ABARTH PUNTO VS BALENO RS VS POLO GT - WHO WILL WIN ?
Car manufacturers in India are gradually warming up to the idea of practical hatchbacks that can be fun to drive. Volkswagen was the one to start the trend in India with the Polo GT range and Fiat followed with the Abarth Punto. Now though, the country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki has decide to enter this small yet growing segment with the Baleno RS. The company is all set to launch its most powerful hatchback early March. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS though, will have tough comeptition in the form of the Fiat Abarth Punto and Volkswagen Polo GT TSI, especially the latter. While one may expect this to be another cakewalk for Maruti Suzuki, the waters ain't that calm. We pit these cars against each other to find out which one offers the maximum bang for each buck.
Powertrain: The Upcoming Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS will be powered by a 1.0 litre three cylinder Boosterjet petrol engine that will generate about 100 hp of power at 5,500 rpm and 150 Nm of torque between 1,700 and 4,500 rpm. The new Boosterjet engine is the company's first turbocharged engine in the country and it'll be paired to a 5-speed manual transmission only initially. In terms of driver aids, the Baleno RS might only feature ABS with EBD. The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI is powered by a 1.2 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 103 hp of power and 175 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox, making it the only automatic car in the segment. In addition, the Polo GT TSI also comes with traction control, unique to it among these three cars. The Fiat Abarth Punto get a 1.4 litre T-jet petrol engine that develops 145 hp of power at 5.500 rpm and churns out a peak torque of 212 Nm between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, which is the car's weakest point as it offers rubbery shifts and affects performance and robs some of the driving pleasure. Clearly, in terms of power, the Abarth Punto is the the winner but it's the Polo GT TSI that is has the most well-rounded and tractable powertrain.
Dimensions: The Baleno RS will measure 3,995 mm in length, 1,745 in width, 1,510 mm in height and will have a wheelbase of 2,520 mm. Similar to the Baleno, the RS will have a boot capacity of 339 litre, which is enough for most practical purposes. In comparison, the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI measures 3,971 mm long, 1,682 mm wide, 1,469 mm tall and has 2,469 mm of wheelbase. The Abarth Punto is 3,989 mm in length, 1,687 mm in width, 1,505 mm in height and has 2,510 mm of wheelbase. The Baleno RS at 3,995 mm of length is the longest car of the lot and at 2,520 mm its wheelbase too is the longest, leading to more cabin space. In terms of width too, the Baleno RS leads, although by a small margin only over the Abarth Punto. Overall, the Baleno RS has the most spacious cabin of the lot, closely followed by the Abarth Punto and the Polo GT.
Equipment: All three hatchbacks are equipped with a host of features, but what stands out is the cruise control, hill hold control, ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and cooled glovebox that are offered on the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS will get features such as a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity along with rear parking sensors with camera, navigation as well as automatic headlamps with LED daytime running lamps. The Abarth Punto feels left out in terms of features as neither does it have a fully-loaded touchscreen nor does it have traction control. While both the Baleno and Polo GT sport impressive build and material quality inside the cabin, the Abarth Punto feels left out here as well.
Prices: The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS will be launched around March, 2017 and we expect the car to be priced at just about Rs 8.5 lakh, which would undercut the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI that is priced at Rs 9.05 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. The Abarth Punto is the most expensive car here with a price tag of Rs 9.95 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi and comes with the most powerful engine and the quickest performance too but loses out on cabin quality and overall driving pleasure. Hence, from a value perspective, the Polo GT TSI is the overall winner as it strikes a good balance between performance, quality and convenience. The Baleno RS is close but misses out on some features, however, if Maruti Suzuki can price it aggressively, the scale could swing in its favour. The Abarth Punto is a brilliant car that is held back by a disappointing transmission and average material quality, despite being the most expensive of the lot. If you're looking to buy on e of these, we suggest to hold on for a few more days till the launch of the Baleno RS. Who knows? Maruti Suzuki might just have a pleasant surprise in store for all!
CONCLUSION
ABARTH PUNTO AND BALENO RS both are discontinued in India the only option available in India is polo gt .
Powertrain: The Upcoming Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS will be powered by a 1.0 litre three cylinder Boosterjet petrol engine that will generate about 100 hp of power at 5,500 rpm and 150 Nm of torque between 1,700 and 4,500 rpm. The new Boosterjet engine is the company's first turbocharged engine in the country and it'll be paired to a 5-speed manual transmission only initially. In terms of driver aids, the Baleno RS might only feature ABS with EBD. The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI is powered by a 1.2 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 103 hp of power and 175 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox, making it the only automatic car in the segment. In addition, the Polo GT TSI also comes with traction control, unique to it among these three cars. The Fiat Abarth Punto get a 1.4 litre T-jet petrol engine that develops 145 hp of power at 5.500 rpm and churns out a peak torque of 212 Nm between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, which is the car's weakest point as it offers rubbery shifts and affects performance and robs some of the driving pleasure. Clearly, in terms of power, the Abarth Punto is the the winner but it's the Polo GT TSI that is has the most well-rounded and tractable powertrain.
Dimensions: The Baleno RS will measure 3,995 mm in length, 1,745 in width, 1,510 mm in height and will have a wheelbase of 2,520 mm. Similar to the Baleno, the RS will have a boot capacity of 339 litre, which is enough for most practical purposes. In comparison, the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI measures 3,971 mm long, 1,682 mm wide, 1,469 mm tall and has 2,469 mm of wheelbase. The Abarth Punto is 3,989 mm in length, 1,687 mm in width, 1,505 mm in height and has 2,510 mm of wheelbase. The Baleno RS at 3,995 mm of length is the longest car of the lot and at 2,520 mm its wheelbase too is the longest, leading to more cabin space. In terms of width too, the Baleno RS leads, although by a small margin only over the Abarth Punto. Overall, the Baleno RS has the most spacious cabin of the lot, closely followed by the Abarth Punto and the Polo GT.
Equipment: All three hatchbacks are equipped with a host of features, but what stands out is the cruise control, hill hold control, ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and cooled glovebox that are offered on the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS will get features such as a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity along with rear parking sensors with camera, navigation as well as automatic headlamps with LED daytime running lamps. The Abarth Punto feels left out in terms of features as neither does it have a fully-loaded touchscreen nor does it have traction control. While both the Baleno and Polo GT sport impressive build and material quality inside the cabin, the Abarth Punto feels left out here as well.
Prices: The Maruti Suzuki Baleno RS will be launched around March, 2017 and we expect the car to be priced at just about Rs 8.5 lakh, which would undercut the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI that is priced at Rs 9.05 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. The Abarth Punto is the most expensive car here with a price tag of Rs 9.95 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi and comes with the most powerful engine and the quickest performance too but loses out on cabin quality and overall driving pleasure. Hence, from a value perspective, the Polo GT TSI is the overall winner as it strikes a good balance between performance, quality and convenience. The Baleno RS is close but misses out on some features, however, if Maruti Suzuki can price it aggressively, the scale could swing in its favour. The Abarth Punto is a brilliant car that is held back by a disappointing transmission and average material quality, despite being the most expensive of the lot. If you're looking to buy on e of these, we suggest to hold on for a few more days till the launch of the Baleno RS. Who knows? Maruti Suzuki might just have a pleasant surprise in store for all!
CONCLUSION
ABARTH PUNTO AND BALENO RS both are discontinued in India the only option available in India is polo gt .
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