Comparo - Fiat Punto Evo vs Maruti Swift vs VW Polo vs Hyundai i20 (old)

05/08/2014 - 17:54 | ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,   | Nithyanandh K

The premium hatchback segment in India is bustling with refreshes and new launches. The refreshed Fiat Punto Evo and VW Polo facelift are here already while the Hyundai i20 is all set to graduate to its second generation on August 11. The Maruti Swift too is expected to get a facelift in November.

Here is our tech spec comparison of the newly arrived Fiat Punto Evo against the new Polo and the existing versions of the Swift and i20. This comparo will be revisited once the 2015 Hyundai Elite i20 breaks cover officially.

Fiat Punto Evo vs Maruti Swift vs VW Polo vs Hyundai i20 diesel comparo

Fiat Punto Evo vs Maruti Swift vs VW Polo vs Hyundai i20 diesel comparo

The Punto Evo and Swift use the same 1.3-litre Fiat MultiJet engine. Whereas the Punto Evo offers two states of tunes, the Swift makes do with one. The i20 employs a 1.4-litre engine and the Polo facelift is powered by a new 1.5-litre mill which is available in two output states. Both the Punto Evo and Polo reserve the more powerful versions of their engines for the top-end variants, and the latter (GT petrol and diesel variants) will be available from next month.

In terms of power output, the Polo's 1.5-litre engine, in its higher state of tune, takes the lead with 105 PS (103.5 bhp) on tap while the Swift's motor, with its 75 PS (73.9 bhp), settles down at the bottom. When it comes to torque output, the Polo GT TDI is again on top with an impressive 250 Nm and the Swift again finds itself in last place.

Read our review of the Fiat Punto Evo diesel

The i20 comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox while the rest of the cars feature 5-speed manual units. In terms of efficiency (ARAI figures), the Swift tops the list at 22.9 km/l and the i20 follows at 21.9 km/l. The Punto Evo's 76 PS and 93 PS versions deliver 21.2 km/l and 20.5 km/l respectively while the Polo facelift's 90 PS and 105 PS versions return 20.14 km/l and 19.91 km/l respectively.

The Polo emerges as the most expensive hatchback with a starting price of INR 6.27 lakhs and the Punto Evo is the most affordable car in its segment, starting at INR 5.27 lakhs (all prices are ex-showroom Delhi).

Fiat Punto Evo vs Maruti Swift vs VW Polo vs Hyundai i20 petrol comparo

Fiat Punto Evo vs Maruti Swift vs VW Polo vs Hyundai i20 petrol comparo

The Punto Evo and i20 are available with 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol engines (latter offered only with an AT) while the Swift comes with a 1.2-litre unit. The lower variants of the Polo are powered by a naturally aspirated 1.2-litre three-cylinder motor but the GT TSI sports a turbocharged 1.2-litre four-cylinder unit.

All cars have a standard 5-speed manual transmissions save for the Polo GT TSI which gets a 7-speed DSG automatic and the i20 1.4-litre variant which comes mated to a 4-speed AT.

At 105 PS (103.5 bhp), the Polo GT TSI is the most powerful petrol car in the segment. The Punto Evo 1.2-litre variant is the least powerful of the lot with just 68 PS (67.04 bhp) in store. The Polo GT TSI's 1.2 TSI pumps out the highest torque in the segment at 175 Nm while the Punto Evo's 1.2-litre motor delivers the least amount of torque at 96 Nm.

Read our review of the Fiat Punto Evo petrol

The Swift is the most frugal car in its segment, returning an ARAI mileage of 18.6 km/l whereas the Punto Evo 1.4-litre variant is the least efficient at 14.4 km/l.

The Polo has the highest starting price of INR 4.99 lakhs whereas the Swift has the lowest starting price of INR 4.42 lakhs (all prices are ex-showroom Delhi).

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