Beat vs Fabia vs i10 vs Micra vs Polo

When the Hyundai i10 made its debut over three years back, it set a benchmark among small cars. Not only was it spacious, but it was also well put together and a peppy performer as well.

Since then, however, many new cars have entered the fray and all are competent performers. There was the Beat, the Polo and the Micra. And with each new entry, the i10 kept getting bumped back in our rating grid. It still outsells the new lot, of course, but, as a product it was found wanting. Now, Hyundai has given it an upgrade, not just in terms of looks, but also the engine. More importantly, it now packs in quite a few features.

Another new re-entrant is this sphere (though not completely new) is the Fabia. It’s got a new face, new engines and a lower pricetag. Not that the earlier Fabia wasn’t up there in our ratings, but compared to the earlier car, the new one for all its positives has also been down spec-ed. Upmarket features like a cooled glovebox and electric ORVMs are now history. So is the rear wash and wipe system and defogger!

Having said that, the Fabia does retain its positives. It still offers a good ride and handling balance, and the quality levels are among the best in class as well. It also has a big boot. But, is it still a good package?

To find out, we have here, besides the new i10, a plethora of other new generation offerings. There's the Chevrolet Beat, the Volkswagen Polo and the Nissan Micra. The latter three have their strong points as well. The Beat is a looker, is spacious and has decent dynamics on its side.

The Polo too handles well, is good looking and even though is short on rear space, it has noteworthy quality and fi t and fi nish levels. The Micra in the meantime, is a chic looking car and is again spacious. It’s also quick and has a long equipment list in its top-of-the-line XV trim.

All five contenders then are good offerings, and honestly, you won’t regret buying any of them. But, it’s a cruel world and there can only be one winner. And that winner can’t just be a competent product, but it also has to have the best price and performance equation. Here’s how the cars finished…

Beat has the funkiest cabin here, and is well endowed.

THE Beat, like we said earlier, is the most stand out design in this test. Not only does it look totally funky, it’s one car that will get you the most attention on the road from bystanders. The motorcycle type instrument cluster, the swooping dash design and the silver accents inside, go along with the car’s exterior aura as well.

The equipment list on the Beat isn’t too great though, even in the LT (O) version. It gets ABS and airbags like every other car here and power windows all round as well. But, there’s no one touch operation for the windows at all. There’s also no keyless entry feature. It does compensate for it by offering an automatic digital climate control system.

The Beat is pretty spacious front and rear. The kneeroom at the rear in particular is pretty impressive. However, the rear seat like on the Micra is short on thigh support. But, begin driving and the Beat begins to impress.

It still only fi nishes fourth because the quality levels aren’t as good as on the others. It also has a small boot and scores less on comfort; the seats especially just aren’t as comfy as the others. The front ones too like the rear lack thigh support.

Interiors are well built and ergonomically sound. The equipment is at par with the rest as well, give or take a few features.

SAY hello to our new 1.2-litre hatchback champion. Not that much is new in terms of styling, chassis or underpinnings on the facelifted Fabia. But, it gets new headlamps, a new grille and new bumpers, which give it a fresh lease on life.

Inside too, apart from the new steering wheel, everything else remains the same as before, including the audio system which, sadly, still only gets speakers at the front!

The continuity has its advantages, nonetheless. The Fabia with its good driving position, well designed and supportive seats, and a little more room than the Polo at the rear, is one of the best cars to spend time in, front or rear. In the Elegance trim, the comfort and convenience equipment as well as the safety kit is at par with the best in the segment. It gets one touch up/down function for all four windows, there's a comprehensive trip computer in place and ABS and front two airbags are standard on this top-of-the-line version.

It also boasts of quality levels similar to the Polo. However, it fails to look as plush as the VW, mainly on account of placid green lighting for the instruments and lack of any sort of accents at all. There’s just black and beige and nothing much to break the monotony. The concentration of beige though is quite heavy and it presents an advantage of sorts. It leaves the Fabia feeling roomier than any of the other cars on test here.

Interiors have been updated and i10 is now the only car here to sport audio controls on the steering.

THE i10's recent uplift sees it back on top. It still doesn’t win this contest but from being one of the tail-enders to fi nish second in our ratings, is a huge achievement. The reasons for this performance are clear as well.

The car now looks more modern on the outside. And inside, while retaining its strength of quality and fit and finish, it has hugely upgraded its equipment list taking it at par with the competition. On the Asta version considered here, besides sharing features like ABS and airbags and stereo and power windows all round, with the rest, it also gets electric ORVMs (Micra is the only other car to sport one), steering mounted audio controls and Bluetooth connectivity. The latter two are exclusive to the Hyundai.

It’s not short on room either. Yes, the front is cramped compared to the others, but the rear is roomy. It also has a comfortable ingress height and large, supportive seats. And though the front seats have integrated headrests, the rear occupants get adjustable ones.

The i10 then could have been a fantastic driver’s car. But, the car's dynamics leave a little to be desired. The steering feel for one is non-existent and working it feels like playing with a spring loaded gaming console steering with no force feedback. It can also only match the Micra in terms of handling. It rolls and feels nervous when pushed hard. The grip on offer via the tyres isn’t great either.

Micra is heavily loaded with features, but quality and fi t and fi nish could be better.

ONE of the great things about the Micra is its design. It might not be earth shatteringly new, but it’s unique. And many find it cute too. Inside too, it’s lively and well rounded; the design of the climate control system in particular looks fresh.

Moreover, in the XV trim on test here, it has some unique convenience features too. The keyless entry and start is something you’d only find in cars two segments above. Also things like climate control and electrically adjustable ORVMs with fold function can only be found on two other cars here.

It’s also one of the most spacious cars here considering both front and rear room. But, it just isn’t as well engineered as we would have liked. The quality of plastics for instance is nothing great and neither is the seat design; the rear ones in particular are too fl at and close to the floor which make for uncomfortable seating.

The ride and handling balance too needs looking into. The Micra rides the odd bumps and potholes well at slow speeds, but it crashes into deeper potholes. The body movement over bad roads at speeds isn’t comforting either.

Interior ambience is best in class and most upmarket. Quality too is top class.

JUST a single point separates the VW Polo and the Hyundai i10. But it’s the German that loses out to the Korean. And one of the main reasons for that is the cost. Now the warranty on the two cars is the same, but the Polo is more expensive and it doesn’t command as good a resale value either.

Wondering how it manages to finish third with these shortcomings? Well, it has a fantastic ride and handling package. It’s also fun to drive around bends, mainly downhill of course. And even though it might not have the go, courtesy its great brakes, loads of grip, quick steering and intuitive handling, you can barrel down a hill road as quick as you dare. And it will handle it.

Then of course, the Polo has the best interior in this bunch. Not only does it look and feel plush, it’s also very well put together. The operability, including the functioning of the rotary knobs, and the ergonomics is top class. Furthermore, in the Highline trim, the play of lights – white, blue and red – and the chrome accents give it a tremendously high wellness co-efficient. It’s defi nitely a car you want to come back to again and again. That it has one of the most comfortable and supportive seats in this group, makes it twice as inviting.

It's also not short on practicality. It has a large glovebox and front door pockets that hold huge bottles. There's also a deep stowage area in front of the central tray mounted cupholders and the space is lit too. It also has one of the bigger boots in this test.

Chevrolet Beat Engine is a tad gruff, but feels peppy, both under full bore accelerations and in the confines of the city

The engine is one the best here. It’s not the most refi ned, but is reasonably quick revving. It also returns good acceleration and roll on times. The only chink in the Beat’s drivetrain armoury is its vague gearbox and relatively poorer fuel economy. But, as a car to drive everyday, it’s both fun and useful. And it’s the cheapest to buy as well!

Skoda Fabia The engine could do with more go. It's also not too economical.

It’s also a good drive, is the Fabia, even though the engine tries its best to spoil the party. The same 1.2 on both the Polo and the Fabia is an average engine. But, the lovely gearshift quality does compensate for it a bit. In addition, the Fabia’s steering feels the best in this group. It's light at slow city speeds, but remains quick when you really want to throw the car into bends. It also returns more feel than the Polo, and is more linear in its operation too. The Skoda also steals a march over its German cousin under braking. Both are equally stable, but the Skoda, even with smaller tyres, manages to stop in a shorter distance.

Hyundai i10 Engine is superb and the best here.

The most significant change on the new version though is the engine. The Kappa 1.2 was already a fantastic engine and made the i10 one hell of a performer. The i10, in its earlier avatar, was already quicker than the rest. But now, it’s turned into a scorcher with the Kappa2 engine. It is a second quicker to 100kmph compared to the earlier car. In fact, it’s as quick as the more powerful Fabia 1.6! The roll-on times have improved as well. Crucially, for all the gain in performance, the i10's fuel economy hasn't dropped. It's also the second most effi cient car here.

Nissan Micra Engine is coarse, but quick. 4 Boot space is average

We do like the Nissan’s engine though. It’s a little gruff, but packs in a decent performance. It’s also reasonably driveable in the city and to boot, is the most fuel efficient car here as well. Finally though, it’s average quality levels and a less than optimal ride and handling balance let it down. So does its relatively poor warranty.

VW Polo Engine is one of the weak links in the Polo package; it's neither efficient nor refined.

Moreover, the Polo’s 1.2-litre petrol engine just doesn’t do justice to the car’s racy looks and planted handling. Along with the Fabia (which also has the same engine), the VW is the slowest car off the line in this lineup. The engine also sounds gruff and is among the two least efficient cars in this test. Another huge drawback of the Polo is the lack of space for the rear occupants. There’s not much kneeroom in here compared to the competition and the shoulder room isn’t outstanding either.