There's so much bandwidth in the Automobile sector given the sheer varieties of cars launched each year in India, by top automobile stables that it becomes an onerous task to understand how similarly priced but equally compeitive wagons stack up against one another. We attempt to decode how Volkswagen's Ameo, Maruti Suzuki' Dzire, Honda Amaze, Ford Aspire and Tata Zest stand out against one another.
Volkswagen's top variant priced at Rs 6.91 lakh, the Ameo could make a big impact in the Indian market. Sitting just above the Tata Zest, which has been priced at Rs 6.85 lakh, Ameo is one of the more affordable compact sedans available right now. Maruti Suzuki’s Swift Dzire, priced at Rs 7.24 lakh, sits in between the price range. Figo Aspire priced at Rs 7.72 lakh is just a little affordable than the recently facelifted Honda Amaze that sits at the top of the price table, with the top variant being priced at Rs 7.78 lakh.
VW Ameo was launched with a 1,198cc 3-cylinder petrol engine producing 74PS and 110Nm of torque. When compared to its closest rivals, the Ameo has just three cylinders instead of the regular four and even features the least powerful motor in its segment. The Tata Zest comes out on top with its 1,193cc 4-cylinder engine putting out 90PS along with 140Nm of torque. The Amaze and Figo Aspire come a close second with both cars producing 88PS, while the Dzire follows with 84PS.
Nearly similar if only just, there is standard length of 3,995mm among all cars except the Honda Amaze, which falls short by 5mm. In terms of width and height, the Tata Zest again emerges on the top, possessing 1,706mm and 1,570mm in width and height. The Dzire and Aspire follow suit with 1,695mm in width and 1,555mm and 1,525mm in height. But then, the definition of being cramped varies according to people and their built.
Maruti Swift Dzire seems very desirable on this front and so does Volkswagen Ameo but the initial test runs prove that none of the five cars match up to the Hyundai Xcent, which has the highest economy of 19.1 kmpl. At the same time, Volkswagen claims the Ameo petrol would do 17.83kmpl, but we expect it to return around 13-15kmpl in the real world. At the same time, Dzire claims to return an impressive 18.5kmpl while the Aspire claims to return the third highest mileage with 18.16kmpl. Also, Tata Zest with clearly a more powerful engine would return the least range in its class, with mileage figures being recorded at 17.57kmpl. Zest isn't too impressive with returns of 15.1kmpl, that too under driving in city conditions.
The changing design landscape in the Sedan category lends a different look and feeler to Tata Zest despite its oddball design when compared to the pretty standard and decently done Honda Amaze, Volkswagen Ameo and Ford Aspire, the trio that perhaps to the bare naked eye look identical from a distance.
While VW Ameo carried forward its feel-good factor of novelty into the India market considering a delayed production, the project announced only in 2014 Paris Motor show, Ameo looks most aesthetically pleasing in immediate comparison to Honda Amaze and Swift Dzire.
Honda Aspire with a flattened nose will appeal to those who prefer cars with pronouned 'pointed' features.The Ameo and Dzire are designed in a way to please the nuclear family, with the former's large boot space adding to its strength. Ford Aspire seems to possess the best cabin look, with a clean and neat design while Tata Zest' sound system looks very likely to be its USP.
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