[Pjango]

For me, had to be between Zest & i20 as both the cars are something new to the stable they come from. i20 takes Hyundai in the domain of fun to drive cars which engage the driver (to an extent) and Zest takes Tata to the domain of cars which are feature rich and can boast of build quality. Also, the fact that the features aren't half baked adds to respect for Tata. In the end, decided for i20 because it broke away from traditional Hyundai design patterns and looks fresh to the eye. Zest is the best looker of the segment, but isn't actually path breaking in terms of design. Although, I'd admit, its more VFM of the two and perhaps more than a lot of others out there. Cheers,
Pjango
P.S. My respect for this forum has increased manifolds after reading this thread. This place just doesn't have space for bias. You'd find zillion pages here which ruthlessly have correctly bashed Tata (and some others) for not learning from mistakes. But, just see how wholeheartedly Team-BHP has applauded a genuine effort like Zest. Just loving it

[mahadev_kc]

Chose Hyundai i20 Elite.
The car was so refreshing and like a mini audi. Its popularity made to hyundai to declare that they got > 50000 bookings.
Very nice car indeed.

[arunu]

Voted for Hyundai Elite i20.

I feel this is the best all round <10L car today.
It satisfies an average consumer's needs to the T.
VFM/Best-in-class fit n finish/Premium Feel (car buying is still matter of pride and feel good factor is a major consideration for many), decent space, better A.S.S, cool looks, decent performance and mileage, peace of mind with Hyundai badge.. the list goes on-and-on.
Enthus may differ, but an avg Joe will agree with above.

Tata Zest looks compelling but A.S.S still does not inspire confidence. Once bitten twice shy, due to personal experience of being stranded on a deserted highway and lethargic A.S.S response.

Honda City was a close third for me.

[desertfox]

My vote goes to Toyota Corolla Altis.

Owned 2 of them. Drove many of them.

Sat in ( Taxi ) in scores of them.

Reliable, ecnomical. tough and performs.

In its 11th generation one of or THE most popular car in the world.

Liked the currend model, 1993 model and the 1987 model. The 1992 model Super SE Saloon ( 1600 cc ) was by far the best. It was my wife's car from her college days.
Hated the short lived 1999 model.

The 4th generation Honda city has its place in the sun too.

Datsun Go was a dissapointment although I had expected a lot more from it.

As for TATA Zest remember a new engine may earn rave reviews and actually perform well but end day it will be as dissapointing as the earlier Indigo models. The body and finish are still two generations behing the Japanese and one behind the Koreans which includes GM India as well. Gizmos on the dashboard dont help on outpriced upper end models.

Will the taxi operators grab it - no. The Taxi world is lapping up Suzuki Dezire and Etios the Indigo models are fast fading out along with Mahindra Verito or Logans.

[srinath.s]

Heartening to see Tata getting such wonderful accolades! They seem to have started getting things right.

However, a lot needs to be done before people seriously consider a Tata. Sure, the Zest is highly impressive. But as we all know, Tatas do not really age well (Where is Manza, which had best in class space and loads of features?). I would wait for atleast another year before jumping the gun and betting my horses on the Zest!

The Ciaz, on the other hand, looks great, has decent firepower (sure, the engines are underpowered for its class, nevertheless), comes loaded with features (not typical of a Maruti), priced competitively and is backed by Maruti's bullet-proof ASS network. It is a potential game changer in its segment. Therefore, it gets my vote.

[crazyro]

I didnt find a single car that was a game changer this year
Out of the lot I voted for Zest. Reason it has too many things going for it
1) All New model.
2) Turbo-petrol engine
3) First in segment Diesel AMT
4) Good interiors, fit and finish and decently loaded

[saleem_k]

I have voted for the Mobilio.

Cost cutting aside, I believe it's a highly practical car for an average Indian family. The overall car looks very modern compared to Ertiga, interiors are a bit of a let-down but very practical. Lot of people are comparing the front to the Brio and Amaze but if I put aside those cars and look at Mobilio in isolation, I believe the front looks quite muscular and good for the car. Quite some experiences also suggest that it's a comfortable car for very long drives (inspite of the thin seats compared to the competition) and add Honda's reliability and you have a fuss free people-mover, which looks good, runs great and is a superb package overall.

With some discounts in the offing, I believe this can be a great car to own!

[Safedriver76]

I have cast my vote for Hyundai Xcent .We have an Xcent S(o) at home.

Reasons:

1.High Value for money

2.Refined ride quality (Low NVH levels)

3 Fit & finish are typically Hyundai ,very upmarket ,very premium.

4.Though its not a corner curver or an asphalt burner, (no enthusiasts in our family), it is decently powered for city use and occasional highway gallops.

5 Driving this car for long hours is a breeze.Causes no stress on back or shoulder muscles.

6.It has a best in class boot.

[Dr.Suraj]

Hands down voted for the Zest.

The product by itself is mouth watering.
Sales charts have not been set ablaze as much as say an Elite i20 or Honda City.

But it deserves COTY - as it is the single most significant improvement or path breaking / influencing car of the year.

It will force competitors to re-think some bits, usher in a better era of more equipment inside the car and most importantly it marks the BIGGEST & BEST effort made by a manufacturer to make a change, improve and provide more to the consumer.

Ultimately - consumer wins.

[CarNerd]

Originally Posted by balajisv

Zest competes with DZire, Amaze and Xcent in market.
And it does outsmart the competition hands down in *most* of the departments, if not all. Refinement could go to DZire or Xcent. But, on the features, build, space and VFM, doesn't Zest top the competition? Not to forget the segment first of DRLs, 5" touch infotainment, 3 driving modes and the icing on cake Diesel AMT!

The Xcent has segment first rear AC vents, Push button start, biggest boot, rear camera for parking, etc but the best thing about Hyundai is its reliability, service & resale value which Tata simply can't match. So the Xcent is more VFM compared to Zest...

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by CarNerd

The Xcent has segment first rear AC vents, Push button start, biggest boot, rear camera for parking, etc but the best thing about Hyundai is its reliability, service & resale value which Tata simply can't match. So the Xcent is more VFM compared to Zest...

I have a diesel grand i10, magna variant.

1) The rear A/C vents do not make a significant, or even noticeable difference.

2) Seats, both front and rear are very poor given the price of car. Recently I had backache which is still refusing to die down.
I realized importance of good under-thigh support, which is absent in Grand i10.
The export version front seats with adjustable head rests, the Indian version of both, sedan and hatchback are with fixed front headrests. Do not help. Which car in that segment offers this other than Amaze ?
Swift has possibly the best front seat under Rs. 10/- lakh. I would put Swift's front seats better than Ciaz.

3) Refinement and Engine performance. For the diesel, Xcent is way lower than competition. Even Etios performs better than Xcent. Dzire is in different league. Diesel motor offered in Xcent is underpowered for a sedan.
Xcent, petrol or diesel, is not offering either segment best performance or FE.

4) Width makes it a 4 seater, not 5.

Overall, Xcent has got a more than reasonable built, interior fit and finish and good NVH.
Competition is much better overall as a package. Only product which I believe is below Xcent as overall package is Amaze.
The fixed head rests are really uncomfortable. Seat is way too short.

Zest : Very refreshing design. After years Tata motors has shown courage to do something so refreshing and they have won IMO. Ample space, nice seats, good engine, good ride, features ( I would love to have projector lights in place of a "push start" engine which IMO anyway is devoid of feel ).

Why Zest did not get my vote is price. For such an old platform, I was expecting a bit less price. Yes, it might be reworked, significantly at that, but still. The platform went on sale in 2008 with Indica Vista IIRC.

Alto K10 got my vote for its easy to use ( and maintain nature ) at a price which is not very high.

[balajisv]

Originally Posted by CarNerd

The Xcent has segment first rear AC vents, Push button start, biggest boot, rear camera for parking, etc but the best thing about Hyundai is its reliability, service & resale value which Tata simply can't match. So the Xcent is more VFM compared to Zest...

Agreed! What else are there under 'etc'?
But, like many have pointed out already, this poll is for the product only!

[a.ashokdurai]

Am not sure.. If Zest, Datsun Go, Mini Cooper can be here.. why not Punto Evo?

[Nitthari]

Voted for the i20 Elite. Reasons:

Pros:
Best looking hatch out there
Spacious
Pretty much fully loaded with all bells and whistles
Safety features
Proven Engine and technology
Proven A.S.S
Cons:
Just one - High priced!

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by srinath.s

However, a lot needs to be done before people seriously consider a Tata. Sure, the Zest is highly impressive. But as we all know, Tatas do not really age well (Where is Manza, which had best in class space and loads of features?).

I have seen and sat in far more Indica's having done more than 1 lakh kms than Hyundai's. Granted they are taxi's but compared to Hyundai taxi of the similar age, there isnt much difference. The Zest should supposedly be even better.

If by aging well you mean part replacements then it is different matter altogether.