There’s a refreshing change afoot in our otherwise conservative Indian car space these days. Carmarkers are finally, in earnest, looking past the practicality, the fuel economy figures and cushy ride quality, and are adding a dose of excitement to their offerings. Mind you, there will always be a diesel variant with mushy suspension that does 25-plus-kpl, but nowadays, you can also buy something that puts fun at the forefront. Mind you, I’m not talking about some high-end fashion statement that will smash a hole in your bank account. These are still mainstream brands and mainstream cars, so they’re still practical, somewhat efficient, comfortable and good value, but they’ve been designed to offer a bit more zing for the relative few who’d like it. And when the most mainstream carmaker of them all – Maruti – hops on the bandwagon, you know it’s catching on.

First, an apology to the new Maruti Baleno RS. I drove it on the Buddh International Circuit last month and, though it was plenty quick, I found it slightly lacking in the thrills department. That wasn’t entirely fair, because the Buddh is so vast and sweeping, it can make 500hp sportscars feel unexciting, let alone a 102hp hatchback. So what I needed to do was take the RS onto some of our favourite roads and give it a real shot. And while out there, I thought I’d bring along some company – two more premium hatchbacks with turbocharged petrol motors and attainable price tags that promise a little bit more than their run-of-the-mill stablemates.

The Polo GT TSI has long been one of our most highly recommended hatchbacks. It was such a breath of fresh air when launched and a great combination of added performance with automatic convenience. It uses a high-tech direct-injection turbo-petrol engine mated to an equally high-tech DSG double-clutch automatic gearbox – this was usually the preserve of far more expensive cars, but here it was in a sub-10-lakh hatchback. 

And then there’s the Abarth Punto, which is a far more old-school formula. No direct fuel injection, downsizing or fancy gearbox here; it uses the simple formula of ‘more is more’. It’s the same 1.4-litre T-Jet turbo-petrol motor from the Linea, wound up to a crazy 145hp. Apart from that, the suspension is lowered a bit, disc brakes have been added at the rear and the car has been festooned with stripes and Abarth logos. This one really takes the whole ‘hot hatch’ thing rather seriously.

So clearly, this isn’t a straightforward, apples-to-apples comparison test. The Baleno RS may have a manual gearbox, sporty add-ons and rear disc brakes like ◊ ∆ the Abarth, but the displacement and power output of its 1.0-litre Boosterjet direct-injection motor is closer to that of the Polo GT TSI. What they all have in common is a desire to be more than just a top-of-the-line variant and to give you a bit more driving pleasure as well. So, for somewhere between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, which one should you pick?