LET'S be honest here, except for the Siena 1.6 and Esteem VX, none of these cars have the power to exploit the limits of the chassis. Which is a good thing for unless you are pushing harder than an American Marine chasing Saddam through downtown Baghdad, it is impossible to get these cars into a bind.

As far as ride quality is concerned, the Opel Corsa 1.4 has no peers. Two years ago in a similar shoot-out, the Corsa had stood at the top of the heap thanks to her phenomenal damping of road undulations and she still sets the bar in this category. This however comes at the expense of bodyroll, it being the most pronounced and disconcerting among the cars here.

This is not much a problem though; what is problematic is the poor ground clearance. Over the test route through the Mulshi mountains the Corsa was an absolute pain, repeatedly scraping the sump guard when pushed hard and invariably was the last to pull up at changeover points. Of all the cars, the steering of the Corsa is the most direct and precise (read sporty).

As far as the Esteem VX is concerned, bumpy and undulating roads are a definite no-no. The softly sprung Esteem is well suited to major metros with their well-surfaced concrete roads but out on bumpy hilly tracts the limited suspension travel and overall fragility of the chassis and suspension components is a confidence dampener. The Esteem now wears 175/70 rubber and the handling is all the better for it. The weight balance and low centre of gravity ensures that the Esteem remains planted and stable through long flat sweepers and is a joy to throw around thanks to the quick and light steering and the excellent chassis feedback. Provided the roads are well surfaced, mind.

Dynamics of the Esteem D are even worse, the weight of the Peugeot diesel mill upfront spoiling the weight balance and the high profile 155/80 tyres doing nothing to improve ride quality while compromising grip levels at the same time. In fact the ability and precision of the petrol Esteem is all but lost on the diesel sibling while the feeling of fragility remains ever present.

The diametrical opposite of the Esteem is the Indigo. Now here is a car that is set up to handle brilliantly through a set of switchbacks and hairpins with excellent feedback levels through the steering and seat-of-the-pants. In fact outright handling honours go the Indigo's way, body roll and suspension dive and pitch being kept to the bare minimum. Her ability to fly over broken and indifferent tarmac is also commendable, the Indigo being one of the quickest and most confidence inspiring whenever rough patches were encountered. The excellent ground clearance ensured the car never grounded or kissed tarmac and 14-inch rubber no doubt aids her overall dynamics. In giving her the handling abilities, the engineers have compromised on ride quality, the stiffly sprung suspension seeing the Indigo get a little jiggly over low speed undulations. Suspension noise is also the most pronounced here, though to her credit the suspension feels strong enough to be subjected to serious abuse. Both the Indigos have similar dynamics and identical suspension set-up and capabilities.

The Sienas have a ride quality second only to the Corsa, the Siena 1.2 with 13-inch high profile rubber being the better of the two. And as far as feeling bomb-proof, the Sienas have no peer, the underpinning having a built to last feeling that is second to none.

Neither of the Sienas are great handlers, exhibiting levels of bodyroll second only to the Corsa. The Siena 1.2 with 165/80 rubber is the most understeery of the lot with the car beginning to run wide at the slightest excuse. The 14-inch 175/65 rubber on the Siena 1.6 ensures that the grip levels are way superior to her poorer cousin but the lack of feedback, disconcerting body roll and the Bridgestone rubber that squeals like an Iraqi general in an American POW camp are serious confidence dampeners. On the loose stuff the Sienas were the most tail happy, though the steering is quick enough to be able to correct the slide, if the driver is on the ball.

Ride and handling is a compromise, a balance between filtering out road imperfections while at the same time being able to chew in corners without rolling and wallowing. Among this lot, none strike a better balance between these opposing demands than the Ikon 1.3NXT. The revision made to the suspension bushes and spring rates in the NXT variant (to stiffen the rear) has resulted in both the ride and handling being way better than previous Ikons. The package is now at the very top of this class, the Ikon literally flying over small bumps, potholes and rough patches as though they never existed.

Grip levels are impressive while tyre squeal is well within acceptable limits. Not once did the Ikon snap out of shape and kill-joy understeer sets in quite late. The delightfully direct steering and excellent feedback ensure overall dynamic levels are at the very top of the class while suspension noise has also been kept to a bare minimum. All in all, the overall package of the Ikon is impossible to beat with the Indigos running it close.