Maruti Baleno
What you'll like:
A well-priced, smart looking hatchback
User-friendly cabin with loads of space! Can easily seat 5 tall adults
Accommodating 339 liter boot. The 2nd biggest among hatchbacks (after the Jazz)
Peppy petrol, efficient diesel & smooth automatic - take your pick
Comfortable ride quality matched to neutral handling
Dual Airbags & ABS with EBD are standard across all variants!
Maruti's excellent after-sales service & fuss-free ownership experience
Loaded with features such as UV-cut glass, projector headlamps + DRLs, reversing camera, Apple CarPlay, navigation, electrically-foldable ORVMs and more
What you won't:
Ordinary interior quality is Swift-like. Several budget grade parts in here
Rear seat headroom & under-thigh support are limited for tall passengers
Light build quality (weighs merely 865 kilos). Lacks the solidity of its rivals
CVT variant only in Delta trim (one above base). Suffers from rubber-band effect on the highway too
More substantial & premium Elite i20 is priced only Rs. 17,000 - 37,000 above
Waiting period running over 4 months for some variants / cities
Sold exclusively through Nexa outlets. Limits the reach of the car
Link to Official Review Elite i20
What you'll like:
All-rounded package in a sharp design. Improved over the 1st-gen i20 in nearly every way
Spacious interiors with outstanding quality, fit and finish. Practical 285 liter boot too
1.4L diesel has excellent driveability, refinement, performance & fuel economy. 6-speed gearbox is smooth
Mature suspension offers a comfortable ride and neutral handling characteristics
Hyundai's fuss-free ownership experience & excellent after-sales-service
Loaded with features & gizmos (16" rims, keyless entry & go, 8-speaker stereo, rake & reach steering, rear air-con, reversing cam, cooled glovebox and lots more)
What you won't:
Missing equipment vis-a-vis old i20: Rear disc brakes, side & curtain airbags, sunroof, auto-wipers & DRLs
1.2L petrol is nowhere as impressive as the diesel. Mediocre highway performance for a premium hatchback
Anyone over 5'11" will find rear headroom to be insufficient. Sloping roof eats into cabin height at the back
Dynamics & steering aren't to an enthusiast's tastes. Swift, Polo etc. are more fun to drive
On-road price difference between the petrol & diesel is ~1.3 lakhs. That's higher than the competition
Rear wiper only on the top Asta trim! No fuel-efficiency indicator, auto-locking doors or height-adjustable seatbelts on any variant
Link to Official Review Honda Jazz
What you'll like:
Versatile package wearing sharp clothes. One car for several roles
Spacious, user-friendly cabin. Easily the roomiest hatchback in India
Big 354 liter boot is the segment best.
Magic seats bring tons of flexibility
Practical & efficient diesel, refined & revv-happy petrol and a convenient CVT. Take your pick
Comfortable ride quality. Much improved over the older Jazz
Light controls and easy maneuverability. Effortless to drive in the city
Features such as feather-touch climate control, reversing camera, touchscreen ICE, paddle shifters (CVT) & more
What you won't:
Loud diesel engine is nowhere as refined as the Elite i20's. Doesn't like high rpms either
1.2L petrol has a weak bottom end. Feels lethargic <2,500 rpm
On-road premium for diesel is Rs. 1.3 - 1.5 lakhs! That's higher than the competition
Magic seats only on the top variant (
earlier Jazz had them on all trim levels)
CVT unavailable with the VX trim! No fully loaded Automatic
Skinny 175 mm tyres. All competitors offer thicker rubber (Elite i20 = 195 mm)
Missing goodies (steering reach adjustment, keyless entry & go, rear air-con vents, driver armrest & proper dead pedal)
Link to Official Review Ford Figo
What you'll like:
Aston Martin-esque face looks very stylish!
Value for money positioning. Priced lower than the Swift
Powerful & efficient 1.5L diesel engine. Good driveability too
Compliant ride quality. Suspension is tuned for comfort
Airbags across the range. Titanium+ variant gets 6 airbags!
Well-packaged cabin offers good legroom, lots of features and a chilling air-con
Dual-clutch Automatic with a bigger 1.5L petrol, ESP, traction control & hill start assist
What you won't:
Commuter 1.2L petrol is unimpressive. A mediocre engine
Ordinary handling and lighter build quality are a departure from the usual Ford characteristics
Cabin width makes the Figo suited to 4 adults, not 5
14" rims look too puny. Tyres could be wider, especially for the fast diesel
Rear headroom is limited. Headliner brushes the heads of taller passengers
Automatic unavailable in the fully-loaded trim
At highway speeds, downshifts aren't as immediate as you'd expect from a dual-clutch automatic
Link to Official Review Volkswagen Polo
What you'll like:
A well-built solid European hatchback
1.5L diesel & 1.2L TSI petrol engines are very competent
Clean and contemporary styling. Absolutely no quirkiness
Mature suspension offers a balanced ride & handling package
Dual airbags even in the base variants!
Accommodating 280 liter boot
What you won't:
Base 3-cylinder 1.2L petrol engine is unimpressive
Mediocre rear bench legroom and a large floor hump
Missing essentials (driver armrest of the Vento, 60:40 splitting rear seat, seatback pockets)
VW's sub-par dealership & service experiences
Link to Official Review Tata Bolt
What you'll like:
Build quality, fit and finish are on par with competitors. Tata has made significant improvements here
Spacious well-designed interiors. A rare hatchback that can seat 5 adults without a fuss
Competent 1.2L turbo-petrol & 1.3L diesel. Both offer good driveability
Balanced suspension offers safe & neutral handling. Nice EPS too
Light controls & agreeable ergonomics. Drives like no Tata hatchback has before
Superb 8-speaker Harman Kardon entertainment system with navigation & video playback
Features: 3-driving modes (Eco, Sport, City), projector headlamps, 5" touchscreen, voice commands etc.
What you won't:
Neither engine offers strong outright performance. Both are commuter motors, nothing else
Impractical 210 liter boot is among the smallest from this segment
Pricing of some variants is too close to the Zest (Bolt XT vs Zest XT diesel = merely 31k)
Ride quality is firmer than the Zest. Noise insulation not as tight as its sibling either
AMT (automatic gearbox) & higher-tune 89 BHP diesel not on offer.
Might follow later
Poor in-cabin storage & missing niceties (Zest's DRLs & parking sensors, dead pedal, height adjustable seatbelts)
Concerns over long-term reliability. Also, Tata's sub-par after-sales service is far from that of Maruti & Hyundai
Link to Official Review Toyota Liva
What you'll like:
A neutral family hatchback with the "T" badge
Spacious interiors can easily carry 5 adults
Super light controls, especially steering & short-throw clutch. Effortless to drive within the city
Well-tuned suspension. Safe handling and flat ride
Airbags, ABS & EBD available across the range
Toyotas fuss-free ownership experience & excellent after-sales
What you won't:
1.2L petrol lacks bottom end. Diesel has merely 67 BHP on tap
Cost-cutting glaringly obvious in many areas
Economy-grade interior quality & unconventional dashboard
Missing equipment (climate control, height adjustable driver's seat etc.)
Poor insulation. Engine, suspension & road noise are prominent
Link to Official Review Maruti Swift
What you'll like:
Snazzy styling packs appeal. Interiors are well-designed too
Competent engine range. Very refined motors
Balanced ride and handling. Superbly tuned suspension
Terrific fuel efficiency, especially from the diesel
Effortless to drive in the city; lots of fun on the highway
Marutis excellent after-sales service & wide dealer network
What you won't:
Small, impractical boot. Luggage capacity is severely restricted
Mediocre brakes (
lower non-ABS variants). Inadequate for emergency braking conditions
Looks nearly identical to the outgoing generation car
Rear seat space, though improved, still isn't "spacious"
Pricey ZXi / ZDi variants
Link to Official Review
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