Overview

Earlier hatchbacks were for those who couldn't afford to pay for the car's boot but needed transportation. Today, cars like the newly launched Beat are smart, trendy and even lifestyle statements. We check the Beat out against the competition

The Maruti Suzuki Ritz has won The Golden Steering Wheel for the best small car. But, before it can relish this accolade, it has competition breathing down its neck in the shape of the Chevrolet Beat. Both these small cars are trendy, grown up but not devastatingly expensive. So is the Hyundai i10, in fact. And therefore we have brought the three together, all with 1.2-litre modern petrol engines to help you decide which one is worth your while.

Exterior & Interior

Interiors are funky and the silver accents help liven up the black insides. The fi t and fi nish and quality of plastics need attention at places though

The Ritz though is funkier looking on the inside, besides being a better, more comfortable car to spend time in. Having a two-tone dashboard with colour coordinated door rims and the like make it seem more alive. The i10 too uses a two-tone interior, but the choice of brown and beige doesn’t do much for its wellness in the Ritz’s company even though it does make the insides look roomy.

The Beat with its black insides and chunky A- and C-pillars feels the gloomiest. Also the choice of plastics leaves a little to be desired. Not so on the practicality front; the Chevy has the most number of cup/bottleholders, intelligent stowage spaces and of course, split rear seats that actually fold fl at and therefore offer class leading luggage loading fl exibility. Boot space though isn't great.

i10 has the best built interiors in this test

The attention to detail on the Beat however is great. The climate control system, for instance, is fantastic. Being the only car hereto offer one is good enough, but then it tops it up with an easy to read and stylish display for the digital readout. We also love the motorcycle type instrumentation which moves up and down along with the steering column. We don’t mind the looks of the stereo either but would have preferred better sound quality. We would have also liked steering mounted controls and a one-touch auto up/down function for the driver side window, both of which are present on the Ritz.

When it gets down to owning one of these small cars, the majority would be driving these cars themselves. Needless to say, the cars then need to have light controls, good visibility, comfortable seats and a tight turning circle for both ease of driving in the city and for parking.

Unfortunately none of our protagonists are masters of all. The Beat has light controls including the steering which is both light to operate and decently direct that makes parking and slow speed lane changes easy. It also has a light clutch but then the gearshifts require some effort as the shift quality is both vague and notchy. The Chevy’s biggest downsides are its seats and visibility. The former are a tad small and lack the right thigh support while the Beat’s chunky A-pillars and a high dashboard, not to mention limited rear visibility, can cause some problems while negotiating through traffic.

The Ritz has the best looking insides with a black, blue and silver combo. The fi t and fi nish isn't bad either and is comparable to the i10

The i10 does well on these counts. The view over the hood and via the A-pillar is clear and so is the rear visibility. It has great seats too. These are a tad fi rm but support is of high order. It also has a superb gearshift. In fact it is the best among small cars; it’s precise, has a short throw and one that doesn’t require much effort to slot in.

Shift quality on the Ritz isn’t bad either, even though it is comparatively notchier than the Hyundai. But it isn’t as easy to drive. Visibility isn’t as good, and the controls, particularly the steering and the clutch in comparison are heavier to use. Otherwise, the Ritz is a pretty easy car to live with. The controls might be heavy, but their operability as well as reach is one of the best. It also has the best seats in the house, both front and back.

Engine & Gearbox

Chevrolet Beat

If chic looks is your be and end all condition for buying a car, you might have already set your sights on the Beat. It looks stunning for a small car, especially in the flesh. The tall front, the large headlamps and a yawning two-piece grille along with the Ritz's 1.2-litre K12M engine is an all-aluminium unit which is light, very efficient and rev happy. The latter is also courtesy its oversquare dimensions. The Chevy's S-tec II is a new engine as well, but uses an aluminium head and a cast iron block. It's comparatively less refined but has a throatier note. The i10's Kappa, like the Suzuki's, is more refined and is the peppiest engine here. It isn't as efficient how ever Sloping down roof line and pronounced lines for the shoulder and the door sill give it a lovely blend of cuteness and raciness which puts the desirability of the Beat at a different level altogether compared to the Ritz and the i10.

To add to the roomy and supportive seats, the Ritz’s ride quality is another important facet which makes it a comfortable car to spend time in. The suspension is on the firm side, but along with adequate travel, it gives the car a pliant ride, especially at speeds of about 60kmph and over. At slower speeds, there’s a bit of shudder that creeps in, though.

Hyundai i10

The Beat with its softer ride quality feels plusher at slower speeds as it goes about absorbing everything from road joints to bumps to even potholes with authority. But the chinks in the setup begin to show as the speeds climb. It tends to crash into potholes and the rear in particular fails to keep touch with the changing road surface, leaving the car feeling skittish. The ride can also get irritatingly noisy. Overall then, the Beat doesn’t score very well on ride quality.

The i10’s ride is better; it is firm at slower speeds but manages to iron out irregularities better at higher speeds. However, it still can’t match the Ritz for sheer pliancy, no matter the speed or load.

Maruti Suzuki Ritz

The Maruti also has one of the better engines in this test. Actually, it’s a close call betweenthe i10’s Kappa and the Ritz’s Kseries engines, but the latter is a lot more fuel efficient. What’s clear though, is that the STec II under the Beat’s hood is no match for either. It sounds a tad gruff in comparison. The Chevy's engine is also not as free revving as the Maruti's and the Hyundai's and fl attens out sooner at thetop as well. Add to it the shorter gearing, and the Beat gets left behind quite sizably in the top speed stakes.

However, the shorter gearing has its pros. The Beat manages to post a quicker 0-100kmph run than the Ritz eventhough it is slightly slower than the i10. It also manages better roll-on times (a measure of a car’s driveability) than both the Ritz and the i10.

Dimensions

Scorecard & Verdict

Chevrolet Beat- If it's an affordable car you want that's decently spec-ed and is a reasonably good drive, pick the Beat.

Hyundai i10- For long the i10 was the benchmark small car. But today both the Ritz and the Beat make more sense.

Maruti Suzuki Ritz - Among the new generation small cars, the Ritz still reigns supreme. It's a package that's hard to match..

Scorecard

Body: The Ritz manages to score higher for front room for two main reasons – one, it offers more shoulder and elbow room and thanks to its tall boy design, it also offers the most head room. Two, in terms of boot space, a narrow loading area for the Beat mars it's otherwise fl exible luggage room.

Drive: Taller gearing and more go at the top sees the Ritz register the highest top speed. Its drivetrain is also the most effi cient both in the city and out on the highways and the economy really seals the deal for the Ritz under this head. Between the Beat and the i10, the latter is more efficient.

Comfort: Like the Spark, the Beat too suffers from poor seats. These are small and lack support, particularly at the front. It's ride quality, though good at slow speeds, gets unsettled as speeds rise more than the others. It scores high for operability thanks to better ergonomics.

Dynamics: One would expect a good handling car to have good steering response too. Not so with the Ritz. It has the most artifi cial feeling and heavy-to-use steering here. But the i10, with good braking and manoeuvrability, steals the show here.

Cost: The Beat does offset its disadvantage in the above sections under cost. It is significantly cheaper to buy and is equally well equipped. It comes with the best warranty and service package of the lot. Sadly, it still can't beat the Ritz, overall.

Verdict

The Ritz retains its crown as the best small car. Sure, it is more expensive to buy than the Beat, besides having only an average warranty. But then it’s also a better car. However, if you aren’t a Maruti Suzuki fan, the Beat is your next best option. And it is a good buy too. The Beat looks nice, has a practical cabin, is reasonably roomy and the ride and handling compromise though not as good as the Maruti's, is still pretty acceptable. The i10 fi nishes third and loses out to the Beat because of its comparatively steeper pricing.