Here is Part 1 of the comparison which sees the new Tata Bolt rival the Maruti Swift, Hyundai Elite i20, VW Polo and the Maruti Ritz.
The Bolt is 25 mm shy of the Swift, and the second widest car in this segment. At 2,470 mm, it has the second longest wheelbase as well, but the Elite i20 still triumphs it with a 100 mm longer one. The Hyundai also sports the roomiest boot at 280 liters, while the Bolt's 210 liter boot is the second smallest in the segment.
Diesel -
The Tata and the Marutis use the Fiat-sourced 1.3L engine, the Hyundai gets a 1.4L while the VW has the largest displacement at 1.5L. Consequently, the Polo is the most powerful car here in its GT TDI spec, while the Elite i20 matches the regular Polo with 90 PS on tap. At least on paper, the Bolt puts up the lowest power:weight ratio.
All cars save for the Elite get a 5-speed manual transmission. Hyundai has opted for a 6-speed manual on the i20. In order of fuel efficiency from highest to lowest, the rank follows as Swift-Ritz-Bolt-i20-Polo.
The entry-level Bolt is INR 4,000 more than the Ritz. However, the Tata is still INR 26,000 cheaper than the Swift, its main rival. It should also be mentioned that the top-end Elite i20 and Polo at INR 7.99 lakhs are exactly a lakh more than the top-end Bolt. However, bear in mind that the Polo is the only car in this list to sport dual front airbags as standard.
Petrol -
All cars here come with a 1.2-liter engine. The Bolt and VW GT TSI are the only cars to get turbocharging technology. As a result, they're the most powerful in the segment with 90 PS and 105 PS respectively. However, thanks to its higher weight, the Bolt is surpassed by the GT TSI, Swift and Ritz in the power-weight ratio department.
All cars get a 5-speed manual gearbox with the exception of the GT TSI getting a 7-speed DSG and the Ritz being optionally available with a 4-speed automatic. The Marutis and the Hyundai are the most fuel efficient of the lot, whereas the Bolt at 17.57 km/l is at the bottom of the list with the Polo's 16.47 km/l.
At INR 4.45 lakhs, the Bolt is INR 12,000 cheaper than the Swift and a whopping INR 77,000 cheaper than the Elite i20.
