Team-BHP
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https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)
It's back again;
The Team-BHP Car of the Year 2010, where
YOU the BHPian will choose the car of the year. Via a public poll of course.
Given below is a list of all the cars launched in India in 2010. Included are some relevant highlights on each car. The list has been sorted by price-ascending order. Look forward to your votes and also the reason why you voted for the car that you did.
Previous COTY - 2009 Team-BHP COTY Thread
Maruti Wagon R - The same successful formula, now improved
- A practical value-for-money package
- Better road manners, especially urban ride quality
- Improved interior space
- Precise gear shifts, unlike the previously lousy quality
- Optional ABS & Dual Airbags on the VXi variant
- Maruti's stellar after-sales quality & network
- Higher NVH levels, inherent to 3 cylinder engines. Average low rpm throttle response
- Iffy build & interior part quality
- Smaller boot compared to the outgoing gen. 180L capacity
- Looks are not as contemporary as other recent launches
Chevrolet Beat - Funky styling inside & out
- Nippy city hatch character. Light, easy to drive and chuckable
- Compliant ride quality. No bumpiness
- Unique superbike-inspired speedometer
- Well packaged interiors (for 4)
- ARAI fuel efficiency topper
- Chevy's 3 year service guarantees
- Unconventional styling isn't to everyone's taste
- Compact 170 liter boot. 50 - 60 liters smaller than competition
- Very dull dark-grey interior shade. No beige option either
- Horribly undertyred (155 mm width). An upgrade is a must
- Some goodies missing (keyless entry, driver seat height adjust, steering mounted controls)
- Small rear window creates a claustrophobic ambience at the back
Ford Figo - Robust build and construction
- Interiors more comfortable than chief competitors i10 & Swift
- 1.4 Diesel's proven driveability and fuel efficiency. No turbolag
- The Ford Figo's mature big-car-like ride quality
- Ford's DNA in the on-road behaviour and quick steering
- Class-topping 284 liter boot space
- Lacks the modernity of recently launched hatchbacks
- Both of the engines in the Figo are lacking in outright performance. Neither engine can exploit the car's dynamics
- No true top-end variant (tilt adjustable steering, rear power windows, MID etc.)
- Average backseat legroom. Not in the league of, say, an Indica Vista
- Ford's sub-par dealership experience
Nissan Micra - Cheeky styling. A touch of retro too
- Quality, well-designed, interiors
- Driver airbag standard across the range (including base variant)
- Compliant ride quality. Suspension tuned for comfort
- Gizmos : Keyless entry & go, engine start / stop button, electric folding mirrors, climate control
- 3-pot fuel efficiency. ARAI = 18.06 kpl
- Ordinary three-cylinder petrol engine, dull to drive. 1.5 Diesel model recently launched.
- Inexistent under-thigh support from the rear seat
- Quirky design may not be to your taste
- The wafer-thin dealer network
- Nissan's cost of ownership is yet unchartered territory
Volkswagen Polo - A well-built solid European hatchback
- Clean and contemporary styling. Absolutely no quirkiness
- "Big car like" ride quality. Suspension setup ideal for Indian roads
- Neutral handling & mature road behaviour
- Fuel efficient range of engines
- 280 liter boot. Figo-like & substantially larger than direct competition
- Short-throw slick gearshift (petrol especially). Amongst the best in India
- Commuter 3-cylinder engines do not hit the sweet spot nor match the segment benchmarks. New 1.6 Petrol is better
- Some niceties missing. Climate control, USB / AUX audio input, electric ORVMs etc.
- Ordinary rear bench legroom. Comparable to the Ritz
- Thin 40 dealership network
- VW's cost of ownership is yet unknown territory
Toyota Etios - A practical family sedan. Realistic pricing too
- Spacious interiors can easily carry 5 adults
- Stunning in-city driveability. Torquey engine & nice gearshift
- Well-tuned suspension. Safe handling and flat ride
- Cavernous 595L boot swallows holiday luggage
- Toyota’s excellent after-sales service
- Dated, plain-vanilla styling. Lacks contemporariness
- Missing equipment (climate control, height adjustable seat, electric ORVMs etc.)
- Cost-cutting glaringly evident in some areas
- Unconventional dashboard will meet mixed opinions
- Buzzy engine over 4,500 rpm. Doesn't like the redline
Mahindra Thar - Available in two variants; an MDI engine and a modern common-rail diesel
- 2.5 times the torque of its closest competitor, the Maruti Gypsy
- Independent front suspension will not please the purists
- Better on-road behaviour than old school Jeeps
- Don't go by the MM540 looks. It's actually a Scorpio underneath the skin
- BorgWarner 4wd system is standard
- 2.48 ratio low range gearbox
Volkswagen Vento - A well-built, robust, European sedan
- Clean and contemporary styling. Boot is superbly integrated
- Competitive pricing, especially for a German car
- Stunning diesel engine. New torque king of the C segment
- Mature suspension setup. Balanced ride & handling
- Segment firsts : Reach adjust steering, gear recommender, adjustable driver armrest etc.
- All-rounded nature; Jack of all trades
- 6.99L Trendline (entry) variant is simply too basic. No Comfortline (middle) variant
- Petrol engine isn't as impressive as the diesel. Average low rpm response
- Electric power steering. The Vento deserves a pure hydraulic unit
- Some goodies missing (steering-mounted audio controls, AUX / USB stereo, dead pedal & folding rear seat)
- Thin 47 dealer all-India network. After sales has yet to prove itself
- VW's long-term ownership costs are unknown
Tata Aria - Solid body-on-frame construction. Seemingly robust
- Futuristic styling, especially the face. Good street presence
- Spacious 1st & 2nd seat rows. Interior quality a big leap ahead for Tata
- Balanced road behaviour. Strong brakes too
- Premium level of equipment. Many segment firsts, including AWD
- Safety : Traction control, ABS, 6 airbags & all-round disc brakes
- Rs. 14.75 lakh (base) - 17.75 (top variant) on-road is simply overpriced
- Third row of seats best suited to kids only
- Unsettled ride quality at highway speeds
- Apprehensions over initial niggles with new Tata cars
- Tata's un-premium after-sales service experiences
Skoda Yeti - Premium, solid build quality, inside and out
- Smooth and responsive diesel engine
- Compact enough for the city. Easy to drive
- Sedan like handling and road behavior at high speed
- A host of electronics and features on the Elegance version
- Safety: ABS, EBD, Hill-hold, TCS, ESP, 6-airbags, active head restraints and 3-point seatbelts for all passengers
- Quirky looking from some angles, might not be to everyone's tastes
- Firm low-speed ride quality
- Cramped rear seat when seating more than 4 in the Yeti
- No Auto or DSG transmission currently offered on the Indian Yeti
- Skoda’s after-sales horror stories
BMW X1 - Based on the 3 Series platform
- Two engine options. 1.8 Petrol and 2.0 Diesel
- High quality fit and finish. German trademark
- Longer wheelbase gives better legroom at the rear
- Low placed rear seats not comfortable for tall passengers
- Good boot space. Rear seats fold 40:20:40
- Compact Size. Easy to drive in city traffic
- Run flat tyres not suited for Indian roads
- Fantastic brakes. Loaded with safety features
- Excellent BMW after sales maintenence packages
BMW 5 Series F10 - Classic BMW styling. A timeless design, no more quirkiness
- 7 series quality, inside out. Actually based on the exact same platform
- Stunning performance, flexibility & refinement from the 6 cylinder diesel
- Immaculate balance in ride and handling
- Cutting-edge tech (8 speed gearbox, regenerative braking, full iDrive etc.)
- 5 star safety. 6 airbags & endless electronic aids. Outstanding brakes
- 5 year / 100,000 kms all-inclusive maintenance packages
- Electric power steering. Drive is not as pure as the E60 on the limit
- Runflat tyres mandatory. No room for a space saver spare either
- Legroom about the same as the E60. No perceptible increase. Rear headroom at a premium
- E60 fans wont take kindly to the conservative styling
CBUs (fully imported cars) have not been included due to their limited applicability to the Indian market.
I actually had to spend some time thinking between:
- The Ford Figo : Right car at the right price. Entered a domain dominated by Maruti, Hyundai & Tata, and gave them a tough fight. Emerged as a highly successful car. No real deal breaker with the product, it's well-rounded. The diesel is the undoubted pick.
- Toyota Etios : A sedan that beats the Dzire at its own game. Spacious, torquey petrol, safe ride & handling and the "T" badge for 5 - 6 lakhs.
- VW Vento : The only sedan that can challenge the Honda City's 13 year hold on the C+ segment. Priced well for a European, good build, excellent ride & handling and a stunning diesel engine.
- Tata Aria : A giant leap ahead for Tata in terms of product engineering. However, an equally large step behind in terms of VFM...something that Tata has always stood for.
In the end, I have to pick the Figo...Ford pulled off a master-class move in the hatchback segment. Evidently, the market seems to agree too.
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