Test Driven the Diesel Hatchbacks. Review on Tips on Diesel Hatchbacks

After close to a year of test driving, negotiating with dealers and worrying about my bank balance. I made up my mind to replace my Zen Lxi with a new car.

Since I am a regular on long drives, my choice was obviously a diesel with ABS and since I stay in Bangalore, the obvious body construction had to be a hatchback.

I've test driven:

Punto, U-VA, Beat, i20, Swift, Liva, Figo, Micra & Polo. I did not try the Pulse since it is nothing but a Micra; Indica Vista due to the Taxi car image & Fabia for expensive maintenance.

Verdict  :-

1) Punto:

Pro: Beautiful looks. Good dynamics & interiors. Spacious. Spacious boot. Decent Stereo. Freebies such as Navigation & accessories.

Cons: Pricey. Poor sales & after sales support. Lustreless performance.

2) U-VA:

Pro: Good VFM. Better engine than Swift thru smart gearing, thought it is the same MJD from Fiat. Decently spacious boot. Decent look.

Cons: Poor interior quality - too much of cost cutting. Poor after sales service. Not many on road, hence question on reliability and spare prices.

3) Beat:

Pro: Good City car. Chic Odo unit. Higher Seating(good for drivers with knee problems).

Cons: Small engine for long drives. No boot. Expensive for the money I pay. Small boot. Poor back seats.

4) i20(Driven and travelled in my friend's i20 Diesel):

Pro: Premium vehicle. Features which put premium mid-size cars to shame. Excellent color options. Spacious boot. Good looks.

Cons: Pathetic second gear pulling. Slight body roll. Too expensive for a hatch. Expensive spares. Poor after sales support(Bangalore)

5) Swift(Test driven two of my friend's All new Swift DDiS(Zdi & Vdi):

Pro: Driver's delight. Good looks(though not a fan of the new tail lamp cluster) Maruti product(spares are not cheap.but not too pricey like an i20 or Renault). Improved interior space. Good stereo.

Cons: Expensive to own(Zdi). Low exchange price offered for my Maruti Zen Lxi. After sales experience of my colleagues have not been positive.

6) Liva:

Pro: Excellent engine & gearbox. Decent in driving dynamics. Good Road visibility & ground clearance. Reputed for reliability. Decent service support(in Bangalore). Spacious boot.

Cons: Cab like looks. Too many taxis on road. Pathetic quality of plastics. Low in features. Accessories costs too much. Very light body and quite unsafe(witnessed a car crash on Kerala highway where the vehicle skidded and hit a tree killing all 6 adults travelling in it).

7) Figo:

Pro: Value for money, Driving focused like a heat seeking missile. Superb stability on high speed. Good looks. Spares as expensive as Maruti. Normal services with small replacements are cheap. Spacious interiors & Boot.Best ABS among all cars tested. Good stereo. Responsive turbo pulling all the way from 1500 RPM.

Cons: Interior plastic quality needs to improve. Diesel engine NVH is high. Poor after sales service. Hard rear seats. Rear windows does not come with power windows and will roll down only 60%. No auto A/C.

8) Micra(Test driven my friend's Micra Diesel):

Pro: Decent torque. Good for highways. Decent interiors(not many liked it though). Light steering - good for women. Spacious interiors.

Cons: Non-impressive looks. Not much discount. Not many on road. Though touted as cheap to operate, my friend is a dissatisfied customer. Poor back seats. Not enthusiastic in dynamics.

9) Polo(Test driven and travelled in my friend's new Polo Diesel):

Pro: Stable on high speeds. Sturdy body. Quality plastics. Good looks.

Cons: 3 cylinder engine is high on NVH compared to MJD from Fiat or CRDi of i20. Expensive spares. Back seats are not comfortable for long drives.

I'd not comment on mileage based on company claims since those are hugely varying based on actual driving conditions. The comments are absolutely from my point of view. Looks, qualities such as driveability are customer specific. I love driving and hence such focus.:)