Overview

Looking for a city car that stands out in the crowd and gets you appreciative nods? You now have three options, the popular Maruti Suzuki Swift, the gorgeous looking Fiat Grande Punto and the latest kid on the block, the Volkswagen Polo. But, which of the three makes for the ideal car to drive and own?

For a long time people looking for a youthful hatchback, have bought a Swift. Even though its looks weren’t to everyone’s liking, it was still a standout design among its peers. And it was good to drive.

Lately, the gorgeous looking and dynamically sound Fiat Punto has begun to attract the attention of this buyer. Customers are in fact buying it for its looks alone. But, now there’s yet another player, and it’s quite attractive too. It might carry a premium badge, but in terms of purchase price, it is surprisingly affordable. Say hello to the Volkswagen Polo.

Exterior & Interior

Overloaded with equipment, but fit-finish and quality need to improve

Yes. The Polo is affordable, especially compared to the Swift and the Punto but only in the Comfortline model on test here against the top-of-the-line versions of the other two cars, the ZXi and the Emotion Pk, respectively. Choose the top-of-the-line Highline in the Polo, and you’ll scream ‘pricey’ even before you have seen what it offers. But, if you are buying the car for its looks alone, the Comfortline is a good fit, but remember to opt for those 16in alloys; these are a worthwhile addition, simply because they enhance the hatch’s looks quite a bit.

Compared to the competition and more palatable as a design than the Swift. But, it’s still no competition for the Italian fl air of the Punto, especially on the outside.

Inside the cabin though, we prefer the Polo. It’s not a very youthful design and comes across as more functional, but it exudes richness and quality that are leagues above both the Swift and the Punto; the Fiat is in fact a few notches below the Swift as well. The shut lines on the VW meanwhile are immaculate all around compared to the competition and the functionality of various controls is more logical and better engineered too.

Build quality as well as the equipment on the Swift treads the middle path

The Polo’s biggest drawback though, is its lack of equipment. Unlike both the Swift and the Punto in their top-of-the-line trims with all their bells and whistles, the Volkswagen gets nothing noteworthy in the Comfortline version.

Now these cars might have been bought for the way they look, but these will, in majority of the cases, be used for the daily commute. So, it’s important that these cars also have light controls, good visibility as well as comfortable seats and a respectable ride quality. And it’s the Polo that delivers on all these counts yet again.

The Punto has a great ride; the best here in fact. It absorbs all sorts of ruts, potholes and undulations with the most authority here. The ride’s also quiet, and it never gets crashy either. It works well with its full quota of load on board too. But, it doesn’t have good seats. More importantly, it has a heavier steering, gearshift quality that requires effort and visibility that leaves blind spots all around, and therefore isn’t the best car for city commute in this bunch.

Not much equipment, but the build quality is miles ahead of the others

The Swift isn’t either. It has better visibility than the Punto and it has a light to use gearbox and the effort required for the steering is less than on the Fiat too. But then, its ride quality is uncomfortable at best. It’s fi ne at slow speeds and over small irregularities, but as potholes get deeper, the ruts, wider, and the bumps, more pronounced, the Swift tends to crash into them, and gets noisy and jumpy at the same time.

The Polo though, has the lightest controls including the steering and the clutch. It has precise and the most effortless gearshift. And to boot, it has as clear visibility and as comfortable front seats as the Swift and a ride that comes pretty close to the Punto in terms of comfort.

Engine & Gearbox

Fiat Grande Punto -Punto's engine is the most powerful one on this test

The Polo and the Punto are pretty close in handling terms as well. In fact, all three cars handle ne-arly as well, but do so very differently; at least the Swift does. The Polo and the Punto behave with more sophistication than the Maruti. These turn in well, maintain better body composure, and grip much better around corners. The Fiat and the VW also manage quick direction changes with a sense of coolness. But, these like to follow a fi xed script going into and coming out of corners. And just understeer dramatically if you choose to do anything particularly off-beat.

Maruti Suzuki Swift -1.2-litre K-series is our pick of the engines here; it's quick and efficient

The Swift on the other hand is a lot more excitable. It too will follow a script – brake, turn in, hit apex and power out – if you want it to. And it too will do it with composure, if not as much body control as the other two. But, it’s more fun when one is extempore with the Maruti. You can brake late and carry some speed into corners too. You can turn in late with it or make mid corner correction to lines and if played well, also enter, apex and exit a corner in oversteer. And that’s what makes the Swift such a fun to drive car.

volkswagen Polo -Unimpressive engine

It’s helped along beautifully by its engine. The Punto might have the bigger engine here, but the Swift is the quickest and the most refined. To top it all, it is also the most fuel efficient. The Polo quite obviously can’t compete with either on this front.

Dimensions

Fiat Grande Punto (mm)
	The Punto's boot is marred by intrusions on either side
Maruti Suzuki Swift (mm)
	The Swift has the smallest boot in this comparison test
volkswagen Polo (mm)
	The Polo boasts the biggest boot here and it's useable too

Scorecard & Verdict

Fiat Grande Punto- Great looking car, well equipped and rides and handles well. But, quality and space are an issue.

Maruti Suzuki Swift- A fun to drive car that's also spacious and effi cient. Ride though isn't good and the warranty is poor.

volkswagen Polo - Short on equipment and space, but is built and fi nished like more expensive cars. Is also very comfortable.

Scorecard

Body: Spacewise, there's similar front room in all three cars. But, the Swift, courtesy its good rear kneeroom, emerges as the most spacious at the back. The Polo though manages to stay ahead thanks to a bigger, more usable boot, better payload, and of course, much better quality and fi t and fi nish of its insides.

Drive: If you like driving, there isn't a better car here than the Swift. It has the best engine; it's both quick and efficient. Also, the Punto only manages to keep up with it in acceleration thanks to a larger engine. The Swift also has a light to use gearbox, but it's still nowhere near as slick and fun to use as the Polo's.

Comfort: Comfort is one area where the Punto is king. It has the best ride, and handling too is right up there. It's also quiet on the inside and loaded with comfort equipment; it has the most features in this test. It could however, do with better seats, which the Polo and Swift have.

Dynamics: The Punto also has the best steering in this test, especially for enthusiastic driving. The Polo only manages equal points because the VW's light steering is more compatible for city use. The Polo and the Punto are also very stable in a straight line.

Cost: Polo in Comfortline trim is the cheapest car here. It also comes with a good warranty, like the Punto. But, warranty is probably why the Swift fi nishes second here. It has the best resale and good pricing, but the poor warranty just spoils things.

Verdict

The Punto fi nishes third mainly on account of poor rear space and average quality. It still is the best looking and best equipped car here, though. The Swift which has the best engine and the most space here loses out mainly due to an uncomfortable ride and poor warranty. After all, one buys the compete package including the peace of mind a good warranty gives you. Our winner, the Polo, isn’t the perfect car either. It lacks space and needs a better engine and surely better equipment at this price. But, as a package at this price, it is the best compromise. It has better build quality and comfort. It’s also dynamically sound and easy to drive and live with.