Since these three cars will be spending most of their time in the city, the most important thing performance-wise is the mid-range power. Here the Datsun Go wins the game since it weighs the least and has just the right amount of power and torque to make it the fastest from 40-120 km/h in the fourth gear roll-on test. Furthermore, an overall fuel efficiency of 14.25 km/l is not bad either, though one would expect such a small and light car to do better. The Tata Bolt was found to be the second fastest car from 40-120 km/h, just a few seconds behind the Go. It is also the heaviest and thirstiest as it only managed an overall figure of just 12 km/l. The Toyota Liva, though not as fast as the Bolt or the Go, impressed with its outstanding overall fuel efficiency of 17.75 km/l.
All the three cars are on a par when it comes to the 0-100 km/h sprint (sub 15 seconds). The Bolt is the fastest with a top whack of 161 km/h, whereas the Liva and the Datsun posted 154 and 156 km/h respectively.
Moving on, dynamically I found the Toyota to be better than the other two. It has a soft suspension set-up which gives it the best ride quality among the three. And unlike the Bolt, the soft set-up doesn’t intrude much when it comes to handling and stability. The Liva feels planted at all times, be it on straight roads or in corners. You can throw the Liva into the corners and it holds its line perfectly well. There is noticeable body-roll, but it doesn’t make you feel nervous at all. The Liva’s steering is the most communicative with better feel and feedback than either the Bolt’s or the Go’s. The brakes on the Liva are on a par with the Bolt, but the pedal feel and the progression are much better.
The Tata Bolt clearly reminded me of the older Indica and the Vista. It features soft suspension which lends it a good ride quality on most roads. However, this is also the cause of heavy body-roll that comes into play even while taking a corner gently. Besides, the steering is a bit vague and lacks proper communication. Stability is also an issue, especially at higher speeds where the car tends to bob a bit too much on straight roads. The brakes are better than the Liva’s but, just like the steering, lack feel and feedback.
