Nobody makes a bad car these days, more so cars that ride and handle poorly. The game has moved on in the past two years and today B-segment cars more often than not display superior dynamics and better composure than their C-segment brethren.
Last year in our lower C-segment shoot-out the Opel Corsa stood out for its exemplary ride quality and it holds true in this bunch as well. The hatch-backed Corsa Sail does have the best ride of the four, the excellent damping smothering out road imperfections like none other. We belted the Corsa over broken tarmac and unfinished road sections on the outskirts of Pune and she remained unruffled through the worst. Come to think of it, this is precisely what’s required of our cars especially in light of the terrible road conditions we’re faced with.
The excellent ride comes at the expense of body roll which is the most pronounced. Outright cornering grip is not a problem thanks to decent 175/70 rubber shod on 13-inch rims but the roly-poly behaviour can get a tad disconcerting and will put off enthusiastic drivers.
We’re already familiar with the Fiat Palio and have consistently been singing praises of her rugged build and big car feel and dynamics. The underpinning have a built to last feeling that’s second to none and the entire car feels put together like a tank. The Palio 1.2 Sport we have on test here is shod with 175/65 14-inch rubber that improves her dynamics considerably as compared to the standard car that makes do with high profile and narrower 13-inch rubber. The 13-inch rubber does endow the Palio with a ride quality on par with that of the Corsa Sail but for the keen driver the switch to 14-inchers is well worth the money. Dynamics are sharpened considerably, initial turn-in is quick and crisp and the feedback levels improve dramatically. Grip though corners improves massively and body control is well within acceptable limits.
The Palio strikes an admirable balance between ride and handling, being sufficiently compliant without wallowing across the countryside and going round corners (fast) with poise and balance. The only criticism of the Palio, if any, is that the suspension can get a touch noisy while hammering over rough and broken tarmac.
While both the Corsa and the Palio leave little room for complaint, the game has moved on and the new breed personified by the Hyundai Getz and the Ford Fusion has managed to raise the game to a higher plane. Both these cars have been designed for European markets, markets that don’t tolerate cars that crash over potholes or understeer straight off corners. And what a job Hyundai have done with the Getz!
Here’s a car that not only handles potholes with composure but goes round corners better than most C-segment cars while not losing any of that small-car agility. Get into your stride on a twisty ghat section and despite the fact that the Fusion is the quicker of the two the Getz manages to shoot off into the distance. Body roll even when pushed hard and fast is kept within control while the steering is crisp and direct.
In normal city driving conditions the Getz impresses with its well damped suspension and big car feel. The Getz exhibits similar characteristics as the Palio but suspension noise is suppressed and ride quality is that much better. Low speed absorption is also better thanks to the 13-inch 70-profile rubber. The Getz can also be ordered with 14-inch rubber which slightly reduces the ride quality but improves outright cornering grip and handling abilities by a greater margin. And of course alloys make a car look so much better!
The Ford Fusion is the joker in the pack. Is it a hatch, is it a van, is it an SUV? Visually it’s impossible to slot her into any of these categories and behind the wheel that task becomes even more difficult. First off the elevated driving position is more van-ish (even SUV-ish) than traditional hatchback and that also brings a high centre of gravity into the picture. Push her hard and she rolls, rolls more than all the other cars on test here. However thanks to fat rubber, 195/60 15-inchers on our test car, she grips very well. Indeed outright cornering grip is of a very high order and the Fusion can carry the most speed through corners but at the limit confidence inspiring she is not. And she loses out on the agility displayed by the other small cars on test here.
Like we said, show the Getz and the Fusion a tight mountain road and the Getz will run rings round the more cumbersome Fusion. This in spite of the Fusion boasting a more powerful engine.
Coming to the ride quality, despite its bigger wheels it’s the Fusion that takes the cake here. Ford calls the Fusion a UAV (Urban Activity Vehicle) and on the urban cycle the Fusion scores pretty highly. She rides speed-breakers and potholes extremely well while at the same time she’s stiff enough not to wallow over the place.
So which of the four strike the right balance? The Corsa has a great ride but her handling isn’t a patch on the rest while the ride and handling balance of the Palio was till recently the best you could get. However the Palio traces it roots to almost a decade back and today the more contemporary Fusion and Getz manages to outshine it. The dividing line is very fine between the two but ultimately the Getz gets our vote thanks to better agility, better body control and for the fact that she rides and handles like a big car but still retains the nip and tuck ability of a small car.