Ford Figo : It Rocks

In a market teeming with hatchback segment cars, every car and car manufacturer tries to make an impact by launching the latest technology cars which have an edge over their peers, may be in terms of technology, exteriors or other features.

70 percent of Indian customers are believed to prefer the cars which are a part of the hatchback segment and to make a mark in the same, Ford Figo has been launched by the car manufacturer Ford India, which looks to make a stronger impact in this category which has been ruled till now by the likes of Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, etc. Ford Figo has been launched in the hatchback segment with a competitive price of 3.5 lakh. This price gives close to competition to Maruti Suzuki’s hatchback model Maruti Suzuki A-Star which was launched amongst much hype in 2008 and is doing wonders for itself, especially in Europe where it is being sold under the name of Suzuki Alto.

The car manufacturers have very intelligently put such a price tag in order to survive the existing competition. Similar to A-Star, Ford Figo has also been designed keeping the Indian road and traffic conditions in mind. The company has invested around US $ 500 in India to increase, in fact double, its production capacity to around 2,00,000 units a year. With Figo, Ford plans to take the hatchback industry by storm, thereby making its position stronger in the increasingly growing hatchback segment.

Ford Figo may not yet be the complete car by many standards, yet it offers many interesting features like Lane change indicators, Rapid deceleration, speed sensing volume control, small programmable remote key, a 6-speed intermittent wiper as well as central locking. It is available in both petrol and diesel models. Where cars like Maruti A-Star and Hyundai i10 definitely win the battle is in the fact that both these cars have now been launched with automatic transmission as well, which makes maneuvering through the city roads just like a dream.

Honda Jazz- It’s Honda all the way!

It’s a car that lives up to its name. Literally! When Honda Motor Co. launched its luxurious hatchback Honda Jazz in India last year, it brought in its wake a lot of sighs, purely because of its mesmerizing beauty. Jazz, like its name suggests, is a peppy-looking car. Since Honda announced plans of launching Jazz in the domestic market, it was one of the most eagerly awaited cars, especially after the success that other new hatchbacks like Maruti Suzuki A-Star and Spark have tasted.

It was, undoubtedly, the most awaited car from the company, more so because it was the first small car in Honda’s product portfolio in the country. Honda Jazz, like its predecessors, is a luxurious, albeit a luxurious small car. Not compromising on the quality and features, the company has equipped this hatchback with all the luxury features available in a C-segment luxury sedan. This definitely has raised Jazz’s prices higher than its contemporaries like A-Star, WagonR, Alto, Spark, etc., in turn making it count among the high-end models.

While building Jazz, Honda has used the old Honda City platform in an effort to reduce the overall price of Jazz. Had the platform been changed as well, it would have really elevated the manufacturing cost of Jazz. This comes as quite a disappointment when other car manufacturers are building their cars on entirely new platforms, like in the case of Maruti A-Star. The two cars belong to the same category, have comparable features. Jazz is undoubtedly a notch higher in pricing than other cars in the same category.

With Honda Jazz’s launch, Honda has made a grand entry into the small car market, giving tough competition to Maruti, Hyundai, Skoda and Chevrolet, the major players among the Indian car manufacturers.

Hyundai i20 : A Luxurious Hatchback!

Hyundai i20 was first launched at the Paris Motor Show 2008. This exciting new hatchback from Hyundai is being manufactured exclusively in India and is then exported to other countries. This is also the case with Maruti Suzuki A-Star, which is manufactured exclusively in India and is exported to countries 150 countries across Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Australia.

The car has been pretty successful in the Indian car market, being loaded with comfortable interiors and high-end safety features. Hyundai i20 comes in a wide range of models depending on features and variants. Hyundai India has now launched a diesel-CRDi variant to give tough competition to other cars in the same segment like Skoda Fabia Diesel and Maruti Swift Diesel.

After the success of Maruti A-Star’s automatic transmission variant, Hyundai i20 has also launched a more powerful model of i20 which is equipped with a 1.4 liter petrol engine with automatic transmission. Of late, the trend of cars with Automatic transmission being launched in the Indian market is soon catching up. It’s an even better deal for the Indian drivers who are able to easily maneuver through the potholed Indian roads.

Hyundai i20 has now come up with two new variants – the Era and Sportz. Both of these variants have been introduced with the petrol and diesel engines. Both of these variants have been introduced in petrol and diesel variants. Hyundai believes that the i20 Sportz would help bridging the gap between its Magna and Asta. It’s a huge step from the company where i20 is now available in 5 variants with the option of three engines!

The diesel variant of the new i20 is equipped with six-speed manual transmission gears, which is a first by any car manufacturer in the country. Hyundai spokespersons believe that the additional 6th gear would help in a more fuel-efficient driving.

Chevrolet Spark – Interiors speak for themselves!!

Among the small cars available in the Indian market today, Chevrolet Spark is among the best cars which have been quite a success with the Indian customers. A compact car by General Motors, Chevrolet Spark was launched in India in 2007 and has been enjoying glory all over the world since then. With a very competitive price tag, Chevrolet Spark has been undoubtedly giving tough competition to other small cars in this category, namely, Hyundai Getz, Maruti Suzuki A-Star, Swift and Wagon R.

Chevrolet Spark is equipped with all the standard features available in cars of its category. It’s a great car which enjoys many interesting features along with good looks and interiors. An intelligent and compact packaging in terms of length and wheelbase makes it easy to maneuver through the crowded roads. A high roof line and spacious headroom for rear seat passengers makes it comfortable for them to ride in the new Spark. There are also outside mirrors which can be internally adjusted. This comes to pretty good use in dusty conditions. A super cool and effective air-conditioning system also suits the Indian climatic conditions very well. The car is definitely very easy to handle, just like Maruti A-Star. ‘Chevy Spark’ has a turning radius of 4600 mm and makes handling as smooth as butter. In terms of safety, energy absorbing hexagonal profile saves the passengers of the car in case of a collision.

With many stunning colors available such as Icy Blue, Mint Green, Fiery Red, Casablanca White and Platinum Metallic, Chevy Spark is a very good looking car as well. Apart from the external looks, a high range of standard features make the Spark is a very interesting car. The high-end Spark 1.0 Litres Option Pack is equipped with various high-end features like power-steering, air conditioner, power windows, cup holders, Folding rear-seat, Rear wash wiper, central locking, child safety locks, front fog lights and defogger.

Chevrolet Spark – It’s more than just looks!

Entering the Indian small car market at a time when the market was being led by big and proven brands such as Maruti Wagon R, Swift, etc., Chevrolet Spark has made a place for itself in the market. It mostly stands out because of its dynamic looks, funky interiors and affordable pricing. Spark surely made way for the launch of Maruti’s global concept car Maruti Suzuki A-Star, which is quite similar to Spark when it comes to looks and the peppy interiors.

Chevrolet Spark is surely a dynamic car with spacious interiors which are equipped with good quality materials being used in the interiors. Inspite of being a small sized compact car, Chevrolet Spark is quite spacious! High quality steel being used in the car adds to its dynamism and gives the car a light weight and required balance.

When it comes to the body of Spark, it surely is among the best cars available in the market. Tension beam, shock absorbers with trailing arms give the car a much better stability, even when its travelling on rough roads. Presently, Chevrolet Spark petrol version is available in a single engine option that is a 1.0 Litre, 8V, SOHC Smart-TEC engine. The mill is equipped with several innovative technologies including Dual Distributor Less Ignition System (DDLI), Sequential MPFI, Advanced Optical Sensor and Motorized Throttle Intake System (MTIS). It is interesting to note that the Smart-Tec powertrain increases the max engine power and torque which result in a zippy pick-up and performance. This also ensures that the engine operation is smooth, noiseless, fuel-efficient, powerful, and reliable and maintenance free.

Chevrolet Spark comes equipped with a 995cc petrol engine. The 995cc, 8 valve engine competes with Maruti A-Star, Estilo and Hyundai Santro. No doubt, Maruti Suzuki A-Star’s next-generation lightweight KB10 engine has proved to be the technology of the millennium! Spark’s engine gives a maximum power of 63PS @ 5400rpm and a maximum torque of 90.3 Nm @ 4200 rpm. This great looking compact car is mated with a five-speed manual gearbox.

Hyundai i10 Review Part-I (Looks)

The car was launched by creating a lot of hype with Shahrukh Khan endorsing it. No doubt the car has a variety of impressive standard features. This car is specially built for those who are on a budget. The look of the car is quite uncluttered and simple. Both the exteriors and interiors have nothing very impressive but it has nothing to be ashamed of. This car is specially built for a family guy because the Hyundai i10 fails to excite anyone between the age group of 20 to 25.

Unlike Chevrolet Beat and Maruti Suzuki A-Star the Hyundai i10 is not available in flashy colors. The Hyundai i10 is not as nippy as some other cars in its class. Whereas the company is hell-bent in proving that the car has a sporty look with a streamline bodyline. But I failed to spot anything sporty in this car as it has a bulky looking body with quite simple interiors. On the positive side the interiors are not at all fussy this car is specially built for a person who wants a less complicated car.

The car is available in various models and the best one has a sub roof which can help you feel fresh air while driving. But the Sun Roof is useless in north Indian cities where you hardly find fresh air. The car is available in a variety of colors as listed below:

• Crystal White
• Stone Black
• Oyster Gray
• Virtual Yellow
• Electric Red
• Deep Ocean Blue
• Champagne Gold
• Blushing Red
• Sleek White
• Alpine Blue

The head lights and tail lights are quite simple and perfectly go with the uncomplicated look. Hyundai i10 is specially built to cater to the needs of budgetary Indian car buyers and hence more preference is given to performance than looks.