SEMI-FINAL
Okay, so we’ve accelerated the league stage, but we have four cars here. Which two will make it to the final?
Let’s start with the Swift. Like a tired striker that has soldiered on in extra time, the Swift nevertheless acquits itself very well. Think five years and still top of the goal-scoring list. But it is long in the tooth now, the pseudo-Mini styling effect is beginning to wane, the interior plastics are about average, plus there’s the tiny boot to consider. Factor in the soon-to-be-launched all-new Swift, and you have second thoughts about the current car. A case of tired legs then, but the Swift can’t quite cut it in extra time.
Next up, the i10. Hyundai’s ‘i’ nomenclature is catchy for sure and quite in keeping with the iPod/iPhone generation. But just look at it. It’s almost as though the designers lacked any imagination whatsoever, save for the gaping grille on the lower front bumper. While it’s very easy to get in and out of it, the ride quality itself isn’t anything special, which, while okay in city traffic and at slow speeds (thanks largely to the high-profile tyres), tends to be choppy at speed on an open road. The electrically-assisted steering is artificial in feel as well. It is a car, but has the feel of an appliance rather than something you’d want to possess or hanker after. Lastly, it is smaller on the insides, including its boot, vis-a-vis its standing rivals.
So, the new Nissan Micra and the Volkswagen Polo make it to the final. Let’s see what the scoreline reads before the whistle blows.
THE FINAL
Rice or potatoes? Fish or sausage? Your culinary preferences aside, both contenders enter the final with the promise of a cracking head-to-head match.
Japan may be free-kick specialists, as they showed to deadly effect in South Africa 2010, and indeed the Micra lets loose some thundering shots. A 13-odd seconds to the ton is not to be ignored! Of course, the Micra benefits from low kerb weight, with corresponding positives in the fuel efficiency department as well. But then the light build is its undoing in some aspects. The ride can be skittish over ruts, with a tendency to tramline at times. Also, although it has been extensively tested for crash-worthiness, the Micra doesn’t exude a solid feel. Further, while Nissan has done well to provide a driver’s airbag even on the base model, ABS is available only in the top-end XV. Nissan should at least consider offering it as a cost option on the mid-spec XL.
The interiors on the top-end XV we drove have the grey and beige interiors, which, while they’re airy, don’t feel particularly robust. The cheaper XL and XE get black interiors, with a terribly shiny finish. In the Polo’s august company, the Micra falls short in this aspect.
By comparison, the Polo’s interiors make you smile. The fit, finish and tactile feel are unsurpassed in this segment. The front seats are also immensely comfortable. Even long hours at the wheel do not cause too much fatigue. But why the lack of a dead pedal, VW? It’s a small omission, but something which you tend to miss during long stints. You enjoy driving the Polo; its combination of big-car feel, well-weighted steering, strong brakes and good ’shift quality all contributing. However, you wish you had a little more poke, and while the 1.2 is good for city use most of the time, it can feel slightly overwhelmed on the highway.
The stereo is lovely too, one of the better factory-fitted items we have experienced to date, but VW would do well to provide iPod/USB connectivity as well. The rear seat is a bit cosy, with not as much legroom or head room as we would have liked, compared with the Micra, for example. But, as they say, you can’t have it all.
