2020 VW Polo vs Maruti Swift vs Hyundai Elite i20

Volkswagen Polo

What you’ll like:

• Fast & fun to drive. Begs to be driven hard!
• Brilliant 109 BHP 1.0L TSI engine is an enthusiast's delight. Mated to a slick 6-speed MT
• Mature suspension gives the Polo good road manners
• Still looks great. Old, but timeless, clean & classy
• Solidly built with an European feel that no other hatchback matches till today
• Among the safest hatchbacks in India - GNCAP rating of 4 stars
• Features such as cruise control, reach + rake steering, auto-wipers, driver armrest, tinted windows

What you won’t:

• Yet another Polo variant & engine. Enough already (related thread)!!
• 1.0 TSI’s refinement is poor at high rpm (it’s acceptable at regular revs)
• An 11-year old model. The next-generation Polo is already on sale abroad
• Limited rear bench legroom and a large floor hump. Your family won’t be pleased
• VW's sub-par dealership & service experiences
• Many missing features: keyless-entry-go, reversing camera, oldschool MID, boot light, split rear seat, projector / LED headlamps, basic 4-speaker ICE
• Premium pricing! Amongst the most expensive cars in the segment, despite being the oldest

Review Link

Maruti Swift

What you'll like:

• The same successful formula (including good looks)...now improved
• Stylish black cabin, with better rear seat space & boot capacity than the outgoing car
• Sweet petrol motor. AMT available as well
• Fun to drive, especially the slick Petrol MT. Enjoyable handling & on-road behaviour
• Impressively equipped (Auto LED headlamps + DRLs, reversing camera, Apple & Android touchscreen ICE…)
• Dual airbags, ABS & ISOFIX child seat mounts are standard across the range
• Maruti's widespread service network, excellent after-sales support & fuss-free ownership experiences

What you won't:

• The more spacious & comfortable Baleno is priced not too far away. Likewise with the i20
• No diesel option post the implementation of BS6 emission norms
• Mediocre plastic quality (interiors) is typical Maruti grade; very ordinary
• Diesel AT is too jerky. AMT, although improved, can’t match conventional ATs on smoothness & speed
• 163 mm of ground clearance & small 37-liter fuel tank raise our eyebrows
• Some misses (auto-dimming IRVM, skinny 165 mm tyres on L & V variants, rear air-con, smaller spare tyre on the Z trims...)
• Long waiting periods

Link to Official Review

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

Link to launch thread

Rahul_goyal's Ownership Review

Hyundai Elite i20

What you'll like:

• All-rounded package in a sharp design. Improved over the 1st-gen i20 in nearly every way
• Spacious interiors with outstanding quality, fit and finish. Practical 285 liter boot too
• Mature suspension offers a comfortable ride and neutral handling characteristics
• Hyundai's fuss-free ownership experience & excellent after-sales-service
• Loaded with features & gizmos (16" rims, keyless entry & go, 8-speaker stereo, rake & reach steering, rear air-con, reversing cam, cooled glovebox and lots more)

What you won't:

• Missing equipment vis-a-vis old i20: Rear disc brakes, side & curtain airbags, sunroof, auto-wipers & DRLs
• 1.2L petrol is has mediocre highway performance for a premium hatchback
• Anyone over 5'11" will find rear headroom to be insufficient. Sloping roof eats into cabin height at the back
• Dynamics & steering aren't to an enthusiast's tastes. Swift, Polo etc. are more fun to drive
• No diesel or automatic options post the implementation of BS6 emission norms
• Rear wiper only on the top Asta trim! No fuel-efficiency indicator, auto-locking doors or height-adjustable seatbelts on any variant

Review Link

Maruti Baleno 

What you'll like:

• A well-priced, smart looking hatchback
• User-friendly cabin with loads of space! Can easily seat 5 tall adults
• Accommodating 339 liter boot. The 2nd biggest among hatchbacks (after the Jazz)
• Peppy petrol engine & smooth automatic
• Comfortable ride quality matched to neutral handling
• Dual Airbags & ABS with EBD are standard across all variants!
• Maruti's excellent after-sales service & fuss-free ownership experience
• Loaded with features such as UV-cut glass, projector headlamps + DRLs, reversing camera, Apple CarPlay, navigation, electrically-foldable ORVMs and more

What you won't:

• Ordinary interior quality is Swift-like. Several budget grade parts in here
• Rear seat headroom & under-thigh support are limited for tall passengers
• Light build quality (weighs merely 865 kilos). Lacks the solidity of its rivals
• CVT Automatic suffers from rubber-band effect on the highway
• More substantial & premium Elite i20 is priced Rs. 5,000 - 67,000 above
• No diesel engine option available post the implementation of BS6 emission norms

Review Link

Maruti Ignis

What you'll like:

• Unique, funky design - exterior & interior stand out in a crowd. Customisation options available
• Smart packaging! Good legroom & headroom in such a small car. Useable 260-liter boot too
• Peppy petrol engine. What’s more, the AMT automatic is available as well
• Dual airbags, ABS with EBD and ISOFIX child seat anchors are standard across all variants
• Maruti's widespread service network, excellent after-sales support & fuss-free ownership experiences
• Features such as LED projector headlamps + DRLs, reversing camera, Apple & Android ICE, navigation, electrically-foldable ORVMs etc.

What you won't:

• Simply overpriced, not a VFM Maruti. Top trim is especially pricey
• You can buy more accomplished cars for the same (Grand i10) or a little more (Baleno) money
• Weird rear end styling. Overall, the unconventional looks will polarize opinions
• AMT, although improved, still can’t match conventional ATs on smoothness or speed
• Narrow cabin width. Rear seat is better for 2 adults than 3
• 32-liter fuel tank is too small for this segment. Even the humble Alto gets a larger tank
• No diesel or automatic options post the implementation of BS6 emission norms

Review Link

Ford Figo

What you'll like:

• Aston Martin-esque face still looks very stylish!
• Peppy 95 BHP 3-cylinder petrol is much improved over the earlier lethargic 1.2L
• Powerful & efficient 1.5L diesel. Excellent driveability too
• Mature ride quality. Also, improved handling thanks to the fatter 195 mm tyres
• Well-packaged cabin offers good legroom, lots of features and a chilling air-con
• Titanium+ variant gets 6 airbags
• 5 year / 1 lakh km warranty with transparent + reasonable service costs
• We feel the pricing is fair for the package on offer

What you won't:

• 1.2L is good for a 3-cylinder engine, but the 4-cylinder 1.2s from Maruti, Hyundai & gang are superior
• Overall design (other than the face) feels old & bland compared to newer hatchbacks
• Some missing essentials (e.g. dead pedal) & some deletions (e.g. SYNC3, height-adjustable seatbelts)
• Lighter build is a departure from the usual Ford sturdiness
• Cabin width makes the Figo suited to 4 adults, not 5
• Automatic transmission not available
• Rear headroom is limited. Headliner brushes the heads of taller passengers
• A bit uncertain of how the long-term after-sales will be, with the Mahindra-Ford JV

Review Link

The 2019 Facelift

Tata Altroz

What you'll like:

• Looks absolutely stunning! Solid build too
• Nice interior with good quality parts & adequate space
• Accommodating 345-litre boot is among the biggest of the segment
• Competent turbo-diesel engine. Good driveability, punchy & fuel-efficient
• Mature on-road behaviour, including at highway speeds
• 5-star NCAP safety rating! Safety package includes dual airbags, CSC, break reminder etc.
• Enjoyable Harman 6-speaker ICE. One of the better systems in this segment
• Impressive kit (auto headlamps & wipers, cruise control, ambient lighting, adjustable armrest...)
• Factory-fitted customisation packs available

What you won't:

• Under-powered, lame & noisy 3-cylinder 1.2L petrol engine
• Suspension has a firm edge at low speeds (16" rim variants). Bad roads will bother you
• Diesel variant carries an insane premium! Works out to almost Rs. 2 lakhs on the road
• Service visit every 6 months / 7,500 km (1 year / 10,000 km is the norm today)
• Some missing features (auto-dimming IRVM, thinner spare tyre on top trims, split-folding rear seat...)
• No automatic variant in a market that loves its ATs
• Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• Concerns over niggles in a freshly-baked Tata product

Review Link

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