Maruti Swift
What you'll like:
• The same successful formula (
including good looks)...now improved
• Stylish black cabin, with better rear seat space & boot capacity than the outgoing car
•
Sweet petrol & an efficient diesel. AMT available with both engines for just 47k extra
• Fun to drive, especially the slick Petrol MT. Enjoyable handling & on-road behaviour
• Impressively equipped (
Auto LED headlamps + DRLs, reversing camera, Apple & Android touchscreen ICE…)
• Dual airbags, ABS & ISOFIX child seat mounts are standard across the range
• Maruti's widespread service network, excellent after-sales support & fuss-free ownership experiences
What you won't:
• The more spacious & comfortable Baleno is priced not too far away. Likewise with the i20
• Old 1.3L DDiS motor is nowhere as competent as the i20, Figo & Polo diesels
• Mediocre plastic quality (interiors) is typical Maruti grade; very ordinary
• Diesel AT is
too jerky. AMT, although improved, can’t match conventional ATs on smoothness & speed
• 163 mm of ground clearance & small 37-liter fuel tank raise our eyebrows
• Some misses (
auto-dimming IRVM, skinny 165 mm tyres on L & V variants, rear air-con, smaller spare tyre on the Z trims...)
• Waiting periods have already begun
Link to Official Review Hyundai Grand i10
What you'll like:
• All-rounded package in a contemporary design. Improved over the old i10 in nearly every way
• Interiors have
best-in-class fit, finish & quality. Increased cabin space & boot capacity
• Fuel-efficient, practical diesel & peppy petrol. Smooth gearbox too
• Loaded with features (
keyless start & go, electric folding ORVMs, rear air-con, cooled glovebox etc.)
• Comfortable ride quality and predictable handling. No bumpiness
• Hyundai's fussfree ownership experience & excellent after-sales service
• Priced lower than chief competitor, the Maruti Swift
What you won't:
• Missing adjustable front neck restraints and dead pedal
• The Swift and Brio are more fun to drive. Grand i10's steering & dynamics aren't to an enthusiast's tastes
• More suited as a 4 seater, rather than 5
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
• 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 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 suffers from rubber-band effect on the highway
• Priced at par with the more substantial & premium Elite i20
• Sold exclusively through Nexa outlets. Limits the reach of the car
Link to Official Review Maruti Ignis
What you'll like:
• Unique, funky design - exterior & interior stand out in a crowd. Customisation options available
• Smart packaging! Good legroom & headroom in such a small car. Useable 260-liter boot too
• Peppy petrol & efficient diesel. What’s more, the AMT automatic is available with both engines
• Dual airbags, ABS with EBD and ISOFIX child seat anchors are standard across all variants
• Maruti's widespread service network, excellent after-sales support & fuss-free ownership experiences
• Features such as LED projector headlamps + DRLs, reversing camera, Apple & Android ICE, navigation, electrically-foldable ORVMs etc.
What you won't:
• Simply overpriced, not a VFM Maruti. Top trim is especially pricey
• You can buy more accomplished cars for the same (Grand i10) or a little more (Baleno) money
• Weird rear end styling. Overall, the unconventional looks will polarize opinions
• AMT, although improved, still can’t match conventional ATs on smoothness or speed
• Narrow cabin width. Rear seat is better for 2 adults than 3
• 32-liter fuel tank is too small for this segment. Even the humble Alto gets a larger tank
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
• 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 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 1.0L 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 Ford Figo
What you'll like:
• Aston Martin-esque face looks very stylish!
•
Value for money positioning.
• 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