[PrasannaDhana]

Let me be honest here. I voted for Hyundai i20(of course consider the new gen that is going to be launched soon).

Before I go into the reasons why I would choose i20, I am amazed at how polls pick the "enthusiast" cars but in reality, we opt the safer(A.S.S terms) and more practical options. If it was just for the sake of poll, I would choose the polo 1.0 tsi for pure fun or the Altroz for the smashing looks and safety.

Why Hyundai i20 :

1. Most refined diesel mill - the 1.4 had great driveability and fuel efficiency
2. Best interior quality in the segment
3. Tried and tested
4. Spacious practical car
5. Has all features that we need and more
6. Looks amazing - exterior design, fit & finish are impressive
7. Hyundai A.S.S is fuss free unlike TaTa or VW
8. Resale will be great.

Figo diesel is an amazing car too. But it feels very ordinary (bland interiors, no armrest etc) inside to be a primary car. It is an amazing choice for a secondary car though.

Altroz is a nice car but that 1.2 petrol is just adequate for the tiago, not on a B+ segment hatchback. There is no sign of BS6 diesel on the altroz yet. Even if the 90PS BS6 engine is fun to drive, the 2 lakh OTR premium over the petrol is too much.

Swift petrol is another value for money buy, so are Ignis and Baleno. Ignis is small. Baleno will be my 2nd choice after i20. It doesn't get a diesel engine and it isn't built well, these are the reasons why i20 tops my list. If I am looking at petrols my choices won't go beyond Maruti

[CountMe91]

If I purchase a diesel, I would go for the sweet 1.4 CRDi in Elite i20. Figo has an excellent engine but is a bit small for me and also the resale value is not at par with Elite i20. The interiors in i20 are very premium as compared to Figo.

If I purchase a petrol, I would go for the 1.2K Series Maruti Swift. Maruti has terrific reliability, after sales & is good to drive as well. Also they command a good resale value in the used car market. I have driven the Polo 1.0 for 400 odd kms in Spain back in 2018 albeit in the new avatar (the newer Polo), its economical to drive and has good handling but I would give it a miss owing to VW's after sales service and resale value here in India.

[Sebzgeo89]

I find it interesting that most of these polls are heavily biased towards brands like VW, Ford, TATA, skoda etc. I understand the reasoning behind it and we are all enthusiasts. What I would really like to know is whether people who voted for say, a ford Figo or Tata altroz would actually spend their money to buy one of these cars if they are in the market for one.

I drive a Ford and although theoretically I would love to own a Figo, or a polo or an altroz I may never end up buying one due to reasons that are obvious. I’m not questioning anyone’s opinion, just thinking out loud. Clearly the market begs to differ. But is the sentiment really that stark in reality!? I hope I haven’t offended anybody

[padmrajravi]

I voted for i20. My vote is for the upcoming i20 model and not the current one. The poll will be meaningless without considering that.

Once launched, it will be the most modern and feature rich premium hatchback among the 8 cars listed here. It looks great too. In my opinion, anyone wanting a premium hatchback now, should wait till i20 is launched before making the decision. Unlike the Altroz automatic which is a distant dream, the i20 auto is very near and the power train is already a reality.

[xjosephjacob]

If the question is 'which one would I buy' I'm in for the Swift- I actually bought the latest iteration as soon as it hit the Indian market more than a couple of years ago . There was no Grand i10 Turbo or Tata Altroz back then, but then I would not have seriously considered a Hyundai or a Tata simply because of my own perceptions about the brands.

Why Swift ? It ticked all my requirements: Best in class front seats + sharp handling, sweet NA petrol engine + super frugal, Reliability + Service network + absolute peace of mind, very useful rear seats, Young and stylish inside out (though with typical Maruti grade plastics). And being a new car, I 'THOUGHT' it will fare well in the crash tests.

Will I buy a 2 star GNCAP car today ? I doubt- but I will still consider the Maruti's.

If it's 'which one would I love to drive ? Polo 1.0 TSI.

[abhi9044]

If I need a diesel vehicle, there is only one option for me- Ford Figo

And if comes to petrol there are plenty options and each option caters to individual needs.

Maruti Swift/Baleno- If you live in an area that lacks proper ASS then you probably want to go with these. Parts availability will never be an issue with these cars.

VW Polo- I'll be choosing this car if engine/performance is only thing that I'm looking for in a car. But certainly there are other factors too such as rear seat comfort,ASS, parts availability,etc and as far as i know, VW/Skoda though improved, still aren't up to our satisfaction levels. What fun can be a car if it has to spend 15 days in workshop just for some minor issue?

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios- Hyundai might want to shorten that name, that long name might reduce the power to weight due to increased badges for the nomenclature of the vehicle .Jokes apart, this is the most practical option along with a decent performance. So if you are looking for a daily driver which can put a smile on your face when you want and also don't want to spend a lot in parts,ASS this is probably the best option.

Tata Altroz- Until the turbo petrol comes,I'd be rather staying away from it. But if it comes, i might consider this over the Hyundai's offering. Better safety and looks with the added performance. Although Tata's ASS is something that you should be aware of. For me, there are plenty of good dealers with decent service record so i might choose this over i10. If that's not the case with you, then you might be better off buying the i10.

[TokyoDrifter]

VW Polo. Timeless elegant looks. Punchy Engine. Solid build quality. I own one in fact. Polo will remain the hot hatch for another decade, IMO.

[RachMath]

Voted for Suzuki Ignis. Using a petrol Zeta for two years now and whenever I see it, i smile. Low on maintenance and high on performance. I agree that looks are polarizing but i love it. It is also spacious and all the techs required.

[Yash98]

Given the choices above, I would vote for the Swift, since it does strike the right balance for me between reliability and livability (fun to drive). The peppy petrol engine combined with the Maruti ASS and low spare part costs would make ownership a boon.

If not the Swift, my second choice would be the i20 since its an excellent all-rounder and has great build quality too. The only reason it wasn't my choice is due to the lack of driving pleasure in my opinion. The engine was adequate but did not have that slight fun factor that a Swift has.

[1.2TSI7DSG]

Not surprised at Polo. It exudes class & elegance despite the age of the vehicle. Given the TSI, I hope its one of the best engine available. A decade back it was an aspirational hatch back with the lovely red colour which shines even today! Then it was expensive for the features it offered but now most of the competitors are in the same priceband. with Incomes increasing, the polo is far more accessible today.

But space & head lights remain its weakest links. So if this is going to be used for a family car or the only car in the house, it would still not be my choice. I would go for the Figo or the Altroz any day over this one.

[i74js]

I love diesel mills and nothing comes close to the Ford TDCI; I have been using EcoSport for past 4 years and been quite happy with the mid range of 1.5 litre engine; am sure it will perform miraculously in a lighter Figo shell.

I was expecting improvement in cost of ownership / after sales experience in VW group atleast after consolidation of their business interest in India; alas! its has only happened to the extent of refreshed products carrying optimized / competitive price tag and nothing beyond that. However much I would want to sit behind the wheel of a Polo, I will not !

[IntoTheStorm]

I voted for 1.0 TSI (Bought one few weeks back!)...its a simple matter of heart over brain! If you think too much you'll end up buying a baleno or i20...but if you dont care much about rear seat space or old ( but sweet) design, you'll surely go for Polo... And i think thats what makes us "BHPians" different from the crowd!

[Kosfactor]

One look at the Altroz and boy everything else looks old - on the looks department for a premium hatch it is going to be Altroz Vs i20 (maybe).

I saw a white Altroz on Saturday and as it passed by my thought was - was it a petrol or diesel? It was too quiet for a diesel and loud for a petrol - my guess is it was a petrol. It reminded me of the first time my friend came home with his brand new Polo 1.2 petrol many many years ago - it sounded like a diesel.

Right now my money would be on i20, I have driven all three generations - the current Elite felt the best of the lot, its rear end stays put - which was my only complaint with the older one. I`ve always preferred a manual transmission, therefore the 1.2 petrol would do just fine for its use as primarily a city car.

[Turbo_anup]

Have a Vento TDI - March 2012 Make with 175K on ODO. it was a no brainer for me. VW Polo all the way especially given build quality, sedate looks, good handling and nice ergonomics for Driver.

[sharatravan]

Voted for the Polo TSI (Bought one recently).. The only other car that could potentially make me regret my purchase and shake this segment would probably be the upcoming i20. Considering all other competitors with petrol engines, the Polo TSI really is a no-brainer. Sure, in one update cycle of the Polo, its competitors have refreshed their products 3-4 times - but that's the selling point about most of the European cars and VW in particular - their timeless designs and minimal product refresh cycles. Speaks volumes about their engineering prowess and design maturity.

The interiors in Swift and Baleno also look pretty dated and ordinary, to be honest. Swift also suffers from the rear space problem. We've owned the 2nd generation Swift for a long time so I'm very well aware about the build quality(rather lack of it) of the Marutis. That leaves only Nios 1.0 as a worthy competitor to the Polo TSI.

The new i20 turbo-petrol would surely sit on the higher side of a million rupees on road. So for someone looking for a hatchback purchase in this price band, with excellent build quality and assurance of safety, I don't really see a need for much thinking. For someone willing to part with his million, he/she would see a lot more options in the form of compact SUVs offering much more value for money, unless there's a very specific need for a premium hatchback.