Awesome handling and braking
- Loved the 60:40 split seats
- Great bucket seats for the driver

Cons:
-Sluggish at low RPMs
- Almost nil storage inside the cabin
-No reverse sensors
-Looks like a 4 seater rather than a 5 seater

Anyways I'm not going to test drive anymore hatches. Its the Punto Evo for me! Will have to try the 75HP and see whether the diff with 90HP is conspicuous or not.
Would love to have opinions from owners!

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by maninr

Anyways I'm not going to test drive anymore hatches. Its the Punto Evo for me! Will have to try the 75HP and see whether the diff with 90HP is conspicuous or not.
Would love to have opinions from owners!

OT Alert.

The 90 Hp certainly shines on the highway and it is more refined than the 75 hp version. 75 HP version will be a lot more easier to deal with the turbo lag in the city driving conditions.

[maninr]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

OT Alert.

The 90 Hp certainly shines on the highway and it is more refined than the 75 hp version. 75 HP version will be a lot more easier to deal with the turbo lag in the city driving conditions.

Yeah I thought so. Im planning to drive both 75 HP and 90 HP again on a Saturday evening when traffic is quite heavy around Sony world junction in Koramangala. To be honest Im more inclined towards the more powerful sibling

[VRPAI]

Originally Posted by maninr

Yeah I thought so. Im planning to drive both 75 HP and 90 HP again on a Saturday evening when traffic is quite heavy around Sony world junction in Koramangala. To be honest Im more inclined towards the more powerful sibling

Congratulations!.The Punto is a wonderful car which will always plaster that smile on your face while driving. The ride,the handling,the build quality ,that brilliant steering is always going to keep you a happy man on the highway. Wishing you thousands of kilometers of happy Motoring.This is a car build for the highway and every time you take it on d highway your gonna love it .
Congrats again

[allien936]

It will be Ford Figo (diesel) for me. Because it's an all around package i feel. Packed with power, features fit n' finish etc.

[H_Dogg72]

Folks, What're your thoughts on the base spec Baleno vs the zxi(o) amt celerio?
Please chime in, I'm quite smitten by the Baleno. It is going to be a city beater car, with occasional Delhi-Gurgaon trips.

Somehow the lack of features isn't that bothersome because it is a replacement for the wagonr.

It is mostly going to be driven by my mom, and at that point in time the AMT does get brownie points, but moving 2 segments (Celerio->Swift->Baleno) is quite enticing.

The driver is also going to have his fair share of driving it, so yep, torture.
I'm quite set on the baleno, but would still love to hear your thoughts. I did not list the i20 as it doesnt have ABS in the base spec and the Jazz with ABS/2Airbags is much more expensive.

[TheARUN]

Originally Posted by H_Dogg72

Folks, I'm quite set on the baleno, but would still love to hear your thoughts.

Moving from the Wagon R to the Baleno would be a leap-frog over the Swift. I think it is a swell move. Like the Head of Suzuki once said, its better to stay in the cheapest room of the costliest hotel than in the costliest room of the cheapest hotel

[H_Dogg72]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

Moving from the Wagon R to the Baleno would be a leap-frog over the Swift. I think it is a swell move. Like the Head of Suzuki once said, its better to stay in the cheapest room of the costliest hotel than in the costliest room of the cheapest hotel

Does seem to be the logical move, only other contender is the Bolt XT if the discounts are there, then it seems like a better bet.

[yousivakutti]

Hi All, Happy New year 2016!
We have a Alto VXi K10 2011 Model used by wife & done 21K KMs so far! Touch wood accident free. As the car run single handed engine set well. Sony Music system, Rear Parking Sensor, Central Lock & Under body coatings done to this car. However, we are in plan of upgrading the same with Jazz VMT or Baleno or i20. One of the dealer offered 2.0L for Alto K10.
We are in talks with Honda for VMT and there is a Nov 2015 Model car readily available. We had asked for 25K discount as the car is Nov 2015 model and freebie accessories like Floor Matt, Mutt Flaps, Seat Cover, Under-body coating and car cover. After 2 rounds of discussions, dealer came up 2.15L for Alto K10 and most of the accessories (not agreed for UB Coating yet).
Wife looked at the Jazz and its pretty spacious and large boot with Honda badge. Hence in the verge of closing the deal. In this regard, I would like to seek experts advice as the car is 2015 model; but it will be registered in 2016, what would be the depreciation when i sell after 6~7 yrs? Is there any thingelse I can negotiate with the dealer? I asked him for 2016 model with same offer, he has not agreed! I still have plans to visit NEXA to visit Baleno. Tnx

[motorhead16]

The only two hatches I would consider would be the Punto and the Polo, out of which the Polo is the clear winner for the quality and finish. I would love to own the Punto but I am a bit apprehensive mainly because of the service horror stories that I have read on team bhp in the past, and also a lot of ownership reviews that mention long term reliability issues. Although VW service isn't top notch I am really not looking for something like Maruti either. Hyundai just isn't for me. Its boring and lazy and overall feels like a simulator more than an actual car on the road.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Easy to eliminate few contenders from this poll to narrow down my choices-

Maruti Baleno - Lighter than Swift, feels like a toy. No thanks.
Honda Jazz- Average car for premium money. No thanks. Practicality? I'd rather buy the Ertiga.
Toyota Liva- No way.
TATA Bolt- Too old. Also if particular about TATA, Zest offers a much better deal.
Maruti Swift- Still a worthy contender. But after seeing the crash test report, have to skip it.

Guess that leaves me with Figo, i20 and Polo.

Hyundai i20- Excellent car, no doubt. But I'm not that old to buy such a boring to drive car. Would buy an automatic version for parents if it was offered in that trim.

Figo- Downgrade for me terms of driving dynamics. Average suspension and steering. But excellent diesel engine. Build quality is a disappointment and I don't think better half will agree to it after being used to the Punto.

Polo GT- Excellent dynamics, average steering feel, excellent build quality and above average engine. Old 1.6 TDi would have been my top pick for the segment, but I feel the new 1.5 GT is not a big upgrade from my Punto. So I'm not interested in this either.

I'm out of choices and I can't pick another Punto again because nothing much has changed in the last three years since I've owned the car. No 1.6 diesel which would have otherwise made it my top pick again.

Talking of the 1.6 diesel- that's exactly what I'm going to vote for. Suzuki S-Cross 1.6 DDiS. Good build, good space, average looks, excellent engine, above average dynamics, good brand support. Excellent all-rounder and a good upgrade from Punto. Ok, I know it's positioned as a crossover. But without the AWD- the Indian version is a big hatchback in my books. Pricey? They have insane discounts running too. So the Suzuki S-Cross 1.6 DDiS gets my vote for the big hatchback that I would like to buy.