Today’s owners want a car that’s light on its feet and easy to drive, with a peppy motor and absorbent ride thrown in for good measure. You need good fuel efficiency and reliability of course, but generous comfort up front too. And well-equipped interiors are very important as well. If you want maximum car for your money, your search starts for here. Each of the six contenders lined up here is uniquely conceived, with independent thought and direction ruling the roost. But which of these takes on the big urban hatch works best? Which of these cars slips through traffic as easily a seal through pounding surf? Auto Car (Aug’09) takes a look.

Design and Engineering
Look closely at these six cars and it’s evident that there’s every design or function-inspired solution on offer here. Cars that make use of vertical space, cabin-forward designs that spread passengers out as evenly as butter on toast, wide designs and designs which do a bit of everything. There’s long wheelbases, short overhangs, bulbous cabins, the lot.

Fiat’s simply gorgeous Grande Punto is a classic case of function follows form. With a nose Cleopatra could be proud of and that stunning Maserati vibe that the headlights and grille give off, it clearly is the supermodel of this blunch. There’s a classical balance to the car in profile with its big wheel arches and flowing lines and the solid-looking rear is both gorgeous and unique. More road-hugging exotic than cheap boxy runabout, the Grande Punto’s clean lines will age the least too.

The Honda Jazz may have a shorter wheel base than the Grande Punto and the i20 (which has the longest) but you simply cant tell from the amount of cabin and luggage space this car encloses. The key is an almost-van-like cabin-forward design, which in profile us almost Innova-like. And to make even more space, Honda has moved the tank of the Jazz under the front seat. The sharp, high-mounted headlamps, big bonnet bulge and flared rear wheel arches make this car look very aggressive and modern.

The Ritz in contrast uses vertical space. Built on a wheel base identical to the Alto and A-star, the Ritz is the only car here that’s taller that 1.6 metres. It uses an almost-flat and vertical rear section to maximize space utilization. Flared wheel arches, an Audi-esque large grille and attractive headlights and boomerang-shaped tail-lights make this Maruti the one that stands out from the crowd.

Also very attractive is the Hyundai’s i20. The proportions are spot-on, the nose is aggressively detailed and the thick crease line that defines the doors gives the car a unique stance as well. It’s also the widest hatch in this group. Built on the longest wheelbase here with a cabin that places pretty forward too, space on the inside is very good. The i20 also has a fine blend of build quality and strength on the outside, indicative of a car that will last well on out streets.
Its hard to believe that the Vista which has been around for less than a year is among the longer-serving cars of this bunch. It suffers from being too close to the old Indica in terms of looks. But take a closer look and there are some fresh and attractive lines (we love the long cat-eye like headlamps) that enclose a large cabin. But Vista’s raised suspension creates a large gap in the wheel arches, which is not very pretty.

The Skoda Fabia has the best build quality. It feels substantially engineered and has the doorshut of a more expensive car. The Skoda uses a combination of high seating and wheelbase length to provide sufficient passenger and luggage space for its occupants.
Mechanically, these cars are pretty similar. While they vary in the detail, all basically use transverse-mounted front engine, five-speed gearboxes and independent front suspensions. Rear suspensions are non-independent with a link present between the rear wheels, and drum brakes standard at the rear. The Vista and Punto are the only ones that don’t offer anti-lock brakes. The Punto is clearly the heaviest of the lot and the Fabia and i20 are shod with the widest tyres.

Interiors
The Grande Punto’s cabin is well encapsulated and feels nicely sealed from the world outside. The front seats do slope forward a bit and the steering wheel and pedals jut out excessively, but these are no major issues. However, rear seat legroom is affected if the driver takes the rear seat all the way back. What spoils the ambience is the poor fit and finish of some of the plastics. Fiat has localized some of these parts and it shows.
The Honda Jazz uses space the most intelligently. It feels massive from the inside with ample space for both front and rear seat passenger and the very modern-looking seats are nicely contoured.

The Honda also has a funky, modern-looking asymmetric dash. Large knobs, steering-mounted controls, plenty of cubbyholes and 10cupholders make it as practical as a Swiss army knife. The fit, finish and texture are among the best here and even the high-quality stalks have a nice, rubberized feel.

Quality levels on the Ritz are similar to those on the Swift but the design of the prominent central console and the colour co-ordinated dash are far superior, so the whole looks better than the sum of the parts. There is a nice shelf above the glove box bottle holders in the front doors and the Ritz gets some unique bits-the gear lever mounted into the central console, white speedometer and that cute pod-like revcounter. The seats are comfortable and under-thigh support is good.

The Hyundai i20 has much more space in the rear, thanks to its larger footprint and wheel base. Its possible to seat one six-footer behind the other, something the Ritz  and Punto can’t manage in comfort, and the cabin feels especially wide. Though the design of the dash is quite ordinary the car is loaded with electric folding mirrors and two airbags.
The i20’s interiors feel well-screwed  together but it lacks that all-important upmarket feel the Jazz and Fabia possess.

The Vista is more spacious than the i20 when it comes to passenger room, and given its proportions, feels oversized from the inside. The rear seats are exceptional with a broad seat base and lots of legroom. The front seats are generous too and get lumbar support. Though some of the cars have more space than the Fabia, none of the others can match the pure comfort of the Skoda’s seats which feel as comfy as a massage chair.

The interiors are also very robust and the quality of plastics would not be out of place on a Rs 10-lakh car. The Fabia has a long feature list but vitals like climate control is missing. Also, the air-con doesn’t work brilliantly in summer.

In terms of boot space, the Jazz wins hands down. It’s the biggest, has the flattest floor and a lot lip for loading. The Fabia and i20 have similar-sized boots and can swallow that extra bag that neither the Vista nor the Ritz tiny boots can take. The Punto has decent sized boot too but the boot is high which makes it difficult to load.

Engine, Gearbox and Performance
Most of these cars start with a disadvantage as they have small-capacity motors pushing large comparatively heavy cars. Cars that get power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratio will stand at a distinct advantage.

The Punto’s basis two valves per cylinder, single-cam 67bhp motor has to lowest power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratio here. The heavy Fiat keeps up with the others still 60kph after that the others just blow past. Its four seconds slower than the Honda to 100 and even the Fabia is approximately a couple of seconds quicker. It keeps up with its competitors as far as in-gear acceleration is concerned and the smooth motor is pleasant at low engine speeds. The mid range is weak though and while power delivery improves towards the red line, the motor feels strained.

The Honda’s 1.2 feels anything but and just loves to rev.89bhp from 1.2litres is seriously impressive in its own right, and Honda has also included a low engine speed valve-closing mechanism. One inlet valve is closed below 2100rpm, which results in an increase in airflow speed for greater responsiveness. So a dab on the throttle at low speeds gets the Jazz moving smartly, very important in traffic. The midrange isn’t very strong and when you floor the throttle al low revs, the Jazz takes awhile to get into its stride. Get into the power band and once the i-Vtech system flips ‘power mode’, its difficult to believe this is merely a 1.2-litre engine. The Jazz is easily the quickest car of this lot.

Suzuki’s twin-cam 16-valve motor is no slouch either and also begs to be wound hard. Smooth and punchy, Suzuki’s amazing  K-series engine is reason enough to buy the Ritz. In a drag it can keep the Honda honest till 120kph.

Hyundai’s Kappa motor is a DOHC unit too, and it’s a strong performer in the i10. But it’s pushing a heavier car here and it struggles a bit.

It can’t match the Ritz’s motor for sheer refinement and doesn’t have the same rev happy nature.

The Vista uses the same basic Fiat motor as the Punto, but in a slightly different state of tune. The rated power is lower but Tata has used taller gearing. This helps more than you can imagine and the lighter Vista is actually faster than the Punto.

If you’re in a hurry, you need to pile on the revs to get this two-valve per head motor to perform. Like the Punto, performance is more acceptable than strong.

The Fabia uses the only three-cylinder motor here. It’s not as smooth as the rest especially at idle, and just after take-off there is some hesitation and vibration too. But once this motor gets into its stride at 2000rp, its immediate torque delivery from those larger pistons gives it a generous slug in performance.

The Fabia emerged as the fastest car in our 20-80 third gear slog and a strong midrange makes the Fabia quite nice to drive when you get up to speed. Its more than acceptable in the city and once on the highway, where you use spend more time in the midrange, it runs without too much effort.

The Fabia also has the best gearbox here. All you need to do to select the right gear is nudge the gear level in the right direction and the gear almost selects itself. The Honda is almost as nice, even lighter and just as precise. The Punto’s box is accurate but has a long throw; the Vista and Ritz need a bit more effort. The i20’s gearbox is sloppy and baulks at times.

Ride and Handling
The Punto’s ride and handling is in a different league. The weighty steering bristles with feel and feedback, the car steers with uncanny accuracy and stability at any speed is brilliant. It’s ironic that the car, which is the slowest of this bunch, has the best chassis and body control. Ride quality on the 80-profile tyres is beyond reproach and it’s often hard to judge how bad the road is!

The steering, clutch and gearshift on the Jazz are extremely light, which makes it perfect for the city commute, and the good all-round visibility adds to its urban-friendly character. Straight line stability is nowhere as good as the Punto or even the Fabia and one needs to drop the pace to something that’s more comfortable.

The Ritz has a softened suspension that works brilliantly at low speeds and cossets you from all bumps as you crawl through traffic. The suspension is quiet and the pliant ride makes it a comfortable for long treks across town. The elevated driving position gives you a good view of the road ahead, the steering is accurate and easy on the muscles though it’s not quite as light as the Jazz.

The i20 is a pretty good city car too. The light steering calls for little effort and keeps you relaxed. The ride is decent for most of the part but on patchy and rough roads, the suspension feels unsettled with sharp vertical movements and big potholes thud through into the cabin.

The Vista’s ride quality is impressive and though it’s not in the league of the Grande Punto or Fabia it does the job well. The car coasts over Indian roads with aplomb and it’s only over larger bumps that the suspension becomes slightly clunky and audible. For sure, this isn’t a car with sporting pretentions but one for just a regular office commute.

The Fabia’s blend of a light steering and supple ride work brilliantly in the city. The best bit is that the Fabia raises its game for the highway. The steering, which weights up nicely with speed, inspires a lot of confidence. The well-sorted suspension and grippy tyres make the Skoda feel rock-solid on the highway. Of this lot, the Ritz stopped in the shortest distance but that’s only part of the story. The pedal feel isn’t great and the ABS often cuts in disconcertingly early. The i20 has the same problem. Panic stops don’t faze the Honda and pedal feel is slightly better. The Fiat is the one with the most reassuring pedal feel and bite but it doesn’t have ABS and this car is specced with narrow tyres which increase braking distance. The Fabia’s brakes are very reassuring and the most fade-resistant. The Vista didn’t impress much in the braking department and required too much pedal effort. ABS is missing too.

Fuel Efficiency
The Jazz is easily the most fuel efficient car here with its well spaced gearing and efficient, low-friction i-Vtech motor. The Honda gave an incredible 12.3kpl in the city and 16.9kpl on the highway. The Ritz doesn’t too badly with a city figure of 11.8kpl.If it were not for the lack of grunt low in the rev range, the Ritz would have required less frequent gear changes and could have done better. The i20 is pretty efficient and the advantage of the brand-new Kappa engine is obvious in this area. The Vista is slightly down the ladder followed by the Fabia while the Grande Punto, penalized by its weight, brings up the rear.

Economy cars are meant to be cheap and efficient. The Indica Vista fulfills both these important criteria. For your money you get a large, comfortable hatch that makes for a decent city runaround. The Vista may not be as accomplished as some of the cars here, or as sophisticated. However at Rs 4.5 lakh (on-road, Mumbai), this is almost a bargain.
The Punto even more so. If ever a car looked like a million bucks, this is it. And for ride comfort and handling, the Grande Punto has everyone beaten. But questionable interior quality, a cabin that’s not as spacious as expected and a lackluster motor prevent the Fiat from achieving its maximum potential.

The i20 seems to have everything – the right size, a comfy cabin and every feature in the book. But look closer and cracks appear. The ride is bit unsettled, the handling not very engaging and the engine doesn’t have the fizz to match the Ritz or Jazz’s motors.
The Fabia is the car that inaugurated this segment. And the Skoda continues to impress. Ride and handling are top-class and the build quality of the cabin is simply the best. What lets the Fabia down is the three-cylinder motor that’s rough around the edges. Skoda service that is far from where it should be, and the car is expensive at Rs 6.7 lakh.

The Honda is undoubtedly the best car here. It excels in key areas like space and fuel efficiency and doesn’t do badly in others. It is perfectly suited to city commutes with a lovely motor, light controls, flexible packaging and good quality. That the Jazz also takes the hatchback game forward there is no question. But at upwards of Rs 8 lakh, it is way too expensive. And still Honda shortchanges you – you don’t get essentials such as alloys, seat height adjusters or even a parcel tray.

The Ritz is one of the smaller cars in this group and doesn’t have the same amount of space as its rivals. The boot is tiny and the cabin isn’t as spacious as the others. However, the Ritz is the most users friendly of the lot. The high seating position, cheerful cabin with lots of storage areas and a cosseting ride are a big plus when driving in town. But what makes the Ritz leapfrog over the competition is its fabulous engine which we rate second only to the Honda and way better than the others. And let’s not forget the price which, at Rs 5.6 lakh, is superb value. The Ritz simply tricks the maximum number of boxes to emerge a clear winner.