Comparison between premium hatchbacks!!

The Altroz is a new car, So how does it compare against its established rivals that's what we are here to find out before we kick off let us know what you think of these premium hatchbacks do they still make sense in the face of all these compact Suv's and what is your opinion on tata motors first premium hatchback drop it in the comment section below. 

Now lets get on with this comparo, the Altroz is the newest of the lot (as now comes with Turbo also) and it definitely looks and feels the newest of the lot now let's obviously talk about the styling to start with isn't this a really really good looking car in fact in my opinion this is the best looking premium hatchback and by a large margin it's so well designed so attractive such a head turner and the fact that the Altroz hasn't really sold in great numbers not tata motors his fault due to this whole pandemic and all of that that has happened right after the Altroz was launched but anyway we don't see too many Altroz. In fact i've hardly seen any Altroz on the road and that's why when I see one I definitely turn your neck, it definitely gets you noticed all of tata cars they've had good ride and good handling and that does not change with the Altroz. In fact this new Alfa Arc modular platform ride and handling the first thing is the toughness this car feels solid it's built to last you can go hit bottles hit speed breakers without slowing down and you're not worried that something is going to break or fall apart this is sure footed it's planted the steering not much in terms of feel but good weight and that gives you confidence to push it, it feels planted it feels stable it does not feel unnerving like the steering is too light and you don't know what the hell is going on at the front. It gives you good feedback from the nose and down these twisty roads you can push it fast obviously the Altroz is not perfect one thing that reviewers find fault with is the steering, because it does not adjust for reach it only adjusts for rake and that means some people can't find that perfect driving position. Visibility is good but these a-pillars are really thick and when you're going around corners they do impede visibility but that said these thick A-pillars and obviously the way the car is built that results in that full five-star crash test rating so I would live with these thick a-pillars no problem because that delivers a really safe car secondly the seats they lack under thigh support I would have preferred more under thigh support and at the back right on top it sort of digs into my back so it doesn't feel as accommodating or as comfortable as you would expect these to be like the I-20 seats for instance or even the Baleno seats those are really comfortable and nothing to gripe about over thereon this new omega arc platform Tata motors engineers have designed all four doors to open by a massive 90 degrees for ease of ingress and aggress back seat space is also very good second only to the Baleno in terms of spaciousness in this test a nice infotainment screen Apple car play & android auto all of that integrated into it all the features that you would want doesn't have a sunroof but in my opinion you don't need a sunroof in a hot countrylike India and everything else is there now if i had to find one more niggle it would be these door pads it's great when you're driving to rest your elbow but when you're making three-point turns your elbow does tend to hit against this so you've got to be careful over there but otherwise it's all right you will really enjoy the Altroz cabin you'll enjoy this car. The naturally aspirated petrol with 85 bhp the diesel is 89 bhp it is quick and now the turbo is even faster at 109bhp. I think we're getting spoiled by the polo and it's turbocharged engine so this feels okay it doesn't feel all that quick and the refinement is something that could be worked on a little bit more in the next iterations also the throttle response that needs to be a little more precise and a little bit quicker than what it is right now but otherwise it's all a matter of getting used to it the gearbox is nice could be a little slicker it's not the slickest gearbox in this segment but it's again all right it's a five-speed gearbox and it delivers enough power enough performance to push the chassis to make the chassis work and when you work the chassis that's when you come to appreciate the Altroz even more. 

If there's one car that the Altroz has to beat that is the Baleno this is the best seller in the segment and not without reason. Now, I'll tell you why this Baleno is so great it's because it's so effortless so easy to drive. The 1.2L with the CVT automatic and it's the best spec if you're looking for a city commuter this really is the best spec there is a lot of space inside the cabin in fact this is the most spacious both in terms of rear knee room as well as shoulder room so five people can actually fit inside the Baleno it's easy it's fingertip easy to drive the engine it is noiseless the refinement of this Japanese power plant is really superb and the CVT is so smooth it's only when you start to push the Baleno that's when you can start to hear the engine and you can get that CVT rubber band effect but this is not the way you're going to be driving in the city are you so? It's only out here in the hills that you'll be driving like that but otherwise in the city you'll be driving it at a more relaxed pace and then you really cannot hear anything the refinement of the powertrain is just brilliant it's a typical Japanese power plant in that sense at 80bhp the Baleno is not the fastest in this test but it is the lightest car in this test so then when you take into account the power to weight ratio the performance of the Baleno is actually pretty good it's pretty sprightly now as for the ride and handling of the Baleno now you will hear a lot of unfavorable things having been said about the Baleno but to be honest the chassis is pretty polished in its own right, In fact all of these Suzuki cars the reliability is phenomenal zero problems no issues whatsoever so people will criticize and say that it feels too light and these doors when you open close them they really feel flimsy but in terms of actual reliability cost of ownership the Baleno is on another planet all together and of course whatever I say about the Baleno holds true also for the Toyota Glanza because they are the same car so if you prefer Toyota dealerships if you think they give you a better ownership experience then go and buy the Glanza but both the baleno and Glanza they are the same car so all the pros and cons are the same for both the cars now the interiors of the Baleno it's looking a bit dated now to be honest and even when it was new it was nothing to write home about it's got traditional analog dials the infotainment on the high-end versions you get the touch screen infotainment with Apple Car play & Android auto all of the connectivity features it' sit's all right it doesn't feel very high quality but of course like this car no rattles no squeaks no nothing there are panel gaps which are really tight very good fit and finish the material quality it's a little hard plastic but yeah that's about it. 

Now the polo now I'll get into what i don't like about the polo right away because people once start driving it will not be able to stop talking about the TSI  engine so here goes the cabin it's feels and looks too old too familiar this is a 10 year old cabin and even though it is now all black and makes it look more modern but there's no getting away from the age of this dashboard it's also a small cabin so behind me a guy of  size around 5'10 will not be able to fit so, its not going to fit behind  a tall person, it is very cramped the shoulder room is also quite narrow so this is a very small cozy cabin but that said if you're looking for a driver's car the polo that's the car for you no two ways about it don't look at anything else this TSI engine it's such a joy such a joy and I know how capable the chassis is the torsional rigidity of the chassis still none of the other cars can match it and that's why this is still a very safe car four stars in the Ncap crash test ratings for a 10 year old car is actually pretty pretty damn good and that torsional rigidity it makes the car handle beautifully you can throw it around corners and even though there is body roll because the suspension has been softened to give it a good ride it grips so well you can make it dance around these corners wet roads it still grips and you can still throw it around corners with serious speeds this is a quick car that loves to be hustled that's all you need to know really if you're looking for a more modern car don't look at the polo if you're looking for features don't look at the polo it doesn't get all of that but finally it is well priced that's one good thing earlier the polo was overpriced also but now it is well priced seven and a half lakhs for this TSI edition and it is great great value for a great drivers car it's not going to be the most fuel efficient that's for sure but you're not looking for fuel efficiency from a fast fun to drive car you're looking for handling you're looking for grip you're looking for power you're looking for driving thrills and the polo gives you all of that and more there is no way you will not fall in love with this car if you have petrol in your veins you will love the polo if you're looking for a family car to seat five no then this is not the car this is the car to drive. Lot of people have been asking about the refinement of this TSI engine, there's no getting away from it and at idle at low rpm you can feel that irregular thumb of a three cylinder engine but that's about it this engine actually sounds sporty.

This is an all new i20  the car that we have and talking about this car in fact it looks even more sportier than before. It has everything that the other cars have even more features than the competitors with a  sunroof too. On the dashboard got this nice infotainment it's got connectivity options all of that is there, especially when you compare it with its rivals in fact the interiors they look nice they feel premium & sporty they are put together very well it's got a nice quality feel to it the fit and finish the panel gaps all of that are tight and really up there with the current class standards the rear knee room is very similar as the Altroz but has a more comfortable backseat angle the design on the outside it is still pleasing to the eye it still looks contemporary in terms of the dynamic package now the suspension it feels a little too firm over small undulations over small ripples and that's something where the other cars really score in terms of their ride quality on poor roads but otherwise the handling it grips well the roads are wet right now but there's a good amount of grip good bite at the nose it's only the steering that feels a little too light too big too lacking in fact this light steering doesn't make the car feel planted doesn't give you that confidence but otherwise the dynamics are on power with the other cars especially with the Baleno if you take that into account this 1.2 engine is par for the cost in terms of the performance it's quick obviously the polo TSI has spoiled us rotten so now none of these cars are going to feel quick unless we get a turbo engine. So for that the I20 turbo has been brought in, in terms of the way it moves it's again on par with its rivals the refinement is very good it's a 3 cylinder 1.0l engine so it does have good refinement the gearbox is quick shifting smooth slick overall it's still a nice car to drive and one thing that I really like on the i-20 are the seats the seats are wide they've got nice side support good under thigh support they're very very good seats in fact the best seats in this category.

To conclude there are still plenty of reasons to recommend the Baleno not the least of which is reliability the space and of course the refinement then there is the new i20 that is a bit costly than others in this segment. The I-20 has a whole load of features better styling and a turbo petrol engine. There is only the Baleno with the naturally aspirated petrol but it is a delight. The polo TSI (turbo) and you will love it if you have petrol in your veins. Then this test has to have a winner and the winner definitely is the Altroz it is now the newest in this test (as it features a turbo now) and it feels it. Just look at it, It looks fantastic plus it is spacious, it is well equipped it has got petrol as well as diesel power trains in fact tata motors they fit all the right buttons with the Altroz and you should be seeing quite a few of these on the road.