Introduction

The year 2010 has witnessed the launch of many new hatchbacks in India – the Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo and the Fiat Grande Punto 1.2 (recently launched in new trim levels). All the four cars have a 1.2-litre petrol engine and come within the Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh price bracket. What’s more, all these car manufacturers are attempting to boost their sales figures with these newly launched hatches in an already overcrowded segment. But it is a segment with tremendous growth potential, thus providing impetus to manufacturers such as Renault, Nissan, Honda and Toyota who will also soon be launching cars aimed squarely at this segment. These hatches are critical to each respective manufacturer’s sales numbers and growth plans for India and all of them are banking on these value-conscious hatches to gain a firm foothold in the ever-maddening and increasingly competitive segment, which has until now, been dominated by a select few.

Design/Styling

Design/Styling:

All the four aim to be the hottest selling hatch in the Indian market packing in space, practicality and value, while having their own distinctive design language to make them stand apart in this heavily overcrowded segment. Ford with their new kinetic design theme seen on all their new upcoming models world-wide, with the end result being a car design that will attract buyers who are looking for a car which isn’t too flashy but is a slightly more mature modern hatch. The Figo doesn’t have all those shapely curves and creases and it might not be too attractive in the skin when compared to its competition, but this doesn’t mean that the car is dull looking. The Figo retains some of the genes of its sibling – the Fusion, like the styling of the greenhouse, the wheel rims and similar tail lamps. Blink your eyes and you could almost mistake it for the larger Fusion!

HATCH-ING A PLOT VIDEO PART-I (PART II video on Page 4)

The Volkswagen Polo’s overall styling is very European with design features such as a crisp swage line, shallow greenhouse, tighter shoulder-line, horizontal chrome slats on the front grille and rounded off bumpers. The deep front chin and the overall wedge-like stance of the Polo make it look sporty and the lines and shapes do exude a typical taut and solid build that almost all German cars seem to possess. The designers at Volkswagen have worked hard at creating a car that is unmistakably a VW and is a cut above the rest when it comes to balancing a line between being trendy and classy. It’s a design which will no doubt age gracefully.

Words to describe the Fiat Grande Punto’s design are never enough (especially for a die-hard Fiat & Ferrari fan who has been writing this piece!). The Grande Punto is yet another amazing Italian example of chic styling. The bold looking chromed front grille, muscular fenders, steeply raked windscreen, a wedge like profile and a very muscular rear do manage to give the Punto plenty of presence on the road. In contrast to the Grande Punto’s Italian flair, the Chevrolet Beat is a trendy and sharply styled hatchback aimed squarely at the youth of today. The large front grille with the bolder Chevy bowtie logo, rakish headlamps, a high waistline and the hidden away rear-door handle in the C-Pillar do make the Beat a funky looking hatch – and the Beat does sort of stand out in a sea of hatchbacks. Not only do the exteriors have the new-age trendy theme, but it continues on the insides as well.

Driving Characteristics

If your car doesn’t drive well, its chances of surviving in today’s competitive market are also slim. With the increase in competition amongst automakers, the development cycle of the cars has gone down drastically, yet most of the cars built today have yardsticks for ride and handling abilities. Ford, Fiat, Chevrolet and Volkswagen can’t do anything wrong, as these cars are their trump cards for the Indian market. Ford has done everything it should do for the driving dynamics of the Figo, at the same time Volkswagen has retained its international standards in terms of drive quality on all its cars sold here.

The Figo’s ride is terrific and the grip levels are more than adequate. It comes with struts at the front and a twist beam at the rear. The car’s suspension set-up has been well tweaked which doesn’t make you feel nervous while maneuvering corners and the steering also weighs up well boosting the confidence of the driver. The Polo has agile handling and the ride quality is phenomenal at low and high speeds. The Chevrolet Beat is nimble and a fun car to drive around. The Beat’s compound link type suspension at the rear does the job of avoiding body roll, whereas the struts in the front fulfill the role of providing good grip to the front tyres, making cornering easier. The Fiat Grande Punto is in a league of its own when it comes to ride and handling. The Grande Punto has an awesome ride and is one of the best handling hatches currently being sold in India. This Fiat has the longest wheelbase of 2510mm and the widest track of 1687mm of all the four new hatches.

Performance and Fuel Efficiency

Performance and Fuel Efficiency:

All the four cars have a 1.2-litre engine, so you cannot expect the performance of any of these motors to be staggering. The Chevrolet Beat is the quickest of the four, sprinting from 0-100kph in 15.7 seconds compared to the others which clocked the same speed in around 16 seconds(except for the Grande Punto which was slowest of the lot thanks to the old 8-valve engine used on it). It’s like saying “my car is quicker than yours by the wink of an eye.” All the four hatches have a similar performance and buyers buying one of these hatches won’t be worried if their car clocked half a second slower from nought to 100. Talking about the gearing, we reckon the Volkswagen Polo to have the best gearing, both, for city and highway driving.

Now, time to talk business. What about fuel efficiency? All the four hatches have similar displacements, except for the fact that the Polo has three cylinders and the Grande Punto has the orthodox 2-valves per cylinder rather than 4-valves for each pot. Except the Chevrolet Beat, the remaining three weigh above a ton, which makes the Beat more efficient of the lot. The Beat returned us an overall fuel efficiency of close to 14kpl which included our test cycle where we pushed the car upto its limits (complete pedal to metal driving). The Polo returned us an overall figure of just above the 10kpl, while the Grande Punto and the Figo returned us a figure just shy of 12kpl in the same test cycle.

Verdict

Verdict:

While all the cars are good and value for money, as experts we have to figure out the best from the lot.

Ford Figo: The Ford Figo is an aggressively priced hatchback, a practical car with a simple design and loads of space. A young executive who believes in simplicity will end up buying the Ford Figo from the four. The Ford Figo is a compact hatchback with loads of space for occupants at the front as well as rear and probably the best boot space in its class, not to forget the amazing ride and handling characteristics of the car. All in all, the Figo is a complete value for money car.

To read our Ford Figo Road Test, click here.

Fiat Grande Punto: Other than die-hard Fiat fans, people who like the styling of the Grande Punto will end up buying the Grande Punto. The downside of the Grande Punto included its orthodox 1.2-litre 8-valve engine which lacked the punch that its competitors have and the plastic quality on the inside which could have definitely been a few grades better.

To read our Fiat Grande Punto 1.2 Road Test, click here.

Volkswagen Polo: The Volkswagen Polo’s price tag and lack of features such as electrically adjustable mirrors, peppy petrol engine which lacks the efficiency when compared to its competitors and of course the lack of space for the rear passengers didn’t score well either . However, the car has brilliant ride and handling, great fit and finish and paint quality.

To read our Volkswagen Polo Road Test, click here.

Chevrolet Beat: In the overall comparison, it was the Chevrolet Beat which was the clear winner with the Ford Figo giving it a run for its money. Both, the Ford Figo and the Chevrolet Beat are similarly priced, and have great value in terms of a car as a complete package. While the Chevrolet Beat is funky attracting the younger buyers, the Ford Figo is more something that people looking for a no-nonsense car would opt for, people who wouldn’t ideally care much for the jazzy characteristics of the Beat.

To read our Chevrolet Beat Road Test, click here.