Fiat Punto Evo vs Volkswagen Polo TDI comparison

    These European hatchbacks have been thoroughly updated and are better than ever. So, which one should you choose, Italian flair or German precision?

    Published On Aug 26, 2014 11:34:00 AM

    1,60,804 Views

    Fiat Punto Evo vs Volkswagen Polo TDI comparison

    Hatchbacks in India are no longer just about being cheap and inexpensive. The Indian car buyer is maturing and consumers are looking at these cars from a different perspective. The biggest advantage with buying a hatch is how city-friendly they are; easier to park, manoeuvre and squeeze into the ever-reducing gaps on congested urban roads. The two European hatchbacks you see here have been thoroughly refreshed and give you all the advantages

    of a small city car but without compromising on style, design, equipment and most importantly, ‘feel-good factor’ and safety. In many ways, they are a breed apart.

    The Fiat Punto has always been a good-looking, solid hatchback. This new one is called the Punto Evo and as the name suggests, is a significant evolution both inside and out. Most striking is the all-new face that looks bolder and more ‘Italian’ than ever and ours is the first country to get this new look. The shapely headlights and the tastefully designed grille especially set this Punto apart. Changes at the rear include the gorgeous new tail-lamps with LED elements sunken in and the chrome insets on the bumper. Volkswagen too has tweaked the Polo’s body and cabin but the changes (especially on the outside) are not as elaborate. Most noticeable are the strips of chrome in the chin and grille, new detailing in the headlamps and a new design for the alloys. But, while the Punto’s evolution remains largely cosmetic, the Polo gets new mechanicals. The biggest change is the all-new diesel engine in this car. Gone is the underpowered and noisy 1.2-litre three-cylinder diesel engine and in its place comes an all-new 89bhp 1.5-litre diesel motor; perfect to go head-on against the 89bhp Punto Evo here.

    What are they like inside?

    Fiat has given the Punto Evo all-new interiors. The Punto’s cabin had begun to show its age and compared to the new crop of premium hatchbacks, didn’t feel quite as upmarket. Most noticeable in the all-new cabin is the bump-up in quality of the dashboard that now features textured soft plastics on the front portion. The new interiors have been borrowed from the recently facelifted Linea and design wise, employs a much curvier theme compared to the previous block-like one. Our test car is the more powerful 89bhp variant and Fiat has given it an all-black cabin; the rest get dual-tone black-beige interiors. Also new and especially likeable are the stylish, hooded instruments and the piano-black finish around the head unit. While the cabin is a huge step forward, there are still a few surfaces that feel a bit cheap. Plastics around the doors are still of the hard variety and general levels of fit are still short of the segment benchmark.

    The updated Polo is the benchmark for build quality. The cabin is beautifully finished and what immediately grabs your attention is the new and exquisite flat-bottomed, leather-bound steering wheel that looks expensive enough to be fitted on even a luxury car. Our test car has steering-mounted audio controls (standard on higher trims) that are backlit (very useful) and feel fantastic to use. The front seats are accommodating and unlike the Punto, it’s easier to find a comfortable driving position. The centre console of the Polo has been revised as well. It comprises a 2-DIN audio system and the climate control panel below that. Fit and finish is excellent and the rotary knobs and buttons feel good to use. You get a dual-tone scheme in the top trim and the light beige does well to make the cabin feel quite airy. It’s only in the rear that the Polo loses out on some points. Leg room is tight and the small rear windscreen and big headrests make it a bit claustrophobic.

    What are they like to drive?

    The Punto settles down into a slightly audible idle but it isn’t too intrusive. What’s really impressive though is that the clutch is feather light. However, once you get rolling, the Punto Evo feels lethargic and you have to spin the engine above 2,500rpm to tap into the motor’s sweet spot. Problem is that the said sweet spot is really narrow. What this means is threading through urban traffic gets a bit cumbersome because you have to downshift often to overtake. On the highway, as long as you keep the engine spinning moderately fast, performance is more than adequate. 120kph is a comfortable cruising speed for this Punto and there’s still a fair deal of power in reserve at this speed.

    But it lacks the kind of usable power made by the new 1.5-litre diesel engine in the Polo. This engine is essentially a smaller version of the Volkswagen 1.6-litre diesel motor found in the Vento and Rapid sedan and has been downsized to help the Polo reap the excise benefits offered for small cars. But, how does it drive? Simply put, it’s a very flexible motor that feels equally at home in slow moving urban traffic and on fast motorways. Sure, the engine response isn’t exactly instantaneous but it is smooth and a lot better than in the Punto Evo and unlike the Fiat, the power delivery keeps getting stronger. However, while the slick gearbox makes it a pleasure to cycle between gears, the clutch is a bit on the heavier side and doesn’t feel as effortless as the one on the Punto.

    Ride and Handling

    Ride and handling remain the forte of Fiat and the Punto. Undulations, broken tarmac and even larger potholes are easily ironed out and the SUV-like high ground clearance means even comically large speed breakers in rural districts aren’t a problem for the Evo. The high ground clearance combined with a well-tuned suspension makes the Punto one of the few cars that remains unflustered on Indian roads.

    The suspension setup of the new Polo has been tweaked to make it more suited for our roads and the steering wheel has been made a bit heavier too. Over rough roads, the Polo too feels quite unfazed and just like in the Fiat, potholes don’t really crash through. But driving over larger potholes, it doesn’t feel as bullet-proof as the Punto and even in a straight-line, feels a bit more nervous than the rock solid Fiat. But the good news is that the Polo no longer suffers from poor braking performance; they bite fairly well.

    As for handling, the Punto carries over the same superbly weighted hydraulic steering. The Fiat grips the tarmac very well and the communicative steering gives you good feedback about what the front tyres are doing. Sure, there is a bit of body roll because of the raised ground clearance but it never feels nervous. The Polo too exhibits a bit of body roll in the corners and the steering feels too light. While road grip on the Polo is okay, it doesn’t feel as surefooted as the Punto.

    Buying and owning

    The Punto Evo starts at Rs 4.55 lakh for the base 1.2 Active petrol and tops out at Rs 7.19 lakh  for the diesel Sport trim (ex-showroom, Delhi). In our fuel economy tests, the Punto returned 12.8kpl in the city and 17.6kpl on the highway, making it reasonably efficient. Fiat aftersales service hasn’t been up to the mark recently but it’s taking the right steps ahead.

    The Polo diesel is available in three trims with two engine outputs; 89bhp and 104bhp. The base ‘Trendline’ is priced at Rs 6.27 lakh, the middle ‘Comfortline’ is a bit more expensive at Rs 6.87 lakh while our test ‘Highline’ variant is priced at Rs. 7.37 lakh. The more powerful 104bhp is called the GT TDI, is available only in ‘Highline’ trim and will set you back by Rs 7.99 lakh (all Polo prices, ex-showroom, Delhi).

    Equipment & safety

    Both cars get a fair bit of equipment that you would expect from a premium hatchback. In the Punto Evo, there’s a dual-din audio system that supports CD, aux, USB and Bluetooth audio and telephony. The Bluetooth software is powered by Microsoft and it supports basic voice commands as well. Pairing your phone is quite straightforward too. But unfortunately, the audio system sounds a bit too muddy, especially when you compare it to the Polo’s setup. You also get climate control and steering-mounted audio controls. At the back, there’s an AC vent that conceals a bottle holder (best for small bottles) and 60:40 spilt seats that can be folded flat.

    The Polo, in this top Highline trim, is quite well equipped. So you get a nice sounding audio system that supports a wide range of media such as USB, SD card, aux, CD and Bluetooth audio and telephony. You also get climate control, illuminated steering-mounted audio controls and compared to the Punto, you get rear parking sensors which are especially useful as the rear windscreen is quite small. However, the Polo loses out to the Punto on the rear AC vent and voice commands. As for safety, both cars get dual front airbags, ABS and EBD.

     

    Our verdict

    The Punto has always been very capable and the Evo, is a much better package. It looks even more stunning, is well-equipped, the revised interiors feel quite premium and it’s reasonably comfortable too. But it’s the unflappable ride quality, surefooted handling and SUV-like ground clearance that are the Fiat’s true strengths. There are some unresolved issues though. It’s still lethargic and lacks the performance offered by rivals and the quirky driving position takes a while to get used to.

    The Polo doesn’t look too different from the older car, it’s the changes under the skin that make it so much better. The all-new 1.5 diesel motor is responsive, powerful, refined and makes it much better. In addition, the class-leading cabin quality makes this car look and feel more expensive. This is a car you don’t need to make excuses for anymore. All told, the Italian flair is hard to ignore but finally, it’s German precision, diligence and overall performance that win the day.

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