Hitchhiker’s guide to hatchbacks

Besides the old faithful, what are the choices? Many car buyers find it difficult to judge cars by their technical specifications. So here is evaluation based on test reports and personal driving experience.

In the slightly bigger category of cars between 3.5 and 3.65 metres long is India’s top selling car, the 800 cc Alto. It is a little taller and more spacious than the Maruti 800 and has a peppy 47hp MPFI engine, making it a very safe buy. It is also being offered with a factory fitted AutoLPG kit

In second place is the 63 hp, 1100 cc Hyundai Santro. This tall, nimble and peppy car is perfect for city traffic though it has a slightly choppy ride when driven fast on a highway. Running parallel to it is the even taller 64 hp 1161 cc Maruti Wagon R. It is a great little car even though it has a boxy look. It is almost as quick in the city as the Santro but scores on highway runs.

The new Zen Estilo actually shares the same engine and platform as the Wagon R but has a lower roof and has been made more sleek and streamlined. GM’s new entry the 1000 cc 63 hp Chevrolet Spark is another very good little car. But this successor to the old Daewoo Matiz gets the prize for cuteness.

The latest entry into this car category is the Hyundai i10 that is 6 cms longer and wider than the Santro but has been engineered to give much more internal space than one imagines. It has a peppy 1086 cc 66 cc engine and leads the Indian pack in terms of external and internal styling. It is selling in impressive numbers in domestic and export markets.

Though the small hatchbacks command around 54 per cent of the market there is a class of bigger cars between 3.65 and 4 metres in length that generate a large 22 per cent of India’s sales. The extra size makes all these are more spacious and comfortable.

The leader of this bigger pack is India’s own Tata Indica. It has a variety of diesel and petrol engines though petrol is a small share. The base 1405 cc diesel delivers a sedate 53hp but the turbo version takes it to 67 and the new common rail DICOR engine delivers 70 smooth and peppy horses. The interiors are very spacious though the fit and finish is not quite as good as its competitors’.

Its main competitor in this segment is the Suzuki Swift which gives a very peppy and economical performance with its 1300 cc petrol and common rail diesel engines giving 87 hp and 75hp respectively. It is a winner in styling even though the rear seat and boot space is a little cramped. The Hyundai Getz is about the same size as the Swift and has 1086 and 1341 cc petrol and 1500 cc common rail diesel engines delivering 63, 83 and a huge 110 hp respectively. It is a very good all-round car with good internal space.

Similar to it is the relaunched and restyled Fiat Palio Stile with 1100 cc and 1600 cc petrol engines delivering 57 and 100 hp respectively as well as a 1248 cc common rail diesel generating 75 horses. It is a well styled, spacious and sturdy car but had fallen in reputation until Tata Motors took it under its wing to ensure good service and spares.

Competing with all of them is the 1150 cc 76 hp Chevrolet U-VA that offers the most internal space being a hatchback version of the Aveo sedan. A recent launch is the new Skoda Fabia with petrol and diesel engines. It has Skoda’s superb build quality and interior finish but the three cylinder diesel engine is a little noisy while the new 1100 cc petrol engine is a little meek. It is well styled but rather costly.

A new entrant to this segment is the Ford Fusion that has been shortened a little to squeeze under the 4 metre length bar. It is a very comfortable, spacious and versatile car with a 1600 cc 101 hp petrol and a 1400 cc 68 hp common rail engine that offers amazing fuel efficiency.

All the cars are now very good so no one will regret buying any of them even though each model scores best in different areas. Competition ensures that they are all reliable and economic and supported with good service. The old prejudices about nationalities no longer matter as all of them have proved themselves in global markets.

Styling is very important for some customers. Others look only at fuel economy while many look at pickup or handling. All new engines are also very fuel efficient but the resale value depends on a car’s reputation and that is often hard to determine at the time of purchase. Every buyer must list the weightage they attach to each factor and then test drive the car to decide on the car they think will best suit their own needs and personalities.