Image gallery: Affordable hot hatchback track test in India
Each car was rigged with the Video VBOX by Racelogic
Our friends from Zen Microsystems hooked us up with the Video VBOX to ensure accurate lap times and a host of other information
That's the petrol car grid
We standardised the test by using Mobil 1 oil in all cars. We chose the oil for its performance and the protection that it offers
We used control JK Tyres to ensure a level playing field
The Fiat Punto Abarth gets new JK Tyre Vectra boots
The Honda petrol has a well balanced chassis thanks to the centrally positioned fuel-tank
The Hyundai's handling was an eyeopener
The Maruti feels the most connected when compared to the others and changes direction really well
The Honda Jazz is a full two seconds quicker than its petrol sibling
Despite smaller and narrower tyres than the rest, the Figo diesel grips surprisingly well
The Jazz It offers the best brake feel among all the hatchbacks here, and one can brake much later before entering the corner
The Punto Abarth produces 145PS and 212Nm of torque making it the most powerful car available in India under Rs 10 lakh by far
The traction control system in the Figo petrol is way too intrusive even when turned off. It's a great chassis and could have been better if the system turned off completely
Since the car displayed more body roll than expected, Aditya Patel found that the Punto Abarth responded better to an aggressive turn-in
There's more body roll in the Volkswagen than expected, but it isn't unstable at any point. The steering is quite direct and gets heavier as you load it too
The TSI motor revs quick and the twin-clutch transmission shifts rapidly too. The car is 10-15kmph faster down the straight when compared to the naturally aspirated petrols. However, before entering a corner, the transmission refuses to give you those important downshifts
Images by Suresh Narayanan and Anis Shaikh
Also read:Â
Affordable hot hatchback comprehensive track test report
