Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:48

Kickstarting this year, YOU, the BHPian, will choose the Team-BHP Car of the Year. Each year from now on. And via a poll, of course!

Given below is a list of all cars launched in India in 2009. Included are some relevant highlights on each car.

The list has been sorted by price, and in ascending order. Look forward to your votes and also the reason why you voted for the car that you did.

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:49

Tata Nano

An absolutely revolutionary car in terms of cost of production and, thus, VFM. A "proper" car for 1.xx lakh rupees
A car for the masses. Mr. Ratan Tata's dream has been accomplished
Cute looks and very compact size
Fantastic engineering for the price
Surprisingly spacious interiors
Rear-engine RWD layout
Lightweight, easy to drive
Different tyre sizes at the front and rear

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:51

Maruti Ritz

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-ritz.jpg

A modern looking hatch. Ugly rear end though
Fresh interiors are packaged well
Fantastic 1.2L petrol engine + the "national" 1.3L diesel engine
Handles well for a tall boy
An Automatic transmission is missed
Bumpy ride at the rear at low speeds
Hasn't yet been able to replicate the success of the Swift

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:51

Fiat Grande Punto

Italian styling gives the Punto stunning looks
Solid European build quality
Great diesel and petrol engines. Neither are road burners though
Amazing handling and high speed stability
No compromise on safety. Even the diesel gets ABS & airbags
Average fit & finish on the inside
Prominent engine noise at high speed
After sales & service still poor

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:53

Premier Rio

"Comeback" car for the erstwhile Premier Auto
First Chinese vehicle to be sold in India
Compact size. Poor fit, finish, quality and depth in engineering
1.5L TUD5 Peugeot diesel engine
Very basic interiors. Insides feel cramped
Chinese product reliability could be an issue
Not many dealers around

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:54

Tata Manza

Absolute VFM sedan. Potential to shake up the entry C segment
1.4L petrol and 1.3L diesel engine. Both sourced from Fiat
Class leading rear seat comfort. Class topping interior space
Fantastic ride quality
Lots of features offered for the price
Fit and finish though good, can be improved

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:55

Honda Jazz

Easily the biggest, and arguably the best, hatch in the country today
Honda made a guffaw by overpricing it. Atleast Rs. 1.25 lakh too high
Refined 1.2 petrol engine
Flexible "magic seats" offer innumerable cargo carrying options
Fit and finish is top notch inside out
Equipment list is poor. Not even a parcel tray or alloy wheels!

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:56

Mahindra Xylo

Robust & quick 2.5L common rail diesel engine
VFM price tag
Spacious interiors and comfortable seats
Built to last. Can take a lot of abuse
Ride gets bumpy at high speeds
Not a handler. Substantial body roll on cornering
Hasn't clicked as Mahindra would have liked. Chief competitor (Innova) still the leader. Even the Scorpio selling more

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:57

Fiat Linea

Fiat's "come back" vehicle
Beautiful looks & solid build
Class-leading levels of equipment
Mature ride quality. Fantastic handling and road behaviour
Average outright performance from both (petrol and diesel) engines
Fit and finish on the interior is average
Niggling problems. Below average after sales & service

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:58

Chevrolet Cruze

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-chevycruze.jpg

Great styling. Looks suit the Chevy bow tie perfectly
Stonker of a diesel engine. Performance can shame all competitors
Excellent levels of equipment
Well priced. Offers good value
Turbo lag is a downer, especially in bumper to bumper traffic
Not very spacious on the inside. Interior fit and finish is average and has scope for improvement

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 15:59

Toyota Fortuner

Macho looks and tremendous road presence
Powerful 3.0 liter diesel engine. Competent performer
The market can't have enough of them! 1 year wait period
Spacious interiors. Not luxurious though
Toyota reliability
Firm suspension gives a bumpy ride
Poor braking ability
Fantastic Toyota after sales support

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 16:00

Skoda Superb

40 lakh luxury for 1/2 the price
Solid European build quality
Choice of three engines: 1.8L and 3.6L petrols, 2.0L diesel
Fit and finish is excellent. Equipment levels class-leading
Spacious interiors. Unreal luxury. Can make the E Class feel "small"
Turbo lag present in the diesel. 2.0L diesel is a poor choice
Shoddy after sales service

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 16:01

Mercedes Benz E Class

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-mercedeseclass.jpg

Build quality is back to the classic Merc days
Funky styling (Non-Mercedes touches too)
Loaded with gizmos and technology
Choice of a V6 petrol or diesel. Both are performers. 7 speed auto box
Luxurious interiors. Quality can be compared to the S Class
Not really a driver's car
No 5 year service packages yet

Dippy · 23rd December 2009, 16:07

NICHE CARS:

Even though the following cars have been launched in 2009, they have not been included in the Team-BHP car of the year poll. Reason = All of them serve an extremely small niche segment of the market, and are of little relevance today.

Audi Q5
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BMW 7 Series

BMW X6

BMW Z4

Jaguar XF

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-jagxf.jpg

Jaguar XKR

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-jagxkr.jpg

Land Rover Discovery LR4

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-lrlr4.jpg

Land Rover Freelander 2

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-lrfreelander.jpg

Land Rover Range Rover

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-lrrangerover.jpg

Nissan Teana

Nissan X-Trail

Porsche Panamera

Rolls Royce Ghost

Toyota Landcruiser

Volkswagen Beetle

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-vwbeetle.jpg

Volkswagen Touareg

Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is!-vwtouareg.jpg

GTO · 23rd December 2009, 16:20

Tata Nano, without a second thought! I don't even need to go through the other poll options. The Nano is not only the car of the year, but also the most important (automotive) landmark of this decade.

Hats off to Ratan Tata for achieving his dream....one after another! Around the same time 10 years back, he stuck to his commitment of a car that will have the space of an Ambassador at the price of a Maruti. Fast forward to '09, the Manza shows just how much Tata have advanced in their 10 real years of car making.

Know what the coolest thing about the Nano is? Sure, its the cheapest car in the world, yet feels like a proper car. Its got more room than the 800 and is surprisingly peppy in the city. But the coolest part of the Nano is its styling, looks and image. I mean, this is the only 1.5 lakh rupee car that an owner of a 80 lakh S Class wouldn't mind having in his garage. It wows both...first time car owners and those from the luxury segment.

Simply put, the Nano has spunk. Character. Attitude. Heck, I find some 10 lakh cars lacking in these areas!

View Poll Results: Vote for the Team BHP COTY 2009
Tata Nano	406	38.37%
Maruti Ritz	46	4.35%
Fiat Grande Punto	160	15.12%
Premier Rio	2	0.19%
Tata Manza	63	5.95%
Honda Jazz	15	1.42%
Mahindra Xylo	13	1.23%
Fiat Linea	113	10.68%
Chevrolet Cruze	89	8.41%
Toyota Fortuner	105	9.92%
Skoda Superb	40	3.78%
Mercedes Benz E Class	6	0.57%
Voters: 1058. You may not vote on this poll

23rd December 2009, 15:48	#1
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Team-BHP Car of the Year 2009 EDIT : The Tata Nano it is! Kickstarting this year, YOU, the BHPian, will choose the Team-BHP Car of the Year. Each year from now on. And via a poll, of course! Given below is a list of all cars launched in India in 2009. Included are some relevant highlights on each car. The list has been sorted by price, and in ascending order. Look forward to your votes and also the reason why you voted for the car that you did. Last edited by GTO : 24th December 2009 at 14:11.
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:49	#2
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Tata Nano An absolutely revolutionary car in terms of cost of production and, thus, VFM. A "proper" car for 1.xx lakh rupees A car for the masses. Mr. Ratan Tata's dream has been accomplished Cute looks and very compact size Fantastic engineering for the price Surprisingly spacious interiors Rear-engine RWD layout Lightweight, easy to drive Different tyre sizes at the front and rear
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:51	#3
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Maruti Ritz A modern looking hatch. Ugly rear end though Fresh interiors are packaged well Fantastic 1.2L petrol engine + the "national" 1.3L diesel engine Handles well for a tall boy An Automatic transmission is missed Bumpy ride at the rear at low speeds Hasn't yet been able to replicate the success of the Swift Last edited by Dippy : 24th December 2009 at 14:16.
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:51	#4
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Fiat Grande Punto Italian styling gives the Punto stunning looks Solid European build quality Great diesel and petrol engines. Neither are road burners though Amazing handling and high speed stability No compromise on safety. Even the diesel gets ABS & airbags Average fit & finish on the inside Prominent engine noise at high speed After sales & service still poor
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:53	#5
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Premier Rio "Comeback" car for the erstwhile Premier Auto First Chinese vehicle to be sold in India Compact size. Poor fit, finish, quality and depth in engineering 1.5L TUD5 Peugeot diesel engine Very basic interiors. Insides feel cramped Chinese product reliability could be an issue Not many dealers around
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:54	#6
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Tata Manza Absolute VFM sedan. Potential to shake up the entry C segment 1.4L petrol and 1.3L diesel engine. Both sourced from Fiat Class leading rear seat comfort. Class topping interior space Fantastic ride quality Lots of features offered for the price Fit and finish though good, can be improved
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:55	#7
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Honda Jazz Easily the biggest, and arguably the best, hatch in the country today Honda made a guffaw by overpricing it. Atleast Rs. 1.25 lakh too high Refined 1.2 petrol engine Flexible "magic seats" offer innumerable cargo carrying options Fit and finish is top notch inside out Equipment list is poor. Not even a parcel tray or alloy wheels!
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:56	#8
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Mahindra Xylo Robust & quick 2.5L common rail diesel engine VFM price tag Spacious interiors and comfortable seats Built to last. Can take a lot of abuse Ride gets bumpy at high speeds Not a handler. Substantial body roll on cornering Hasn't clicked as Mahindra would have liked. Chief competitor (Innova) still the leader. Even the Scorpio selling more
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:57	#9
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Fiat Linea Fiat's "come back" vehicle Beautiful looks & solid build Class-leading levels of equipment Mature ride quality. Fantastic handling and road behaviour Average outright performance from both (petrol and diesel) engines Fit and finish on the interior is average Niggling problems. Below average after sales & service
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:58	#10
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Chevrolet Cruze Great styling. Looks suit the Chevy bow tie perfectly Stonker of a diesel engine. Performance can shame all competitors Excellent levels of equipment Well priced. Offers good value Turbo lag is a downer, especially in bumper to bumper traffic Not very spacious on the inside. Interior fit and finish is average and has scope for improvement
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 15:59	#11
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Toyota Fortuner Macho looks and tremendous road presence Powerful 3.0 liter diesel engine. Competent performer The market can't have enough of them! 1 year wait period Spacious interiors. Not luxurious though Toyota reliability Firm suspension gives a bumpy ride Poor braking ability Fantastic Toyota after sales support
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 16:00	#12
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Skoda Superb 40 lakh luxury for 1/2 the price Solid European build quality Choice of three engines: 1.8L and 3.6L petrols, 2.0L diesel Fit and finish is excellent. Equipment levels class-leading Spacious interiors. Unreal luxury. Can make the E Class feel "small" Turbo lag present in the diesel. 2.0L diesel is a poor choice Shoddy after sales service
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 16:01	#13
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	Mercedes Benz E Class Build quality is back to the classic Merc days Funky styling (Non-Mercedes touches too) Loaded with gizmos and technology Choice of a V6 petrol or diesel. Both are performers. 7 speed auto box Luxurious interiors. Quality can be compared to the S Class Not really a driver's car No 5 year service packages yet
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 16:07	#14
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,558 Thanked: 2,462 Times	NICHE CARS: Even though the following cars have been launched in 2009, they have not been included in the Team-BHP car of the year poll. Reason = All of them serve an extremely small niche segment of the market, and are of little relevance today. Audi Q5 BMW 7 Series BMW X6 BMW Z4 Jaguar XF Jaguar XKR Land Rover Discovery LR4 Land Rover Freelander 2 Land Rover Range Rover Nissan Teana Nissan X-Trail Porsche Panamera Rolls Royce Ghost Toyota Landcruiser Volkswagen Beetle Volkswagen Touareg Last edited by Dippy : 23rd December 2009 at 16:12.
	() Thanks

23rd December 2009, 16:20	#15
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,512 Thanked: 300,684 Times View My Garage	Tata Nano, without a second thought! I don't even need to go through the other poll options. The Nano is not only the car of the year, but also the most important (automotive) landmark of this decade. Hats off to Ratan Tata for achieving his dream....one after another! Around the same time 10 years back, he stuck to his commitment of a car that will have the space of an Ambassador at the price of a Maruti. Fast forward to '09, the Manza shows just how much Tata have advanced in their 10 real years of car making. Know what the coolest thing about the Nano is? Sure, its the cheapest car in the world, yet feels like a proper car. Its got more room than the 800 and is surprisingly peppy in the city. But the coolest part of the Nano is its styling, looks and image. I mean, this is the only 1.5 lakh rupee car that an owner of a 80 lakh S Class wouldn't mind having in his garage. It wows both...first time car owners and those from the luxury segment. Simply put, the Nano has spunk. Character. Attitude. Heck, I find some 10 lakh cars lacking in these areas!
	() Thanks