Small Car Comparison

I drive a 96 model Maruti Esteem which is fitted with CNG kit. Not that it is giving me any hassles, for the record it is one of the best no-nonsense cars I have ever driven. You will have to think hard and still I bet you will not be able to point out one low side of that car. Most people tend to believe that CNG fitted cars demand more maintenance, but I disagree. If you regularly (once a month is good enough) take your car out for a date with your mechanic, you will know what I am talking about. All it needs is a little cleaning of the jets and carbutterettor once in a while. One more fact about a CNG fitted car is that you will have to compromise on the pick-up, it reduces considerably. But the fact is that my car is getting old and no its not turning into gold either. Two reasons are enough. So it’s time again to go shopping for a new car. But this time I am not gonna buy a saloon. What I am looking out for is a small car that’s easy to manoeuvre and maintain in a city like Delhi. Now the choice you make will be entirely up to you. If everybody thought alike there would be only one model, one singular brand running all over the roads. But is that the case?

This is where it gets tricky. Lemme just mention the choices in front of me: Chevrolet Aveo UVA and Spark, Fiat Palio/Stile, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Santro and Getz/Prime, Maruti 800, Alto, Zen, Wagon R, Swift, and Tata Indica. 12 cars to choose from. And then you have to decide what variant you wanna go in for in a particular model too. My Gosh! As a kid when I rode the merry go round I usually felt dizzy, with everything around me I could see going round and round in circles. I feel the same. Lemme pick each one chronologically. Please remember I am not getting any paycheck from any of these big names and my thoughts are my own only, any resemblance to somebody living or dead’s thoughts can’t be ruled out . I am not considering pick up and speed as a major factor when your leg comes thundering down on the brake pedal after every 10-15 minutes, let’s face it Indian roads and traffic are like that only. I also wanted safety to be a vital parameter, but alas this is India. No safety standard ratings, no crash tests, absolutely no one bothers about the commuters safety. So here we go….

Aveo UVA: A sturdy car. Has the exact same interiors as the Aveo does, but sans the boot. For the past 3-4 weeks I am continuously covering long distance in my friends UVA and believe me it is as comfortable as it gets. By far the most comfortable small car. A bit expensive though. The top model cost him 5.4 lacs on road. Food for thought – why not go in for Renault Logan in this price. Have been hearing rave reviews about Logan’s performance and low-mileage it delivers. Once inside you don’t feel as if you are driving a small car. It holds its ground neatly at high speeds too cuz the car is heavy, which is a good thing.

Spark: Re-incarnation of the good ol’ Matiz. But has lost that Matizma somewhere. Crampy interiors. Unstable car. Looks like some kindergarten kids came together with the design. The speedometer and all the control dials are in bang middle of the dash. Yeah as if people sitting in the back seat need to know what speed I am doing. Moreover it’s my personal observation that Chevys tend to demand more maintenance later onwards. Initially I thought it’s a dead product from Chevy which can create no sparks. But at a price tag of under 3 lakhs and at a mileage of around 15, no wonder you can see so many Sparks around.

Palio/Stile: When I got my Esteem fitted with the CNG kit my mechanic told me that Mitsubishi Lancer and Fiat Palio give the best performance among other CNG fitted cars. The car has a good solid feel. Comfy interiors. Ample boot space. Go in for the petrol model if you are planning to get CNG kit fitted soon, otherwise diesel model is quite good. Maintenance does tend to go up as the car gets old. And with the new Stile, Fiat is back in business. Haven’t seen much of them on road though. Wondering why? FIAT has been in and out of the Indian car scene too many a times. Would you go in for a car from a company which had its own presence in India, but then disappeared? Palio is being distributed by Tata, which itself is not very famous among its customers thanks to the lousy service they offer. Another reason is that Fiat is perceived as an expensive fuel-hungry car, which is why people have been shying away from the petrol versions altogether.

Fusion: I have seen the souped up version of this car really perform in some illegal street racing in Delhi. The car is like God, most people are unsure even of it’s existence . Moreover Ford to me is synonymous with high maintenance. It’s not priced competitively. Had it been, it would have drawn my ‘Focus’. It has that distinctive executive appeal about it that I love. Ample room inside too. But right now with that price tag it’s a dud any which way.

Santro: Make hay while the sun shines. Hyundai did just that when Maruti had to stop production for a while to be Euro II compliant and Santro registered huge sales. But all in all a neat package. Earlier model looked like an ogre, but Santro Xing looks pretty neat. Excellent manoeuvrability, the best in the small car class. Decent mileage. Low on maintenance. Great smooth pick-up. But I just have one issue. The body panels in the newer cars is like a paper sheet. I saw a biker hit a side panel at a speed of around 60 kph, the biker and the bike showed no signs of an accident, but the car’s panel ripped into two. I mean what is Hyundai doing, trying to save money by cutting down on quality? After this incident I am a bit sceptical. This car is a strong contender in the race still. There is an option that dealers give you of fitting the Santro with a LPG kit. But I guess that will reduce the boot space considerably. Had the company itself given such an option like Maruti did, it would have been much better.

Getz/Prime: A premier segment small car from Hyundai. I just love it’s looks. Decent boot space. Enough leg-room. A responsive engine. Hyundai brand name. And the new Prime with a bit toned down engine (1.1 ltr and 1.3 ltr) gives good performance and better mileage than the original Getz. But the best part: better body than the Santro. If you can spend that extra little I think this is a way better choice than the Santro. Recently the company has released the Diesel version, but I will not like to comment until I drive one myself.

800: is like the Old faithful Horse that will serve it’s master no matter what. I have seen no other car take such a beating and still do the speeds it does. But the fact is sales have plummeted. Maruti plans to slowly phase out the car. Are you still thinking of buying an 800? Need I say more? No I guess I will move on.

Alto: The new face of the common man’s vehicle. And boy has it fulfilled the reputation well. The car has done more than enough than compensate for the dismal sales of 800. Excellent average, the best in it’s class. Full marks in the engine department. Crampy space. This car doesn’t know what’s legroom. So what? We are Indian’s. Haven’t you seen us riding the blue line buses or the 9 am rush in the Metro rail? The fact is Alto still is the most drive-able car in the whole section.

Zen Estilo: Maruti made such an overstatement in it’s commercials about the shape of the car. I think it’s absurd. Looks as if Toyota Innova gave birth to a baby and they named it Estilo . I completely disagree with the commercial they are airing raving about the boot space infact this car has absolutely dismal boot space. A direct competitor to Santro in the degraded body panel quality department. The car is so light it feels it might turn at the first sharp turn you will take. Man they messed up with the entire Zen brand name. And believe me the back seat is actually made to seat two people, three’s a crowd back there. Another dud of a car. Didn’t expect this from MUL guys.

Wagon R: MUL’s answer to Santro. As you would expect out of a decent Maruti this car underlines the characteristic features like low running cost, low maintenance cost and comfort. The car handles well too. For those who like to run on a cleaner and cheaper fuel, this is the first car in India which comes company fitted with a LPG kit. The tank does reduce the boot space a bit, but I bet it is better than getting a kit fitted from a dealer. Now that’s as safe a LPG car gets. The best deal for those folks who want to upgrade from their old 800’s but want to stick with the Maruti brand name. But I still think in the manoeuvrability and looks department Santro is a better choice. Wagon R misses that zap that ‘xing’ which Santro has. Wagon R though has better build quality than Santro, a better service network, marginally better overall look and feel. The other plus point is that Wagon R has a much better resale value than a Santro.

Swift: MUL’s answer to Getz. Retro looks. If Zen was called pregnant 800. This one’s pregnant Zen. An Indian clone of the Mini Cooper. I just love the front seats in this car. Man they should have made it a two seater, cuz the more I love the front seats the more I hate the leg room in the rear. Actually I think they made the car seats separately. They made ‘em big and comfy, but they couldn’t make the car an inch or two longer. Then they went ahead and fitted those seats. It has a really cramped up feel in the back. Rest there is no major glitch in this car. Still a wonderful option as an entry level car. First successful small Diesel car from MUL (remember what happened to Zen diesel).

Indica: You get a mini truck in 3.5 lacs. The newer version is way better than the original one. Every old Indica I have come across has the dreaded engine belt problem. This one though is without any such problem. Hands down and without any second thought the most successful small car that runs on diesel. Sturdy body. Able to take the roughest and toughest of the beatings. If you can get used to the constant hum of a diesel engine in the background while you drive look no further. Decent average, ample room, awesome boot space. I like the new models looks. See from the front and you see as if the car is smiling. Tried, tested and certified by Indian Taxi Federation

Now I don’t think that I will go in for a Diesel small car. The reason is that the Diesel engine requires a good solid housing which most small don’t have. It’s the trademark of a Diesel engine that when you start it, it gives the whole car a good solid jerk, compare it with a petrol one and you will know what I am talking about. Keeping in my mind my own specific needs I am planning to go in for a Santro or a Wagon R, it all depends on which one I can find a good deal from my local dealers. Leave aside the body panel quality, which is the only major issue with Santro, it seems to be a good deal too. But if I wait for 3-4 months, and manage to squeeze in some more bucks I am going for a Getz. 

Also keep in mind the new small cars that will be available in the coming year. Here’s a list: Honda is coming with its small car Jazz, this is one car I am so eagerly waiting for cuz I have heard really rave reviews about this car. Toyota plans to introduce the Indianized version of their hugely popular Yaris. Tata will be launching their much awaited 1 lakh car. Hyundai will launch the newer model PA/i10 which will be somewhere between Santro and Getz. They might even discontinue with Santro who knows. If Hyundai is coming with a replacement for Santro, then how can Maruti-Suzuki not join the race. They are coming with their new B-Segment car (yet another!!) named Splash. Skoda will be launching its first small car in India, the Fabia. Fiat is coming with their new car Punto.

The more the merrier!!