Right. You need a car now and have a nice budget of 6 lakhs. Means, you don't want Alto, WagonR, Santro, i10 1.1, A-Star, etc. So, what options you have? Swift zxi, Swift vdi, i10 asta, i20 magna, Indica vista, Skoda Fabia and Fiat Punto. Expect VW Polo, Ford Figo, Toyota Etios and Honda hatchback to join this list later this year.
Now, the next question. You want a petrol or diesel? I'm a petrolhead and prefer petrol over diesel! :-) But if you clock over 1500 kms per month, diesel suits you best. If you drive less, then petrol is the right choice. Remember diesel cars are expensive to buy than petrols by atleast a lakh and you can fill 2000 litres of petrol for that money ;-) But diesels works out cheaper in long run but it also requires frequent oil, filter changes.
For Diesel, as a typical Indian, we can't set our eyes off Swift VDi. Mated to Fiat's world class multijet 1.3 diesel, superbly tuned to set for Indian roads, the creamy smooth diesel still has over 3 months of waiting period! Most people wait patiently and grab their diesel Swift. For those cannot wait (3+ months wait is utterly unbelievable considering the age of Swift. Is this artificial?!) and like to go for others, have very few options as of now. They should pick from Indica, Fabia and Punto. Except Fabia all others including Swift uses the same engine. Indica has improved a lot since its launch a decade back. But still some things need improvement. For instance the clutch, NVH, brakes, build quality etc. Fiat Punto has a stunning build quality and is one of the best looking cars here. Though using the same engine as Swift, the pickup is disappointing due to the kerb weight. Except that, it is almost flawless. But considering the reputation of Fiat in India, people will have a second thought about it. Then the Fabia. This has impeccable build quality and a stunning interior. The issue being the engine harshness and the responsiveness. That means, Swift VDi is the unanimous winner! This doesn't mean it is flawless. Flimsy build quality, rattling issues, bumpy ride adds up the woes for Swift. Maybe the Toyota Etios diesel bang headon with Swift later this year for the crown.
What about Petrol? Alto rules under 3.5 lakhs. i10 leads the 4-5 lakhs segment. Which car leads the 6L segment? Swift Zxi, i10 Asta, i20 Magna, Indica Vista aqua+, Skoda Fabia ambiente, Fiat Punto are the options here.
Swift Zxi is the value for money model which offers alloys, climate control, ABS, airbags, etc. It now comes with fuel efficient and smooth 1.2l K series engine. The dated interiors and the average build quality would make a car owner to rethink before dumping his money. Next is the i10 asta which even gives sun-roof along with other goodies like ABS, airbags and alloys. Though i10 has nice interiors and so much goodies to play with, it still appears to be a small car for the money we give. Tiny car for a nice lump of 6 lakhs? Nah nah. Indica Vista loses the plot with its unrefined petrol engine. Though it now comes with nice leather finished dash, alloys, ABS and airbags, Tata still has to go a long way in petrol engine refinements. May be a 2012 MY Vista should do. Fabia is fabulous with its plush ride quality and a 10 lakh car like interior. The letdowns are the engine noise and pickup. Fiat Punto's petrol engine lacks the refinement and pickup of its diesel counterpart. Even the 1.4l engine doesn't feel quite faster. A turbo petrol should do things for Fiat. This leaves us to the i20 magna. Fresh looks, superb & spacy interiors, huge boot, handful of options in its basic magna version all makes the i20 as the winner of this petrol contest.
