What’s new?
There is nothing more convenient than owning a hatchback in the city. They’re easy to drive, easy to place in traffic and, most importantly, easy to park. All these strengths are ideal if you drive the car yourself. But, if you add an automatic transmission, it takes the ease of driving to a whole new level.
The problems with automatic hatches are that they come with expensive price tags and return low fuel efficiency. However, where you stand to lose on price and higher fuel consumption, you stand to gain tremendously in terms of convenience.
The i20 automatic has been around for eons (pun intended), but it never really caught on. It was launched at a time when diesel cars were the way to go and the fact that it was only available powered by a petrol engine meant running costs would be high. But now, with the diminishing gap between petrol and diesel prices, the i20 is back in contention. It’s got a large 1.4-litre motor, has space for five, and is easy to drive too.
The focal point of this comparison, however, is the new kid on the block and the more powerful 103bhp Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. VW has equipped the GT with technology never seen before on a hatchback. It brings direct injection and a dual-clutch automatic gearbox to the party. Priced at Rs 7.99 lakh, the Polo GT is only Rs 13,000 more expensive than the i20. So, is it an easy win for the Polo or does the i20 still have some fight left in it? Continued..
