There's a sharp divide here. The Indica, Palio and Uno stand a class bigger than the Marutis, Santro and Matiz. The former are pure B-segment cars whilst the latter a sub-segment below. The Indica's front seats, though a touch on the firm side, are comfortable with decent headroom. The well-sculpted dash looks great but the high sill obstructs vision, so short drivers take note. Interior trim quality, especially the plastics and the switches, are distinctly a notch below par. The tape measure says that the Indica offers the maximum passenger space with rear seat width substantially more than others. This is animportantcriterion when considering a family car. Boot space however is disappointingly little which is a shame as it limits how much you can carry on a family weekend. The Palio's interiors come across as the best, acombination of well supported seats, a spot-on driving position and loads of space. The rear though not as generous as the Indica's is wide enough for three adults with good leg and headroom. The boot is the biggest in its class and a real boon for out of town trips.

The Uno's angular and vertical rear end has liberated more usable luggage space. This is the only car that can take two vertically placed, large-sized suitcases. The functional interiors are let down by its dated design. The angular dashboard, large steering wheel and low-rent door pads spoil the interior ambience. The fact is that the front seats are the most comfortable by far, thanks to generous bolstering (done before Fiat's cost-cutting days). The rear seats though a touch shorter on knee room are again very comfortable. The Indica, Palio and Uno make good chauffeur-driven cars as the rear seats are easy to get in and out of and have that nice, tall seating position. However, for a tall, 'Amby-like' rear seat, the Santro is unique. You can literally walk in and out of the rear, very convenient for less than athletic people. The seats themselves are pretty comfy but the bumpy rear suspension lets the show down. We like the quality of the Santro's interiors, plastic, seat fabric and switchgear have a nice feel to it. The lofty driving position is great, a boon in town as it gives a great view of the road ahead. Front head room is phenomenal but not of much use unless you want to drive standing. A grouse is the accelerator pedal position which hurts the ankle after a long drive. Boot space is decent but we'd have liked a rear parcel tray and an option of internally-adjustable mirrors.

The Matiz benefits from good passenger space for its size and though width is not in the league of the bigger three, legroom is amazingly good. So if you're two up at the back most of the time the Matiz is not bad. The interiors are otherwise pretty plasticky and feel cheap with vast expanses of grey. Save for the Wagon R, all the Marutis suffer from cramped interiors. The 800's insides are not surprisingly the least comfortable. The 800's interiors are and feel cheap and space is at a premium. There's not much luggage space to speak of. And if you've managed to squeeze into the rear, the bumpy ride will make sure life remains uncomfortable. That said, the driver's seat in relation is good and it's best to use the 800 as a driver's car. The Alto is pretty cramped as well. Though headroom is okay, the rear seats are narrow and legroom not that great either. The no-nonsense interiors impressed us with their overall quality and we liked certain details like the twin electronic trip meters, the smart two-tone seats and the leather-wrapped steering wheel. The VX is naturally better equipped and the LX's insides feel pretty spartan in comparison. Boot space is more than the 800, Zen and Matiz. The Zen has a touch more width than the Alto but like its siblings, getting in and out of it requires a certain athletic ability. The seats are too low and the door opening too narrow for easy ingress. Though the driver's seat is ergonomically good, the rear bench leaves much to be desired.

The Wagon R's insides are a mixed bag. The feeling of space inside the airy cabin is tremendous and you get an overwhelming sense of height and a commanding driving position. The interiors have tremendous versatility and the best trick in the book is the way the front and rear seats recline completely to form a double-bed! Luggage space is also tremendous and can be greatly multiplied by folding the rear seats forward to give a flat loading area. The Wagon R's flexible interiors don't prepare you for the fact that this is actually the narrowest car around. So if you plan to travel five up, think again. Also, the feel of the insides, notably the door trims, lacks the quality of its rivals. Air conditioning was best on the Palio and the Altos with the Indica and 800 at the bottom of the pack, taking the most time to cool.