i10 is a good car for small families

The key criteria are look & feel, fuel consumption, comfort, build quality, handling in city, and service. Of course, I was primarily looking for a city car which will run about 600-800 km per month.

Indica Vista comes with good value for money but poor build quality and pathetic Tata service are its bane. Let’s not talk of Indica Xeta or Indigo CS if we want to consider refined cars that do not shake or sneeze. Pathetic Tata service continues to hassle Fiat Palio owners as well.

Maruti hatches are too narrow to provide comfortable seating. Also, they are poor in features. Swift has got the features and girth, but is too bulky from outside and cramped at the rear seat.

GM cars are known for poor service and high cost of spares in India. Same is the story of Ford India (though Ford has no hatches, Ikon comes for the price of a hatch).

Santro is dated now and has a 10-year old engine in terms of technology.

That leaves only I10, which passed the test in all the criteria! Its score was not top class in every criterion, but it fared pretty well in all of them. Top this up with insurance, Sony music system, all accessories, and good behavior free from Kun Hyundai . I10 wins it hands down