Fiat has just launched the Punto Evo in India and we guys at MotorBeam are ready with a specifications and price comparison of the vehicle with its rivals, just like always!
The premium hatchback segment is a battleground of sorts. The Maruti Swift is the leader when it comes to sales but its rivals are far ahead in other departments. While Volkswagen launched the updated Polo a couple of weeks back, Hyundai will be launching the second generation i20 next week. The Swift will see a minor cosmetic update in September.
The Fiat Punto Evo is much different than the outgoing version in many ways. While the older model looked beautiful, the Punto Evo looks a bit in-your-face with all that chrome that Fiat has splashed over it. Still, the hatchback does look very good and a huge leap forward from the outgoing model which was getting outdated. The most amazing part about the Evo is the interior upgrade. The Punto Evo now sports interiors similar to the new Linea and these are miles ahead of the older model. The new interiors lend a completely new and fresh feel to the vehicle.
The 2014 Volkswagen Polo gets a slew of changes which make the overall package a very good choice. The Polo looks clean and classy on the outside while the interiors too ooze of premium feel. Each and every component has much better quality than the Swift. The updated Polo also gets a couple of feature additions while the new shades too look cool. A very neat, simple and yet significant upgrade by Volkswagen on the 2014 Polo.
The Maruti Swift is very neutral in design. The latest generation Swift, launched in 2011 has its looks derived from the previous generation model. While it isn’t a bad-looker, the fact is that there are just too many Swifts on our roads and hence no one really gives it a second glance. Coming to the interiors, the Swift gets a nice layout and ergonomics are good but quality of parts isn’t as good as its rivals, especially the Volkswagen Polo.
Coming to engines, all these hatchbacks are similar when it comes to power outputs and peak torque. What matters the most is the drivability and not really the power mentioned on paper. The Punto Evo is the only one which gets a choice of two petrol engines (when the Polo GT TSI isn’t considered). None of the hatchbacks mentioned here get an automatic gearbox. Even in diesel variants, it is the Punto which gets a choice of two engine tunes (again when the Polo GT TDI is not considered), each producing a different power output. The Punto, Polo and Swift are all mated to 5-speed gearboxes.
Moving to pricing, Fiat has reduced the Punto’s pricing drastically. Its base petrol variant is cheaper than its rivals while the top variant is the most expensive out of the three vehicles. The diesel base variant too is the cheapest as compared to the Polo and Swift.
So, out of the Punto Evo, Polo and Swift, it would be the Polo which would be our first choice followed by the Punto Evo. The Swift comes in last since it really doesn’t excite us as much as the other two even though all three offer a great driving feel. But don’t just take our word for it, read our exhaustive and exclusive road test shootout of the three cars HERE.
Punto Evo vs Polo vs Swift – Petrol Price Comparison
Punto Evo vs Polo vs Swift – Diesel Price Comparison
