Follow us on 
BS Motoring Web  
  Saturday, May 25, 2013
 
HomeCarsBikesTravelGalleryBlogsMagazineWeb TVAbout us
  Tests    Reviews    News    Features    Motorsports    Motor shows    Classics    Quick Comparisons
 
Home Cars Road Test
Game, Set and Hatch! - Micra, Figo, Polo and Swift face off
The Nissan Micra is gunning for the benchmark. But which one of these is the new benchmark?
By : Rohin Nagrani | Published : September 03, 2010 | Photos : Pablo Chaterji
Email   Print   [] Comment      
More Photos | Video
Despite that, the ride quality isn’t too bad either. Unlike the first Swifts, Maruti has worked over time to improve the ride quality and I have to say the low speed and high speed ride quality has found a sweet spot now. High speed stability too has improved with the re-tuned rear spring settings, but it isn’t the best here.


The Figo is nicely balanced too. The steering is the most feelsome here and the chassis is typically Ford, with masses of grip and very little in terms of body roll. You really feel that with a more powerful engine, the Figo can easily become a hot hatch and yet has very competent ride quality to boot. The Polo somehow seems to be the best combination between low-speed and high-speed handling as well as
low and high-speed ride quality. It is a bit firm, but the suspension doesn’t feel overly intrusive. The overall body dynamics and control too are excellent and while the steering doesn’t provide the most feedback, it is nicely weighted for both city and highway use.

Pages :| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 
More Photos:
    
Advertisements
Blend of dynamic handling and refined engineering
It’s like the wind beneath your wings that drives you closer Click here
Maximum Options of choicest properties. Buy Sell Rent.
Take your family on fun filled vacation. know more.
Invest in Gold Mutual Funds and ETF’s online for FREE
Plans for every business size and need. Explore your options
You play multiple roles in the game of life. know more
Email Print [21] Comment        
blog comments powered by Disqus
  Posted by muna11 at 6th March,2012
frnd, this site is good, but, would you please do sth to make the page navigation easier..may be placing a good pointer...
  Posted by rejosh v at 25th February,2011
cheap car lik d swift cannot match ww polo...in comparisn...polo is d best of all d (premium) car of its seg...car lik d swift shows massive...speedo error...it sucks..GO FOR POLO ..IT IS BUILT TO LAST FOREVER & CREATE HISTORY...really worth 4 ur hard earned MONEY..
  Posted by indu venkat at 21st December,2010
Sir it is one of the nice articles i hv read recently. But with the soon launch of brio and liva the segment is .likely to get cramped. Whom do you think will survive any guess?
  Posted by Tony Thomas at 29th November,2010
i am planning to buy a new ford figo diesel titanium version... is figo worth the money? it has all the features including the blue tooth connectivity.. does it have any problems with the engine?? plz help me with your valuable suggestions
  Posted by AVS at 17th November,2010
In My opinion Honda Jazz is the best hatchback ever in India. Usually all the hatchbacks in India are not good for Long rides, but sedans are preferred by many customers for comfortable long run. Jazz comes in this way. It is a combination of hatchback with the comfort of a sedan. It can easily go through the city traffic as well as long rides. Only defect any one can find is its price and no compromise for interior plastic quality. AVS Theory==Hatch back(5 Lakhs)+ Sedan( 8 Lakhs)= Jazz( 7 Lakhs ) In this concept jazz is the best choice
  Posted by AVS at 17th November,2010
K series engine with 85 Bhp(petrol) is top in power and low end torque ; but Ritz is more comfortable than Swift in many ways( interior space and design + drive by wire technology). Only Jazz is above it. In diesel engine, Punto is the best second Swift( Both are using the same engine). Then comes Polo
  Posted by autoclass at 16th November,2010
Polo is clearly the larger car here in terms of dimension and price, it should not be compared with figo and micra. Polo, i20 and punto are of same size, they make the best comparison. Agreed that Polo is not that loaded, but indenyibly i20 would be the only competition to the polo for super hatch. Swift is an old school boxy design, with cheap interiors and cramped space.
  Posted by automate at 16th October,2010
It has been quite some time since the launch of the new Micra and the hype surrounding it is slowly beginning to subside. Now it is time for the actual question. Was the car really worth the hype and is it truly a game changer for Nissan in India. Let’s find out. First, lets get into some statistics. Since the launch of Nissan Micra, Nissan India sales have grown by around 20 times over the same period last year. Full credit to the Micra for the outstanding feat. Nissan, with its small network of 19 dealers, managed to sell around 1200 Micras in September. A ratio of around 60 cars sold per dealer. Well done Nissan. But in a market dominated by Swifts and i20s, is the Micra good enough to carry Nisan on its shoulders? Read on. http://automate4u.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/
  Posted by shaitansingh at 18th September,2010
Sirji, It would have been nice if the story would have ended here....the real thing starts once you get the car home i.e after sales..and no company is able to keep up with that.the dealer selection of volkswagen is pathetic..so be ready for an awful ownership experience...it is not choice of good and bad..it will be poor poorer poorest and i kno maruti is poor..hyundai...poorer and ford and vw will be poorest
  Posted by Darshit Jain at 14th September,2010
The Comparo is incomplete without the Fiat Punto. Its a very competitive car atleast better than Figo.
  Posted by Alex Victor at 13th September,2010
Hi BSM, This comparo is incomplete without Punto. A moere than competent car ignored in comparo???? Alex Victor
  Posted by arun at 9th September,2010
If the clowns at VW slash the Polo's prices by a lakh or 50 grand, I'd go for it with my eyes closed- esp the one with the 1.6 motor(if it's here) . Rear seat legroom be damned.....
  Posted by rahul at 8th September,2010
Rather than pick an overall winner, please nominate the following *Best Sporty hatch *Best Family hatch *Best VFM and FE hatch
  Posted by ranzeet at 7th September,2010
ya u had made a good article after having a test ride i want to know that does middle class indian want the same design like figo micra swift so i want to make research on the design of the indian that which model they would prefer why the r not buying other model car can some one help me
  Posted by sandy at 6th September,2010
well! surprise surprise! Polo is the efficient among them even being heavier. That's good for a solidly built German car.
  Posted by Biju at 5th September,2010
look at the price of figo, it is the best of the lot, it offer every thing that others do. why to buy micra, as it is the smallest car in the lot. Sit behind the wheel of figo you can feel the on paper figure is not truly applied.Now ford is providing best after sales service as well.
  Posted by sachin at 5th September,2010
Thanks Motoring for a wonderful shootout.great job done.we love such in depth comparisons.
  Posted by vinbie at 4th September,2010
What about reliability of electrical parts for long term use? what about high maintenance costs? What about re-sale value? what about service network? Figo can't be best
  Posted by Tats at 4th September,2010
Strange test. As per the writer, The Swift wins on the engine performance & fun to drive front, the Figo on the space & value front & the Micra with innovative engineering front. The only aspect where the Polo has a lead as per the test is the mileage while being the costliest car in this comparision. So how does it emerge as the winner? On handling & performance-No, On spaciousness-No, On value-No, On being loaded with features-No. How does it win with only a slight advantage in fuel efficiency? Only a lot of adjectives are used to describe the winner (Polo). Nice selection of words in the last paragraph though :-) " well rounded and engineered package. It is enthusiastic enough to be driven hard, has very good dynamics and feels like it will last on Indian roads very well. It is a tough, no-nonsense small car that feels plush at the same time " Since when did "feelings" start differentiating mainstream volume cars? Is this journalism or an advertisement?
  Posted by Vikram Chauhan at 3rd September,2010
Weird conclusion to what was otherwise a good test; reading your own impression, one would have assumed that the crown would go to the Swift; how the Polo makes it to the top with an unrefined engine, the slowest acceleration, a driving experience that is reliably described as "dead", all with a high sticker price, is anybody's guess.
  Posted by P Kumar at 3rd September,2010
"I’m sure that the Maruti Suzuki Swift’s report was in the hands of the companies who make the other three cars here before they went around developing their own" Dude you think VW, Ford and Nissan studied Swift before launching Polo, Figo and Micra. Polo has been there since 1975, Nissan Micra since 1982..Swift was launched in 2004..so who studied which car is quite clear. You wrote this review or it came from Maruti
Read Emailed Commented
Other Manufacturers Other Models
 
Explore BSMOTORING.COM
  Home   Cars   Bikes   Gallery   General   Resources   Explore Group Network
 Quick Comparisons
 Road Tests
 Motofocus
 Motorsports
 Destinations
 Tests
 Reviews
 News
 Features
 Motorsports
 Motor shows
 Classics
 Quick Comparisons
 Tests
 Reviews
 News
 Features
 Motorsports
 Motor shows
 Classics
 Quick Comparisons
 Photo Gallery
 Video Gallery
 Wallpaper
 Travel
 Blogs
 Magazine
 About us
 Archives
 Register
 Feedback
 Archives
 Advertise with us
 Contact Us
 Business-standard.com
 bshindi.com
 Archives
 Livemarkets
 smartportfolio II