[GTO]

Kunaal, I'm not a fan of the Polo / Fabia diesel because:

- 3 cylinder motors. Each competitor offers a proper 4 cylinder engine which is way more refined

- Massive turbo lag

I'd highly recommend the Swift diesel, Punto MJD and Figo TDCi to you. If you can stretch your budget, there is also the stonking hot i20 CRDi. Either of these cars will also work out cheaper to own than a VW / Skoda in the longer run.

[kunaalsaigal]

Hi GTO, thanks for your views. Are you based out of Mumbai?

Which dealer did you go to for the TD... I have been following up with both JMD and Autobahn, both are yet to get their new Fabia 1.2 TDI diesel vehicle.

Would appreciate if you could guide me to your dealer. Thanks

[VictorSinha]

I totally agree with GTO regarding the ownership cost point.

If you are really stretched on budget, I would say try the Vista. A very good competent car. The Aqua model comes around 5.5L onroad. Aqua model has equal set of features as Maruti VXI/VDI models. Check it out.

If you can stretch your budget look no further than i20.

[kunaalsaigal]

Hey guys.. look forward to your responses... any of you driven the New Fabia Diesel 1.2 TDI... GTO can you assist me with the dealer where you test drove the new 1.2 TDI diesel? thanks

[hallik9]

Kunaal,
Agree with GTO.
I wouldnt want to own a Fabia or a Polo.One of my friend owns a Fabia and he keeps cribbing about high maintainence costs(Parts included)
I'd suggest the Swift Diesel,i20 as alternates.

[ghodlur]

Kunaal,

I would suggest two models - Ford Figio TDCi and I20 CRDi. I had test driven i20 when I was scouting for a sedan and found the low end torque to be fantastic. Recently I drove my colleague's Figo and you absolutely cant make it out its a diesel car. Super silent, no turbo lag and a fun to drive car.

Based on your budget you can choose.

[arvind71181]

I think the Ford Figo TDCI would be the best bet for the given price range. As said, it has minimal turbo lag and you cant make out its a diesel engine at all. The only downside is it lags in the looks department (personal opinion though).

Also, the Titanium version has lots of goodies at a price point which none of the competitors offer. The lack of rear power windows is a downer though. I dont know how important that is to you.

[SPARKled]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Kunaal,

I would suggest two models - Ford Figio TDCi and I20 CRDi. I had test driven i20 when I was scouting for a sedan and found the low end torque to be fantastic. Recently I drove my colleague's Figo and you absolutely cant make it out its a diesel car. Super silent, no turbo lag and a fun to drive car.

Based on your budget you can choose.

I absolutely agree with your suggestions but is there any i20 CRDi model under 6L. The Maruti twins are an excellent choice but I guess they have more turbo lag than a Figo TDCi.

@GTO: Could you list down the diesel hatches in the order of their turbo lag from the most to the least?

[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by SPARKled

I absolutely agree with your suggestions but is there any i20 CRDi model under 6L. The Maruti twins are an excellent choice but I guess they have more turbo lag than a Figo TDCi.

@GTO: Could you list down the diesel hatches in the order of their turbo lag from the most to the least?

Yes the Swift has much more turbo lag compared to Figo. But its the lag and the subsequent whoosh which makes it so addictive . Ford is fully linear and I guess the one which has the least lag AFAIK as I have not driven the i20.

[goldie_malhotra]

Based on my TD of the ones in running -
Low-end Torque = Figo > Swift > Polo > i20
High-end Torque = i20 > Swift > Figo, Polo

Depends on whether you like to revv or cruise....

[kunaalsaigal]

Hey Guys,

an update from my end.. booked my new Skoda Fabia 1.2 TDI diesel Ambiente Silver ..

Thanks a lot for the suggestions and advices.. Will keep everyone updated once I get my delivery..

[vij4all]

saw the ad for the nissan micra diesel in today's paper and ive not been able to stop thinking about it although i know there are no after sales service or long term ownership reviews to fall back on. Very very tempting though seems underpowered for an engine that size.

any thoughts?

[lamborghini]

@vij4all: The Nissan Micra is powered by the Logan's DCi diesel engine. According to T-BHP reviews:

this motor is amongst the most modern from this segment and delivers impressively on the driveability and refinement factors. Turbo-lag is inexistent while owners could not stop raving about the class leading fuel efficiency. Logan owners state that it certainly feels a tad more powerful than the 65bhp statistic. Gear-shift quality is smooth across all variants; long-throws but shifts are precise.

Also, most owners are quite happy with the reliability of the engine.
If you like the car, the engine shouldn't be much of a concern. The only problem you should be worried about is A.S.S. from Nissan's small dealership network.

[selfdrive]

I agree, the delarship network is sparse. Moreover, isnt the Nissan diesel a bit overpriced for what it offers?