I have been watching other people drive sitting in the passenger seat - and according to me, atleast 90% of the users are "lazy gear changers". That is, on a dual carriageway, 2nd gear is rarely ventured into. Even in a single lane state highway, the car stays in the 2nd gear for a very short time (because of the engine noise) - people tend to upshift pretty soon.
That's why, to most users, driveability of a car is more important (and useful) than outright 0 - 100 kmph performance.
Ranking of cars with the quickest 30 - 80 Kmph timings in the 3rd Gear:
Tata Vista 1.3 Diesel -------------- 11.79 secs
Fiat Palio 1.6 Petrol --------------- 11.9 secs
Maruti Swift 1.3 Diesel ------------- 11.96 secs
Maruti Ritz 1.3 Diesel -------------- 12.52 secs
Fiat Punto 1.3 Diesel ---------------12.57 secs
Fiat Palio 1.3 Diesel ---------------- 12.66 secs
Hyundai Santro 1.1 Petrol ---------- 13.19 secs
Skoda Fabia 1.2 Petrol ------------- 13.35 secs
Ford Figo `1.4 Diesel --------------- 13.45 secs
Skoda Fabia 1.4 Diesel ------------- 13.76 secs
Fiat Punto 1.4 Petrol --------------- 14.11 secs
Honda Jazz 1.2 Petrol ---------------14.26 secs
Hyundai i10 1.1 Petrol -------------- 14.67 secs
Maruti Ritz 1.2 Petrol --------------- 14.67 secs
Maruti WagonR 1.1 Petrol ----------- 14.71 secs
Maruti A-Star 1.0 Petrol ------------ 14.93 secs
Maruti Swift 1.2 Petrol -------------- 14.98 secs
Maruti Alto 0.8 Petrol --------------- 15 secs
Hyundai Getz 1.3 Petrol ------------- 15.12 secs
Chevrolet Spark 1.0 Petrol ---------- 15.19 secs
Tata Indica 1.2 Petrol -------------- 15.25 secs
Fiat Punto 1.2 Petrol ---------------- 15.27 secs
Maruti 800 0.8 Petrol ---------------- 15.4 secs
Maruti Estilo 1.0 Petrol -------------- 15.46 secs
Hyundai i20 1.4 Diesel ---------------- 15.51 secs
Hyundai i10 1.2 Petrol ---------------- 15.52 secs
Chevrolet U-VA 1.2 Petrol ------------- 15.57 secs
Chevrolet Beat 1.2 Petrol -------------- 15.99 secs
Hyundai Getz 1.1 Petrol --------------- 16.31 secs
VW Polo 1.2 Petrol -------------------- 16.83 secs
Ford Figo 1.2 Petrol -------------------16.84 secs
Hyundai i20 1.2 Petrol ---------------- 16.98 secs
Tata Vista 1.2 Petrol ------------------ 17.91 secs
Tata Indica 1.4 Diesel ------------------18 secs
Fiat Palio 1.1 Petrol -------------------- 19.99 secs
Tata Nano 0.6 Petrol ------------------- 20.45 secs
Ranking of cars with the quickest 40 - 100 Kmph timings in the 4th Gear:
Maruti Swift 1.3 Diesel --------------- 14.14 secs
Tata Vista 1.3 Diesel ----------------14.87 secs
Fiat Punto 1.3 Diesel ---------------- 15.22 secs
Fiat Palio 1.3 Diesel ------------------ 15.26 secs
Maruti Ritz 1.3 Diesel ----------------- 15.36 secs
Ford Figo `1.4 Diesel ----------------- 16.36 secs
Skoda Fabia 1.4 Diesel --------------- 16.49 secs
Fiat Palio 1.6 Petrol -------------------18.7 secs
Hyundai i20 1.4 Diesel -----------------19.01 secs
Fiat Punto 1.4 Petrol ------------------ 19.53 secs
Hyundai Santro 1.1 Petrol -------------- 20.04 secs
Honda Jazz 1.2 Petrol------------------ 20.27 secs
Hyundai i10 1.1 Petrol ----------------- 20.64 secs
Skoda Fabia 1.2 Petrol ----------------- 21.17 secs
Maruti A-Star 1.0 Petrol ---------------- 21.23 secs
Hyundai Getz 1.3 Petrol ---------------- 21.26 secs
Fiat Punto 1.2 Petrol ------------------- 21.72 secs
Hyundai i20 1.2 Petrol ------------------ 22.23 secs
Maruti Swift 1.2 Petrol ------------------ 22.41 secs
Chevrolet Beat 1.2 Petrol --------------- 22.43 secs
Chevrolet U-VA 1.2 Petrol --------------- 22.54 secs
Maruti Estilo 1.0 Petrol ------------------ 22.93 secs
Chevrolet Spark 1.0 Petrol --------------- 23.03 secs
VW Polo 1.2 Petrol ---------------------- 23.04 secs
Maruti Ritz 1.2 Petrol -------------------- 23.7 secs
Maruti WagonR 1.1 Petrol --------------- 24.06 secs
Tata Vista 1.2 Petrol -------------------- 24.48 secs
Hyundai Getz 1.1 Petrol ----------------- 25.58 secs
Tata Indica 1.2 Petrol ------------------- 25.6 secs
Ford Figo 1.2 Petrol --------------------- 26.65 secs
Tata Indica 1.4 Diesel ------------------- 29.7 secs
Hyundai i10 1.2 Petrol ------------------- 29.92 secs
Maruti 800 0.8 Petrol -------------------- 30.4 secs
Maruti Alto 0.8 Petrol -------------------- 31 secs
Fiat Palio 1.1 Petrol ---------------------- 34.19 secs
Tata Nano 0.6 Petrol --------------------- 46.38 secs
Assuming equal weightage for both 30 - 80 kph performance and 40 - 100 kph performance, the
final driveability ranking of the cars (from top to bottom) -
Tata Vista 1.3 Diesel
Maruti Swift 1.3 Diesel
Fiat Punto 1.3 Diesel
Maruti Ritz 1.3 Diesel
Fiat Palio 1.6 Petrol
Fiat Palio 1.3 Diesel
Ford Figo `1.4 Diesel
Skoda Fabia 1.4 Diesel
Hyundai Santro 1.1 Petrol
Fiat Punto 1.4 Petrol
Skoda Fabia 1.2 Petrol
Honda Jazz 1.2 Petrol
Hyundai i10 1.1 Petrol
Maruti A-Star 1.0 Petrol
Hyundai i20 1.4 Diesel
Hyundai Getz 1.3 Petrol
Maruti Swift 1.2 Petrol
Maruti Ritz 1.2 Petrol
Fiat Punto 1.2 Petrol
Maruti WagonR 1.1 Petrol
Chevrolet Spark 1.0 Petrol
Maruti Estilo 1.0 Petrol
Chevrolet U-VA 1.2 Petrol
Chevrolet Beat 1.2 Petrol
Tata Indica 1.2 Petrol
Hyundai i20 1.2 Petrol
Maruti Alto 0.8 Petrol
VW Polo 1.2 Petrol
Maruti 800 0.8 Petrol
Hyundai Getz 1.1 Petrol
Hyundai i10 1.2 Petrol
Tata Vista 1.2 Petrol
Ford Figo 1.2 Petrol
Tata Indica 1.4 Diesel
Fiat Palio 1.1 Petrol
Tata Nano 0.6 Petrol
Analysis:
- As mentioned before, Tatas & Fiats come back into the game. It's quite obvious that the engine and transmission of Tatas & Fiats have been tuned for driveability rather than outright performance.
- The Swift & Ritz diesel do quite well for itself on the driveability front too. They have the best of both worlds.
- Petrols are nowhere to be seen (except for Palio 1.6).
- Swift Diesel's 40 - 100 kmph time of 14 secs is beaten only by Skoda Laura 1.8 litre petrol engine. No other saloon petrol car gets close to Swift Diesel's 4th gear accelation. No wonder Swift diesel owners are so smug about their cars!
- Hyundai i20 1.4 diesel and Hyundai i10 1.2 Petrol rankings, which did so well in outright performance category, simply fall of the cliff when it comes to driveability.