Introduction

Premium hatchbacks are some of the most desirable mass market cars in India. They are feature-loaded and offer decent performance. But above all, they are also comfortable and spacious. On one end, we have a benchmark in the form of the Hyundai Elite i20, and on the other end, there is the Toyota Glanza, which is nothing more than a rebadged Maruti Suzuki Baleno. So, if you're in the market for a premium hatchback, and are confused as to which of the above cars - Glanza or Elite i20 - offer better seating space and comfort, here's a quick comparison before you make your decision.

Cabin Space - Front

Since the Glanza is identical to the Baleno, this comparison is relevant for all three cars. Now, both, the Glanza and Elite i20, have well-appointed cabins with enough and more creature comforts. But it's the Hyundai Elite i20 that offers more space at the front with a legroom of 870mm, compared to 860mm in the Glanza.

Further, the Elite i20 offers better shoulder room (1380mm) and headroom (1010mm), compared to 1340mm and 970mm,respectively, in the Glanza. Further, the Korean is comfortable than the Japanese when it comes to seating comfort. So, Hyundai is the clear winner here. Let's see how these two fare at the back.

Cabin Space - Rear

At the back, it's the Toyota Glanza that offers 50mm more legroom, but the Elite i20 bounces back with 50mm extra headroom and 20mm more shoulder room. While both cars offer identical seat base lengths, the Elite i20 gets better support for the back.

Boot Space

The Glanza comes with a boot space capacity of 339 litres. Now, Hyundai has not revealed the boot space of the India-spec Elite i20, but the slightly larger UK-spec i20 gets 336 litres of cargo capacity. Clearly, Toyota wins here.

Conclusion

Both the cars are neck to neck, and the space difference is miniscule. And, both the cars are feature loaded as well, so it comes down to more technical bits. If you are looking for a petrol version then the Glanza makes for a better choice with its punchier petrol motor, but if you are in the market for a diesel hatchback, then the Elite i20 it is. However, you'll have to wait for it as Hyundai recently discontinued the 1.4-litre diesel unit, which will soon be replaced by the 1.5-litre motor.