There are six pairs of headlights sprinting down the NH-17 just as the dawn is breaking. This is the kind of thing that would have Greenpeace burning all six of us in a big bonfire. No, not the sprinting. It is the fact that we are taking six cars to Goa that the Greenies might not be too happy about. And we aren’t exactly carpooling either. There is not more than one person in each of these cars. Before you go mumbling about paid holidays, let me tell you that we are doing no such thing. We are merely subjecting these six automobiles to the most grueling test cycles we could come up with involving heavy urban traffic, fast moving highway sections and winding country roads all with varying surface qualities. Honest. We had no intention of having fun at all. (Sure! – ed)
So let me introduce you to the contenders. First, there is the reason this whole test is being carried out. The new kid on the block. The Chevy Sail sedan. Then there is the reigning king – the Maruti Dzire. Also making it for the fight are the Ford Classic, the Mahindra Verito, Tata Manza and the Toyota Etios. And just to make this as relevant a test as can be considering the petrol/diesel price situation, we are using all diesel cars here.
Looks and features
Goa is a full 600km from Bombay. We drove the cars all the way there and back via the NH-17. That is close to 1200km and when people see a line of six cars driving around in convoy, you are bound to attract some attention. Except for the Sail, most of the other cars have been around for a fair amount of time. All along the way we had people staring and asking questions about the Sail. But let me remind you that this is not because of its extraordinary design cues, but more because of the novelty factor.
This is not to say that the Sail is a design disaster. It is a rather smart looking car and if you ask me, it looks way better with a boot than without. It is just that, it doesn’t tingle your senses the way a Cruze or Beat would. But tingling is not one of the strong points of any of the cars here. They are all smart looking, but that’s where it ends. The Verito, for instance, looks like a hasty patch up job on the Logan. It also has the unfortunate label of being a taxi. The Dzire just looks like a bigger Swift, which is perhaps its only flaw, aside from that tiny boot of course (though the integration is much better).
The similarity to the hatchback version is also shared by the Manza now that the Vista gets the same front end. This is also a problem for the Etios, with the Liva being around, but design wise, I’ve never been a fan of the Etios. The one that is remaining – the Classic, has always been a good looking car. But it has the disadvantage of having been around for an eternity. Probably even before most the other cars in this test were even developed. So when it comes to design, the Sail brings the freshest bunch of flowers to this table. But following close behind is the Dzire, the Classic, the Manza, the Etios and the Verito in exactly that order.
As I keep saying over and over, we drove close to 1200km in these cars and with nobody to talk to on the entire drive we had to find ways to keep ourselves occupied on the long drive. The Manza by far has the best entertainment system. Being “club class” and all, the Manza now gets touchscreen infotainment with an integrated GPS, automatic climate control and park assist. It also has one of the nicest cabins in the segment and if you are going to be spending a lot of time in the backseat, with 947mm of maximum kneeroom, this is the cabin to be in. In fact the black and plum coloured interiors and leather seats set the benchmark so high that none of the other cars come close.
The closest to the Manza is the Verito. We had the Executive edition and this means it came with leather seats, a surprisingly good entertainment system with USB and Bluetooth connectivity as well as a dashboard mounted GPS unit. The Dzire, the Classic and the Sail are pretty much on the same level as far as kit goes. The interiors are pretty plain Jane but do their job well. But each of them has flaws. The Dzire has a cabin which has now become too familiar with appearances in the Swift and the Ertiga. However, the build quality and finish is among the best of the lot. The Classic’s cabin looks exactly like the Figo’s, that’s because the Figo borrowed the updated Fiesta’s (now Classic) interior. The Sail’s cabin has some serious material quality issues that make it seem very cheap. Oh and the button for the horn in the Sail never seems to work when you need it to. Even if you manage to find the two tiny buttons on the wheel, without having to take your eyes off the road (which 80 per cent of the time you won’t), the buttons require an unfair amount of effort to make any noise. But none of these cars disappoint me the way Etios does. Despite having that flat bottomed steering wheel, front seats with integrated headrests and the second best rear kneeroom among all of them (910mm), the cabin feels very cheap. The car has a very odd position for its aircon vents too. The two centre vents are on the passenger side of the centre console. And if you have sweaty hands like a certain Mody in our team, you will end up with one sweaty palm and another one frozen solid. The music system is mediocre and if you want USB and AUX connectivity, you need to order the connector separately. The centrally mounted instrument cluster makes me have to take my eyes off the road for longer than in other cars, which makes me really nervous. (Toyota seems to agree and as the story went to print, the Etios received an update addressing most issues)
So there you have it. If someone were to ask you what car you would like to be in for a long drive to Goa and back, it should be the Manza, with all its cabin space, premium interiors and above average infotainment.
Engines, performance and economy
The numbers first. The Sail, Dzire and Manza use variants of Fiat’s popular Multijet diesel. They are all 1248cc, turbocharged units with common rail injection. Difference is that they are all tuned differently. So while the Sail and Dzire make 78PS/205Nm and 75PS/190Nm each, the Manza makes 90PS/200Nm at the same engine speed thanks to variable geometry turbocharger. This makes the Manza the most powerful of the lot. The Etios uses the 1364cc D4D unit making 68PS and 170Nm while the 1399cc Duratorq engine in the Ford makes an identical 68PS but produces 10Nm less torque. The Verito’s 1461cc K9K motor is the least powerful of the lost with just 65PS and 160Nm of torque.
From the numbers you would expect the Manza to blow away the competition. But surprisingly that is not the case. The Dzire trumps the Manza with 14.16 second sprint to 100kmph taking the lead by almost a second and a half. But 15.6 seconds is not a bad time considering the Manza is the heaviest car of the lot. It is still quicker than all the other cars. But sprints are not what these cars are made.
The NH-17 is a nice twisty stretch of tarmac with a lot of elevation changes. For a drive like this, the ideal car is one that has enough torque to go through everything with the least number of gearshifts. But torque is not the only criteria. The gear ratios too must be optimised so that when there is the need to downshift or upshift, the car stays in the powerband and doesn’t bog down. This is where the Manza loses out again. There is tremendous amounts of lag in this car ( full boost kicks only once you’re above 2000rpm) and the gear ratios too are tall. As a result it loses on drivability. Add this to the fact that the Manza’s gearbox is not the best in the world with its springy feel and the long travel clutch, I’d rather sit at the back and be driven in it rather than drive it.
The Manza ought to learn a thing or two about gearing from the Verito. Even though it is the least powerful of the lot, it doesn’t not feel out of breath when the going gets tough. This despite being the second heaviest among all the contenders. But being the least powerful has other ramifications. The lack of horsepower shows up in the top speed. The 65PS motor can only propel the Verito to a top speed of 149kmph, quite a bit lower than the Manza’s test leading 164.2kmph.
What I like a lot in the Verito however, is the clutch. It is the lightest of the lot and feels like it should belong in a petrol car and not a diesel. The power delivery in the Mahindra feels very linear and there are no nasty bumps in the middle.
This linear power delivery is something that the Verito has in common with the Classic as well. The Ford is the middle ground when it comes to the gearbox and clutch feel. But if you ask for performance numbers, for all the driver involvement the car offers, it isn’t very quick. It takes 17.64 seconds to hit 100kmph. But initial whack is the only problem area here. At the quarter mile, the Ford is the quickest with a time of 18.4 seconds while the Verito (20.4 seconds) brings up the rear behind the Sail (20.03 seconds).
Like the Manza, the Sail too suffers from turbo-lag (but not as much as the Tata thankfully). Full boost kicks in at around 2200rpm and you’re left pretty much waiting around till then. But that isn’t the only drivability issue with the Sail. More often than not, you will find yourself falling far out of the powerband when upshifting. And when downshifting the engine will be most likely be crying away at a higher-than-hoped-for rpm.
When it comes to gearboxes, my personal favourite has to be the Etios. The throws are precise and smooth much like the hot knife and butter combo is. The ratios too are pretty well placed so that you don’t feel a lack of push while accelerating. A trait that is found in the Dzire as well. While the engine has a bit of lag, the gearbox makes up for it and if you know what you’re doing, once you hit the boost zone, you won’t really find any lack of poke.
This is perhaps why it is the quickest to the ton at 14.16 seconds and posts a top speed of 159kmph. Maybe the fact that it weighs exactly the same as the Swift has something to do with it as well. But nevertheless the Dzire is the perfect choice if you want lots of performance from your diesel sedan.
Now the all important question. Average kya hain?
Well, thanks to the gearbox and engine combo in the Etios, it gives the highest average fuel economy of 17.88kmpl. Tied at second place are the Dzire and the Classic with 17.5kmpl followed by the Verito with 17.3kmpl. Bringing up the rear are the Sail at 16.7kmpl and the Manza at 16.5kmpl. But on long drives like ours, it is a combination of mileage and tank capacity that actually counts.
This is where the Sail lost out. It has the smallest tank of the lot and sometimes 40 litres just won’t cut it. It is especially annoying when you have to stop for fuel with just 40-50km left for home.
Etios is clearly king here with a large 45 litre tank which together with the 17.88kmpl average gives it a range of over 800km. The Dzire meanwhile has the smallest tank here but with 17.5kmpl it manages to need a refill only every 700km or so.
Looks like as far as performance and economy goes it is a tie between the Etios and the Dzire. If you like a tiny bit more performance from your motor, then the Dzire is it. If you’re bent more towards refinement and economy, the Etios is it.
Ride and handling
One word. Ford Classic (er, that’s two). Nobody had so much fun driving any of the cars like they had in the Classic. Spec-wise, all the cars have the same setup. MacPherson struts with coil springs up front and torsion beams with coil springs at the back. But the way the suspension has been tuned is drastically different from each other.
The Verito for example has the best ride quality of the lot. We get the feeling that Dacia sourced cars have the best ride quality in the market today. We said it about the Duster and we are not hesitant to say it about the Verito. Even when you go through the worst that NH-17 has to offer, you hardly feel a thing. But it is not a car that you would want to put into a corner. The steering feel in the Verito is very weird. For the first ten to fifteen degrees, the steering feels extremely light (and I mean light to the point that you will keep accidentally making direction changes). But after that, it becomes heavy. This takes a lot of getting used to and is not the most confidence inspiring feeling.
The Etios has a very light steering and soft suspension. Everybody knows that this is great for running around in urban spaces, but the moment you start doing speeds on highways, the car starts feeling flighty. Be warned though, even in urban settings, if you carry enough speed over a speedbreaker chances are you are going to scrape your front lip. And if you’re going fast enough, the car feels skittish. But around corners, it holds its line.
High speed confidence and handling prowess is the Ford’s playground. The stiffer suspension setup helps the car hold its line into corners but not at the cost of ride quality. The steering feels direct and responds right to your inputs unlike the vagueness that the Sail has.
The Chevy’s steering is not light but it also does not feel very direct. This means that the setup is neither suited for high speeds on the highway or tight parking in the city. The ride quality however is quite good and despite being a bit on the noisy side of things, it is a comfortable car to be in.
The Manza on the other hand is not a car that I would want to be in, especially on long, twisty roads. There is a lot of body roll and I have to say that it is the first car where I felt sick. This despite being the one at the wheel.
Now there is only one car left - the Dzire. We have always said that the Swift is one of the best handling cars around. And this holds true for the Dzire as well. It is the perfect balance of a dynamic driving experience and comfortable ride quality. The steering is direct and weighted just right. The Supension is stiff enough to inspire confidence in corners without compromising on passenger comfort. It is the most balanced car as far as ride and handling are concerned. The Classic does come close, but it is more inclined to the sporty side of things.
Verdict
Every time we sat down and talked at our rest stops we would all point out good and bad things about the cars. We would all then have a bite of some excellent seafood, mull over things and come back to the same thing. The Dzire was as close as you could come to being an all-rounder. Except for boot space of course, which was really, really disappointing.
All of these cars cost between Rs 7.14 lakh for the Verito to Rs 8.38 lakh for the Classic (ex-Delhi). The Dzire falls in the middle of this spectrum with a price of Rs 7.82 lakh thanks to the sub four-metre excise duty benefit. This makes me wonder, what if the car was longer? The boot space could have been better and the price would have increased but it would still be within reach.
The more we look at the cars we drove, the more and more we are becoming convinced. There has to be a reason people are flocking to Maruti dealerships. There has to be a reason why there is a ridiculously long waiting period for this car.
So there you have it. If you want a good looking, new car the Sail is a good option. If you want a car with the best interiors in the segment, the Manza is a good option. If you want a comfortable car to travel in, the Verito is a good option. If you want a sporty car to drive around, the Classic is a good option. If you want a car that is effortless to drive around in town, the Etios it is. But if you want a car that can do all of the above (except maybe boot space) there really isn’t much of an option. I suggest you drop everything you are doing, run to the Maruti dealer and stand in line. It might be a long wait.
(http://www.overdrive.in/details/3345/Comparo-2013-Chevrolet-Sail-vs-Mahindra-Verito-vs-Ford-Classic-vs-Toyota-Etios-vs-Tata-Manza)
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