Skoda Fabia vs Hyundai i20 vs Suzuki Swift?

.anshuman · 31st December 2009, 17:34

I would recommend you to wait till the Auto Expo, A lot of fresh new options are expected like VW Polo and Ford Figo. Out of the current lot i would recommend Hyundai i20 as it meets all your requirements.

Rajain · 31st December 2009, 17:59

I've test driven all the three. Here is my 2 cents

Swift D-very good performance, good overall fit and finish, decent fuel efficiency, very good after sales service, somewhat dated or at least the niche value is no longer there. Interior space could have been more.

Fabia-I'd say perfomance wise its would rate the lowest in the three. Its not really a perfomance car but bells and whistles are aplenty, fit and finish is top class, fairly good after sales service, new looks (and appeal on that front is a matter of choice). Cabin space is better but could have been more.

i20-personally I loved the perfomance, the cruise as well as city performance is top notch, fuel economy os good as well, the after sales service of Hyndai has significantly improved, fit andfinish is good and space is good. It would also rate high on niche value. Cabin and boot space is best in class.

You may also be able to bring in the cost bracket some 3 box sedans. There are some noteable cars there. But that is another thread and another discussion.

Rajain

McLaren Rulez · 31st December 2009, 18:52

Both the i20 and the Fabia are good bets. You should definitely TD both. The reason why the Fabia is not being recommended iis because of the Skoda A.S.S. perception. It is a very good car and, in my opinion, better than the Hyundai.

I recommend you get in touch with Skoda owners in your city through TBhp and find out what the service is like. Skoda has a bad name here but there are many owners with happy A.S.S. stories too. Research this aspect fully before you make a choice.

The other car you should be considering is the Polo. And with the launch around the corner, you can wait and see what its like too.

sachinj12 · 31st December 2009, 19:04

With a budget cap of 6L and with airbags must, swift and ritz top end suits your bill perfectly. i20 asta will overshoot your budget quite a bit. As for Fabia, stay away. The less said about Skoda's A.S.S, the better.

oss · 31st December 2009, 19:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Both the i20 and the Fabia are good bets. You should definitely TD both. The reason why the Fabia is not being recommended iis because of the Skoda A.S.S. perception. It is a very good car and, in my opinion, better than the Hyundai.

I recommend you get in touch with Skoda owners in your city through TBhp and find out what the service is like. Skoda has a bad name here but there are many owners with happy A.S.S. stories too. Research this aspect fully before you make a choice.

It's not just the A.S.S. when it comes to Fabia. It has the crappiest of the engines. All the three engine options 1.2P, 1.4P (discontinued now) and the 1.4D are lousy performers.

It's only the interiors and in the fit&finish where Fabia scores.

Ajay_J · 31st December 2009, 20:12

Inside the list it has to be I20. But your requirement closely matches with specs of INDIGO MANZA. It will cost you same and gives ample amount of space.

adabass · 3rd January 2010, 11:12

Thanks guys for the valuable inputs. I have read each one carefully. It just seems that all of the requirements will not be met by any of the car available in the market. It then comes out to which car most closely matches it. From what I have heard the i20 is very popular with good space and A.S.S. Fabia is a good car but lacks the A.S.S. Swift seems to be a little cramped up for my requirements.

Do we have side and curtain airbags on all top end hatchbacks or some may have it missing?

Any ideas when the Polo is being launched. I am little skeptical about the legroom it will provide.

adabass · 3rd January 2010, 11:34

Thanks Guys for the valuable inputs. I have read each and every one very closely.

I had thought about couple of sedans while researching but didnt think through because of the easy manueverability of hatchbacks. I really though Fiat Linea was a nice option but heard horror stories of its A.S.S. from some people. I have not looked at Manza though.

It seems that no car may fit all the requirements perfectly, so will have to prioritize. For me Price, leg room space, safety and A.S.S are four important features which I can not ignore. I may live with a little lesser mileage and lesser boot space. From what I have been hearing i20 is a popular choice. The swift seems to offer safety features in its top variant, but lacks space. The Fabia lacks in A.S.S. (Any owner would like to quell this?)

To tell you very honestly I felt "attracted" to Fabia. But if I have to leave my car in the garage for 3 weeks, I dont know how long my attraction will drive me....I want to take a well researched practical decision instead of jumping on the gun...

Any idea on what the specification/variants will be for Polo? From what I have seen it looks a little less on space.

I heard some good things about Ritz. In what ways it differs from i20?

ampere · 3rd January 2010, 12:03

The other point to note is that any model released during this time has to be proved on the Indian roads. The nod/reject will arrive only after few months of the release. From that point of view its always good to buy a vehicle which has been time-tested.

That way I feel i20 Magna is the best. Asta goes near 7. i20 is the best option, if you do mostly city drives with long drives once in four-five months. I do agree you may feel bit underpowered with the 1.2 option, but if you are not onto burning the tarmac, I think it should be OK.

It also provides you the brand value, space, comfort and VFM.

gaddiwale · 3rd January 2010, 21:44

I would suggest you to go for Ritz zxi - More bhp, more torque and more FE than the i20 or Fabia (Hope you'll prefer a petrol engine, if you want to opt for diesel again I would recommend Ritz diesel. I drive a Ritz vdi - gem of a engine, a practical one). When you get much better product in a lakh rupees less price (equivalent to ~ 2,000 lits of petrol, sufficient to run the vehicle for ~ 30000 km) why to think about pricey i20 or Fabia (stay away - less service stations and costly parts, not very economical to maintain)

1. Price - I dont want to compromise on quality but I also dont want to spend a lot on my first car. I am thinking of something in the range of 4-6 lacs.

Maruti Ritz ZXI (Internationally known as Suzuki Splash) comes with fantastic KB series - the first to match BS IV emission norms. Well fits your budget too.

2. Interior space - I am 6"2' and would like to have a car where I can drive comfortably and an avg person (5'8") can sit behind comfortably.

Ritz being a tall boy design provides maximum head room and leg room in comparison to Fabia, i20 or Swift.

3. Safety - Should definitely have frontal airbags. Side and curtain airbags are plus.

Ritz ZXI comes with front dual air bags, ABS + EBD in much lower price than i20 and Fabia.

4. Manueverability - Ability to squeeze in tight corners, traffic and parking spots.

Shorter wheelbase make it much more manueverable than the competition.

5. Boot space - Ample amount of boot space to put 2-3 large suitcases.

Ritz has a boot space of 236 lits, in comparison to 295 lits of i20, 300 lits of Fabia and 232 lits of Swift. But sufficent to carry stuffs for two medium size suitcases.

6. Mileage - Should not have to line up at a fuel station every week.

Maruti claims 17 kmpl for Ritz according to Overdrive magazine - Ritz - 15.2 kmpl, Swift - 14.3 kmpl, i20 - 14.97 kmpl, Fabia - 14.17 kmpl

7. After sales support - Ability to get good service, parts et all.

Nothing better than Maruti in India.

All the best and keep us updated.

Sheel · 3rd January 2010, 22:04

If the fusion came with airbags, i would have recommended it,
and i too can't seem to think about that perfect car, why aren't guys suggesting GP?

ampere · 4th January 2010, 18:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheel

If the fusion came with airbags, i would have recommended it,
and i too can't seem to think about that perfect car, why aren't guys suggesting GP?

Fusion may be phased out. and hence not recommended. Spares are also costly. (Having said that, let me mention I drive one ).

GP petrol is not all that great compared to Ritz/i20. Others may differ in opinion. And the diesel GP will overshoot the budget mentioned.

Though I had suggested i20 Magna, Ritz Zxi/Vxi are equally good options. My father got a Ritz, and the I drove it around the city. Its an amazing engine and provides fantastic mileage in the initial stage. Needs to be checked out further.

So I guess you need to decide between Ritz and i20 Magna. You did not mention if you are looking at diesel options. If so, Ritz Vdi without doubt.

adabass · 4th January 2010, 23:19

WIth the help of my family I have some more research factors. They had gone to the showroom of Hyundai, Maruti, Skoda and Honda and they have hit on the Honda Jazz big time. They are saying that they will pay the remaining above 6 L, its that good.

They sat in i10 and ritz and they didnt like both of them from the interior perspective. They liked i20, but when pricewise they are the same, they liked jazz much more. They were ok with swift minus the cramped boot space and less legroom. They liked Fabia also, but I am not removing that from my list because of A.S.S.

So right now I am thinking about Honda Jazz (which my family approves big time) vs the Maruti swift Zxi (VFM IMO). Why would I pay Rs 2 L more for Jazz and not take Swift. Is the extra payment going to be worth it?

invidious · 5th January 2010, 00:04

You will get the Fabia now at a bargain basement price - the lower end would be under 5.5 OTR. If you take a mere test drive - you will not notice much difference between the said cars - but Skoda after-sales is the worst in the country. I have steered clear of that brand for this reason and for its overpriced parts.

i20 is a newer, bigger car than the Swift and the difference between the Swift Zxi and the i20 Asta with comparable features is about 50k. I would spend it and get the i20. In the same price range you can also get a loaded Manza. Just a thought.

invidious · 5th January 2010, 00:12

Oh, the Jazz is a great car - it doesn't feel like a hatchback by any stretch of imagination. The only reason it is not flying off the shelves is its absurd price. But if you like it, you might as well get it. The i20 is 50k more than the Swift, the Jazz is about 200k more than the Swift. The Swift is a nice car - it is just a bit dated - will be 5 yrs old soon. It certainly would not be on my list.

31st December 2009, 17:34	#16
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	I would recommend you to wait till the Auto Expo, A lot of fresh new options are expected like VW Polo and Ford Figo. Out of the current lot i would recommend Hyundai i20 as it meets all your requirements.
	() Thanks

31st December 2009, 17:59	#17
Rajain BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 553 Thanked: 1,250 Times	I've test driven all the three. Here is my 2 cents Swift D-very good performance, good overall fit and finish, decent fuel efficiency, very good after sales service, somewhat dated or at least the niche value is no longer there. Interior space could have been more. Fabia-I'd say perfomance wise its would rate the lowest in the three. Its not really a perfomance car but bells and whistles are aplenty, fit and finish is top class, fairly good after sales service, new looks (and appeal on that front is a matter of choice). Cabin space is better but could have been more. i20-personally I loved the perfomance, the cruise as well as city performance is top notch, fuel economy os good as well, the after sales service of Hyndai has significantly improved, fit andfinish is good and space is good. It would also rate high on niche value. Cabin and boot space is best in class. You may also be able to bring in the cost bracket some 3 box sedans. There are some noteable cars there. But that is another thread and another discussion. Rajain
	() Thanks

31st December 2009, 18:52	#18
McLaren Rulez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mysore Posts: 3,389 Thanked: 5,101 Times	Both the i20 and the Fabia are good bets. You should definitely TD both. The reason why the Fabia is not being recommended iis because of the Skoda A.S.S. perception. It is a very good car and, in my opinion, better than the Hyundai. I recommend you get in touch with Skoda owners in your city through TBhp and find out what the service is like. Skoda has a bad name here but there are many owners with happy A.S.S. stories too. Research this aspect fully before you make a choice. The other car you should be considering is the Polo. And with the launch around the corner, you can wait and see what its like too.
	() Thanks

31st December 2009, 19:04	#19
sachinj12 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,187 Thanked: 168 Times	With a budget cap of 6L and with airbags must, swift and ritz top end suits your bill perfectly. i20 asta will overshoot your budget quite a bit. As for Fabia, stay away. The less said about Skoda's A.S.S, the better.
	() Thanks

31st December 2009, 20:12	#21
Ajay_J BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 360 Thanked: 0 Times	Inside the list it has to be I20. But your requirement closely matches with specs of INDIGO MANZA. It will cost you same and gives ample amount of space.
	() Thanks

3rd January 2010, 11:12	#22
adabass BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 38 Thanked: 11 Times	Thanks guys for the valuable inputs. I have read each one carefully. It just seems that all of the requirements will not be met by any of the car available in the market. It then comes out to which car most closely matches it. From what I have heard the i20 is very popular with good space and A.S.S. Fabia is a good car but lacks the A.S.S. Swift seems to be a little cramped up for my requirements. Do we have side and curtain airbags on all top end hatchbacks or some may have it missing? Any ideas when the Polo is being launched. I am little skeptical about the legroom it will provide.
	() Thanks

3rd January 2010, 11:34	#23
adabass BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 38 Thanked: 11 Times	Thanks Guys for the valuable inputs. I have read each and every one very closely. I had thought about couple of sedans while researching but didnt think through because of the easy manueverability of hatchbacks. I really though Fiat Linea was a nice option but heard horror stories of its A.S.S. from some people. I have not looked at Manza though. It seems that no car may fit all the requirements perfectly, so will have to prioritize. For me Price, leg room space, safety and A.S.S are four important features which I can not ignore. I may live with a little lesser mileage and lesser boot space. From what I have been hearing i20 is a popular choice. The swift seems to offer safety features in its top variant, but lacks space. The Fabia lacks in A.S.S. (Any owner would like to quell this?) To tell you very honestly I felt "attracted" to Fabia. But if I have to leave my car in the garage for 3 weeks, I dont know how long my attraction will drive me....I want to take a well researched practical decision instead of jumping on the gun... Any idea on what the specification/variants will be for Polo? From what I have seen it looks a little less on space. I heard some good things about Ritz. In what ways it differs from i20?
	() Thanks

3rd January 2010, 12:03	#24
ampere Team-BHP Support Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 17,946 Thanked: 12,932 Times View My Garage	The other point to note is that any model released during this time has to be proved on the Indian roads. The nod/reject will arrive only after few months of the release. From that point of view its always good to buy a vehicle which has been time-tested. That way I feel i20 Magna is the best. Asta goes near 7. i20 is the best option, if you do mostly city drives with long drives once in four-five months. I do agree you may feel bit underpowered with the 1.2 option, but if you are not onto burning the tarmac, I think it should be OK. It also provides you the brand value, space, comfort and VFM.
	() Thanks

3rd January 2010, 21:44	#25
gaddiwale BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: BANGALORE Posts: 399 Thanked: 77 Times	I would suggest you to go for Ritz zxi - More bhp, more torque and more FE than the i20 or Fabia (Hope you'll prefer a petrol engine, if you want to opt for diesel again I would recommend Ritz diesel. I drive a Ritz vdi - gem of a engine, a practical one). When you get much better product in a lakh rupees less price (equivalent to ~ 2,000 lits of petrol, sufficient to run the vehicle for ~ 30000 km) why to think about pricey i20 or Fabia (stay away - less service stations and costly parts, not very economical to maintain) 1. Price - I dont want to compromise on quality but I also dont want to spend a lot on my first car. I am thinking of something in the range of 4-6 lacs. Maruti Ritz ZXI (Internationally known as Suzuki Splash) comes with fantastic KB series - the first to match BS IV emission norms. Well fits your budget too. 2. Interior space - I am 6"2' and would like to have a car where I can drive comfortably and an avg person (5'8") can sit behind comfortably. Ritz being a tall boy design provides maximum head room and leg room in comparison to Fabia, i20 or Swift. 3. Safety - Should definitely have frontal airbags. Side and curtain airbags are plus. Ritz ZXI comes with front dual air bags, ABS + EBD in much lower price than i20 and Fabia. 4. Manueverability - Ability to squeeze in tight corners, traffic and parking spots. Shorter wheelbase make it much more manueverable than the competition. 5. Boot space - Ample amount of boot space to put 2-3 large suitcases. Ritz has a boot space of 236 lits, in comparison to 295 lits of i20, 300 lits of Fabia and 232 lits of Swift. But sufficent to carry stuffs for two medium size suitcases. 6. Mileage - Should not have to line up at a fuel station every week. Maruti claims 17 kmpl for Ritz according to Overdrive magazine - Ritz - 15.2 kmpl, Swift - 14.3 kmpl, i20 - 14.97 kmpl, Fabia - 14.17 kmpl 7. After sales support - Ability to get good service, parts et all. Nothing better than Maruti in India. All the best and keep us updated. Last edited by gaddiwale : 3rd January 2010 at 21:47.
	() Thanks

3rd January 2010, 22:04	#26
Sheel Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Purnea (Bihar) Posts: 9,584 Thanked: 14,398 Times View My Garage	If the fusion came with airbags, i would have recommended it, and i too can't seem to think about that perfect car, why aren't guys suggesting GP?
	() Thanks

4th January 2010, 23:19	#28
adabass BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 38 Thanked: 11 Times	WIth the help of my family I have some more research factors. They had gone to the showroom of Hyundai, Maruti, Skoda and Honda and they have hit on the Honda Jazz big time. They are saying that they will pay the remaining above 6 L, its that good. They sat in i10 and ritz and they didnt like both of them from the interior perspective. They liked i20, but when pricewise they are the same, they liked jazz much more. They were ok with swift minus the cramped boot space and less legroom. They liked Fabia also, but I am not removing that from my list because of A.S.S. So right now I am thinking about Honda Jazz (which my family approves big time) vs the Maruti swift Zxi (VFM IMO). Why would I pay Rs 2 L more for Jazz and not take Swift. Is the extra payment going to be worth it?
	() Thanks

5th January 2010, 00:04	#29
invidious BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 845 Thanked: 1,225 Times	You will get the Fabia now at a bargain basement price - the lower end would be under 5.5 OTR. If you take a mere test drive - you will not notice much difference between the said cars - but Skoda after-sales is the worst in the country. I have steered clear of that brand for this reason and for its overpriced parts. i20 is a newer, bigger car than the Swift and the difference between the Swift Zxi and the i20 Asta with comparable features is about 50k. I would spend it and get the i20. In the same price range you can also get a loaded Manza. Just a thought.
	() Thanks

5th January 2010, 00:12	#30
invidious BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 845 Thanked: 1,225 Times	Oh, the Jazz is a great car - it doesn't feel like a hatchback by any stretch of imagination. The only reason it is not flying off the shelves is its absurd price. But if you like it, you might as well get it. The i20 is 50k more than the Swift, the Jazz is about 200k more than the Swift. The Swift is a nice car - it is just a bit dated - will be 5 yrs old soon. It certainly would not be on my list.
	() Thanks