Until recently, the entry hatchback market was territory Maruti could call its own. The company's domination started way back with the 800, carried on for the years Maruti made the Alto, and today's Alto 800 has proved to be extremely successful too. Now, however, the segment has expanded to include four major players – the Datsun Redigo, Renault Kwid, Maruti Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon, and competition between them is fierce.

Each of these four cars brings something different to the table. The facelifted Alto 800 has its reliability, ease of ownership and brilliant engine to boast about, not to mention its claim to the title of India’s best-selling car. The Kwid is armed with SUV-like styling and the availability of a touchscreen infotainment system on the top variant. The Eon counts its superior materials and quality of fit and finish as its plus points, whereas the latest entrant in this segment, the Redigo, is banking on its hip and modern looks, spacious interior and rock-bottom starting price.

Budget car buyers, however, are not looking for select features; they want an all-round package that offers them as much car for as little money as possible, with parameters such as fuel efficiency, performance, space, comfort and features all taken care of. In that light, which of these four, then, offers the most car for money? It’s a difficult question.

What are they like to drive?

These budget hatchbacks, due to their focus on economy and fuel efficiency, are all powered by small 800cc engines with marginally varying power outputs. At the bottom end of the spectrum is the Alto 800, with 48hp, followed by the Kwid and Redigo, with 54hp and the most powerful Eon with 56hp.

The Redigo’s engine (which also does service in the Kwid) does a decent job of propelling the car forward. Get on the gas and the car takes off smartly with only a hint of hesitation. The motor also pulls well when you wind it really hard, and then the Redigo does tend to move forward with a fair amount of energy. The mid-range, however, feels a bit lifeless and 'flat'. And though the engine has been smoothened since we drove the car earlier this year, it still doesn’t pull as cleanly as the Maruti. In addition, this all-aluminium engine is louder too. In fact, it feels noisy and thrashy when spun fast and that's something that's down to the lack of effective cabin insulation. Datsun's engine also doesn’t spin as strongly in the top-end as its sister car the Kwid, and this is why it is a bit slower, with 0-100kph coming up in 17.2 seconds.

Even the ride isn’t as good as that of the Kwid. Its suspension has been set-up quite stiff, to counter the body roll caused by the tall body and short wheelbase, and this has resulted in a jittery ride over poor roads. What makes this worse is that the Redigo occasionally thuds and crashes over broken surfaces. On the upside, the steering is extremely light and direct, which makes parking and manoeuvring in the city extremely easy, and because visibility out is so good, this car feels stress-free to drive in the city too. Also, if you drive over village roads or in places where the roads are in a terrible shape, the Datsun has the best ground clearance.