Overview

There's a new diesel hatchback in the market, the Nissan Micra. Naturally, we had to find out how it fares against its rivals. So we pit the diesel Micra against its arch rivals – the Polo and the Swift

A diesel engine is fast becoming the choice of small car buyers and the Swift has been the best seller in this segment so far. Volkswagen too wants a fair share of this small car pie for the Polo. Now, to make things more fun, Nissan has launched the Micra with a great diesel engine. We pit the three together to decide which is the best of the lot.

Exterior & Interior

ThePolo sports top notch quality inside the cabin and also comes with a steering adjustable for both reach and rake

In profile, and otherwise, the Polo has the most balanced design and looks the best of the lot on test here

The Polo on the other hand looks handsome from almost all angles. The car sports the now familiar VW family face, which started with the Scirocco and is now found on most VWs. We particularly like the large air dam, which gives it character. In profile too the new age design elements are clearly visible. However at the back, the design has been kept rather sedate. But we must say, when lit, the tail lamps look very smart.

Inside, it is rather sophisticated. The quality all around is top notch and the steering can be adjusted for both reach and rake. The seat too is adjustable for height, albeit manually. How¬ever where the Polo loses out is space at the back, where seating three is a crunch.

Swift offers least equipment among the three. So there's no music system or climate control

The Swift will not get you second glances on the road but it remains a great fun to drive car

The Swift meanwhile has been in the market for a while and has started looking a bit dated compared to its rivals here. However its ‘boy racer’ attitude remains and that image can be further enhanced with some aftermarket add-ons like fatter alloys and so on.

Inside, the Swift isn’t as well built as the German though. Moreover the quality of plastics too is something which can be bettered.

Quality of plastics on Micra could have been better but the design of the centre console, which is within easy reach, is user friendly

The Micra's oddball design will polarise opinion on its looks but will get you the most second glances from all bystanders

The Nissan Micra has a really oddball design, which is part retro with the large bug eyes up front and a two-slat grille. In profile too it has this clear arch for the green house and looks neat. From the rear three quartersthough, the retro feel returns thanks to the bulbous wheel arches from the yesteryears. One can also spot the spoiler on the tailgate and the alloys, which come standard in the XV Premium version of the Micra diesel. Inside, the Micra is similar to its petrol siblings and retains features like climate control, keyless entry, push button start and auto close mirrors. It also gets the multi information display, but does away with steering mounted controls. The seats too are a bit stiff and the plastics inside could do with better quality. The Micra also gets a driver’s airbag as standard. Unfortunately however ABS is not available even as an option on the diesel.

Engine & Gearbox

Volkswagen Polo Polo gets a three-cylinder mill, which is noisy

The Micra gets the 1.5-litre common rail diesel engine, which also does duty in the Renault Logan. The engine is a pretty large unit, especially compared to the 1.2-litre TDI of the Polo and the 1.3-litre DDIS of the Swift, and occupies most of the space under the hood of the little Micra. However, Nissan has retuned the same and it now offers 65bhp and 160Nm of torque, which offers a good blend of performance and fuel economy.

As is evident, the Polo's three-cylinder 1.2-litre unit is the smallest here. Nonetheless it does churn out 75bhp which is at par with the output of the Swift which has a four-cylinder 1.3-litre mill. The Polo though does have a 10Nm less peak torque than the Swift.

Start up the Nissan and a very familiar diesel clatter fills your ears. The clatter calms down instantly however and at idle you will be hard pressed to tell that it is a diesel. Slot the 5-speed manual into gear and you'll feel a notch between the cog and neutral. Gears however slot in precisely and gearshift operation remains light.

Maruti Suzuki Swift Swift's Fiat derived 1.3 DDIS is sprightly and refined

Compensating this notchy gearbox though is a great engine, which has a truly linear power delivery throughout the rev band, irrespective of the gear you are in. So a slight dab of the right foot ensures brisk acceleration. This makes the Micra a comfortable car to drive in the city and on highways. However be prepared for a constant dieselhum if you are one of those who prefer driving at high revs.

The steering on the Micra too is an ultra light affair. While a congested city road is a breeze to manoeuvre the Micra through, at high speed there is very little feedback. The Micra’s suspension meanwhile is good at absorbing most road undulations thrown at it while moving at slow speeds. But once the speeds rise, it has a tendency to crash into potholes which does get a bit uncomfortable.

The Polo too is endowed with a clatter but unlike the Micra it remains audible throughout, and only its superior NVH pack saves the day. The engine demonstrates a prominent lag till 2000rpm after which the Polo acquires decent grunt. This also means that the Polo requires more downshifting than the competition. The fact that the Polo is also the heaviest car here also works against it.

Nissan Micra Micra's engine is superbly fuel efficient

What the Volkswagen does offer however is the best ride and handling package of this trio. The electro-mechanical steering is light too but, unlike the other two, offers decent feedback. It also feels the most planted on the road no matter the speed. It seems as if the Polo is engineered for a lot more performance, than is offered by the little 1.2 diesel. Meanwhile the Swift's Fiat derived 1.3-litre motor is a real gem. It offers minimal vibrations and sounds good as well. But like the Polo, it too demonstrates a lag. Unlike in the Polo however, once the turbo has spooled up, acceleration is a little more violent.

At slower speeds the Swift offers a calmer drive, but the clatter from the motor is audible most of the time. The steering on the Swift also feels light. But, like in the Micra, as speeds increase it begins to feel vague, especially at around dead centre. The ride too seems a bit bouncy at high speeds and the Swift does have the tendency to crash into large potholes which makes things a bit uncomfortable.

Dimensions

Volkswagen Polo (mm)
Although it has the longest wheelbase, the Polo offers the least rear kneeroom	Seat squab folds onto the floor and eats up usable space in the Polo
Maruti Suzuki Swift (mm)
Swift offers best kneeroom for rear occupants despite smallest wheelbase	Depth at the bottom is good but seatback slant reduces usable space
Nissan Micra (mm)
Micra offers good space at the front and back. It also has the lowest loading lip	No 60:40 split but Micra's seats fold almost flat, releasing a lot of space

Scorecard & Verdict

Volkswagen Polo- It is the most expensive, but great quality and a good ride and handling package help it win this test.

Maruti Suzuki Swift- It's got a cracker of an engine and is super fun to drive but it's completely outclassed in terms of features.

Nissan Micra - Micra is the quickest, most driveable and the most efficient. But quality issues pull it down to second.

Scorecard

Body: The Swift offers the most knee and headroom for rear occupants. The Micra isn't short on rear space either but usable boot space is less and feel of quality could have been better. While the Polo scores heavily on the quality aspect and has the biggest boot, it has the least space for rear passengers.

Drive: The Micra has the largest engine in this trio. Moreover it is very drivable and offers good fuel economy as well. The Polo has the smallest mill and it loses out a bit on characteristics. The Swift on the other hand offers good acceleration and also scores high for its characteristics.

Comfort: The Polo offers the best ride quality and handling characteristics. Meanwhile the Micra offers a lot more comfort equipment. The Swift fi ghts back with easy ingress/egress for rear passengers and a good NVH package. However it loses out on the equipment front.

Dynamics: Both the Micra and Swift have light but vague steerings. The Polo's too is light but it offers decent feedback. On the road, the Polo feels the most planted as well. However the Micra has the smallest turning circle which equates to easier city driving.

Cost: While the Micra has the best warranty, it is the Swift which has the Cost advantage. This, despite the fact that it has the worst warranty of the lot even after taking into account extended warranties on all three. Its better resale also helps.

Verdict

The Polo is surely the best option here, outscoring the others in almost all categories, except Cost. It rides and handles well, gets both ABS and airbags and also offers decent fuel economy. The Nissan has good driveability and superb fuel economy but is let down by its quality and lack of involvement. The Swift meanwhile loses out, courtesy lack of equipment and poor warranty.