[lamborghini]

I would actually urge you to reconsider looking at a diesel. More than savings in fuel, you will enjoy the drive.
What I have gathered from various reviews out here is that most of the cars you have selected are underpowered and/or have poor low end performance. IMO, this would affect the city driveability greatly, as one tends to face stop and go traffic, and the car may not be peppy enough and would thus require frequent down shifting.

If you are open to the idea of a diesel, do check out the Figo. It is very well priced (similar to i20 1.2 P). Also, the engine is a proven one and is a blast to drive in the city thanks to the minimal turbo lag, and superb ride/handling combination (no match for Punto though). Also, the diesel Figo should have a higher resale value as well, so that will be an added boon when you sell the car 3 years down the line.

If you would like to stick to petrols, do look at the Swift/Ritz 1.2. I believe the engine is one of the best in the segment. If these cars do not appeal to you, amongst the shortlist you have provided, I would pick the i20.
It is very easy to drive in the city, is fully loaded, well built, well priced, spacious, and looks good as well.
In comparison, the Jazz may have a better engine and is more spacious/flexible. However, it is also significantly more expensive.
The polo on the other hand isn't as good a performer as either the Jazz or the i20. Also, it isn't as big or refined as the others, and lacks some vital features. However, the ride/handling combination is right up there, as are the looks.

I was in a similar dilemma a few months ago. Thankfully we decided not to change the car, but had the i20 in mind. Was very impressed with the Jazz when I saw and drove it. However, the i20 put up a very good fight and was the final choice thanks to the lower price tag and added 'nice to have' features. Also, the i20 would have the lowest maintainance costs out of the three.
The Polo was eliminated for the reasons mentioned above, in addition to poor experience at the dealer.

[musicmanaman]

If budget is not a problem, then Jazz it should be, if not Jazz then the i20.

[hallik9]

If I were you,I'd go with the I20 CRDI.
The engine is a proven one and the car itself is a good mix of features and safety features.Its peppy as well which makes it a good city car.And the torque that it provides,its a good one on highways as well.

Polo TDI would come a close second

[veedub89]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

If you can stretch your budget to accomodate the Jazz then I would suggest you should seriously look for the Polo 1.6. Proven engine with a fine mix of performance and efficiency couple with trademark VW smooth shifts.

If you still want to stick to the 1.2 lt engines then I would suggest Polo or i20.

The Polo 1.6 falls easily within the budget. Ex-showroom in Delhi is Rs. 6.16 lakhs. So I guess on the road it should turn out to be around 7 lakhs.

[srinivas.rao]

If I were you, I would have gone in for the i20 Petrol with the shortlists mentioned.
The car is feature rich and is more VFM than the Jazz/Polo. Although, there would be some niggling issues with every car, I would put my money on the i20 Petrol.

But one thing which I noticed while I took a TD of i20 petrol is, its an underpowered engine and 2nd gear is next to useless. The polo also seems to be very sluggish with the performance in 1.2 variant although I am not sure about the 1.6.
As suggested, you can switch to a Diesel if you are looking for some grunt in your drives.
This is what happened to me and I chose the i20 Asta Diesel instead of a petrol.

[vebmetal]

Thanks for the responses, guys!! Unfortunately the variety of excellent opinions has left me even more confused!! (but then I would not expect anything less from Team BHP )

I still have these questions remaining, and would love to get some feedback on them:

1. What is the realistic discounts one can negotiate with dealers in Delhi?
2. Which companies are amenable to providing Michellin tyres (be it at extra cost)?
3. Would there be any major difference in the servicing / maintenance costs of the above cars?
4. Are the following FE figures correct (for 1.2 petrol versions): i20= 11Kmpl, Polo= 12kmpl, Jazz= 14Kmpl?
5. Is there anyone here on this forum who has an i20 in Delhi (South Delhi would be perfect!) and has the steering rattle etc problem, and wouldn't mind showing it to me? I wmuld love to see the problem firsthand so that I can decide how big the problem is and whether or not it's worth taking the risk.

[Antonian]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

I would actually urge you to reconsider looking at a diesel. More than savings in fuel, you will enjoy the drive.
What I have gathered from various reviews out here is that most of the cars you have selected are underpowered and/or have poor low end performance. IMO, this would affect the city driveability greatly, as one tends to face stop and go traffic, and the car may not be peppy enough and would thus require frequent down shifting.

If you are open to the idea of a diesel, do check out the Figo. It is very well priced (similar to i20 1.2 P). Also, the engine is a proven one and is a blast to drive in the city thanks to the minimal turbo lag, and superb ride/handling combination (no match for Punto though). Also, the diesel Figo should have a higher resale value as well, so that will be an added boon when you sell the car 3 years down the line.

If you would like to stick to petrols, do look at the Swift/Ritz 1.2. I believe the engine is one of the best in the segment. If these cars do not appeal to you, amongst the shortlist you have provided, I would pick the i20.
It is very easy to drive in the city, is fully loaded, well built, well priced, spacious, and looks good as well.
In comparison, the Jazz may have a better engine and is more spacious/flexible. However, it is also significantly more expensive.
The polo on the other hand isn't as good a performer as either the Jazz or the i20. Also, it isn't as big or refined as the others, and lacks some vital features. However, the ride/handling combination is right up there, as are the looks.

I was in a similar dilemma a few months ago. Thankfully we decided not to change the car, but had the i20 in mind. Was very impressed with the Jazz when I saw and drove it. However, the i20 put up a very good fight and was the final choice thanks to the lower price tag and added 'nice to have' features. Also, the i20 would have the lowest maintainance costs out of the three.
The Polo was eliminated for the reasons mentioned above, in addition to poor experience at the dealer.

I second it. Since the right to hike Petrol price, has given to Petroleum companies, I feel it is better to go for a diesel variant.

On the other way, being a i20 owner I would suggest to go for a Jazz !!!.
The Driving pleasure and power which Jazz gives is amazing. You will forget the moolah what you spend additional. Wishing you to make a right and wise choice

[ampere]

If price is no bar, then for me the shoot-out would be between the Jazz and I20 CRDI!

[vebmetal]

Test drove the Jazz today (basic variant) and also checked out the Select variant in the showroom. What an impressive car! Very nice on the interiors front. Drives very well too. If only they added fog lamps and USB to the Select version, it would be a perfect hatchback! But the price impediment still remains. The select version OTR is 8.05L which after 55k in discount comes to Rs. 7.5L. The Jazz X (which has fog lamps and USB) comes for OTR Rs. 8.4L, but on that for some reason the discount offered is only 10k, so OTR it is Rs. 8.3L. Now a 80K difference for Fog lamps + USB + blue-back interior IMHO is just not worth it. Anyway on the whole, I am feeling a little sheepish about even thinking of spending almost 8L on a hatchback, so here's hoping that the TD of the Polo and i20 convince me of one of the two!!

I am still hoping there is some kind soul on this forum who can let me personally experience what exactly the steering rattle problem is on the i20, so that I can see for myself that if I end up with it, would I be able to live with it or not.

[hdnivara]

Originally Posted by vebmetal

Now a 80K difference for Fog lamps + USB + blue-back interior IMHO is just not worth it. Anyway on the whole, I am feeling a little sheepish about even thinking of spending almost 8L on a hatchback, so here's hoping that the TD of the Polo and i20 convince me of one of the two!!

I am still hoping there is some kind soul on this forum who can let me personally experience what exactly the steering rattle problem is on the i20, so that I can see for myself that if I end up with it, would I be able to live with it or not.

80k just for fogs & USB?
My BIL owns an i20 1.2 Asta with 8500kms on the odo. Till date there hasn't been a single problem (save for the fuses though). No rattles of any form. Its a good VFM car.
If I were you, I'd go with i20 (either 1.2 or 1.4 CRDI)

[thedreamcatcher]

In terms of vfm, go in for the i20 Asta. The others dont come close on this aspect and it has a bit more features than even the Jazz has, like ACC for instance.

The Jazz is no doubt good, but is highly overrated and ridiculously priced. We all saw the same thing happen to the Ford Fusion and thats the same fate in store for the Jazz. Fabia was also introduced with high pricing, but they have realized this and have launched it at really low and competitive prices

I personally love the Polo as well, as it has amazing build quality, far better than the other two, pretty good on the bells and whistles front and has got great road presence as well.

But within a good budget, if you want it all, go in for the Asta

[Zero Cool]

At those crazy prices forget jazz. if a similar level of equipment as jazz select works for you then look at sedans like sx4 vxi & fiesta.

leaving the sedans and talking of the hatches ill advise you to take a good look at i20asta and polo or fabia1.6. take extended warranty and ull be set for another 4 years.

[AirWind]

At a 7.5L OTR, makes sense to consider the Polo and Fabia 1.2L CR diesels, which also would give you more savings on the run... and fetch better resale

[ajay_satpute]

Let me throw my 2 cents here:

1) Polo TDi: Fantastic car. Period.

2) Jazz: Extremely highpriced. But, if you don't care the price tag, then its one of the best cars in India in the <10 L tag. The interiors of Jazz are even better than ANHC. The stock music system in Jazz is also one of the best.

3) Fiesta Petro SXi: No need to repeat how great driver's car is this. Ford is currently offering a cash discount of 43,000 on all Ford Fiestas. Add exchange bonus, corporate discounts and some freebies to that. So you can consider this. With all these discounts, the Fiesta top-end variant will cost you even less than the Jazz.

4) i20 Asta: Superb car. Low end turbo lag and some rattling issues have been observed, but there are negligible compared to the super class this car offers. Sheer high standard quality of interiors, Hyundai's excellent A.S.S., dealership network make this car a great choice. Again, this is on the expensive side, close to 8 lakhs for the Asta Diesel.

Hope i have not confused you more.

[vebmetal]

Test drove the Figo (Diesel Titanium) today. As many people on this forum have reported in their reviews, the car is definitely peppy. The cost is also quite reasonable (at least compared to the Jazz) - It's about 5.9L OTR for the Diesel Titanium with alloys. But I am leaning towards not getting it mainly for the looks, and a couple of other things (no power windows in the back etc.).

Somehow my mind keeps going back tot he Jazz. I had even arranged for a TD at home so that the rest of my family could approve, but unfortunately dealers are such @#$heads most of the time - from Saturday morning, the guy kept pushing it back till finally Sunday evening he tells me that TD will not be possible this weekend as car is away for 'servicing' - that really angers me. IMHO most cars sell themselves despite the salesmen / dealers. I am yet to have a fantastic TD experience with any dealer.

As of now I am still thoroughly confused. Hopefully I can arrange a TD for the i20 Petrol Asta and that ends up favourably, otherwise it's back to the drawing board.