Small is the new big in the country. We Indians have always wanted more in our cars - more features , more fuel efficiency and most importantly , more space without making a major dent in our pockets. Its human nature to follow the philosophy of more is never enough. Even the country’s hatch segment has already seen five new launches this year , from the Rs 1 lakh Tata Nano to the top of the line Honda Jazz. Maruti unleashed their premium hatch , the Ritz a couple of months back and while all was going well for India’s largest carmaker , Fiat decided to play spoilsport by pricing their offering , the gorgeous Grande Punto , bang in the middle of the Ritz range. We were surprised , for here was a package with the right mix of standard features and sexy Italian looks at an affordable price. So , does that mean the Ritz’s party has been spoiled even before it turned hot?

Few know that the Punto came as an angel in disguise for FIAT and saved it from worldwide bankruptcy when it was launched overseas a couple of years back. It has the right mix of ingredients that buyers were looking for in a hatch. The car livened up a segment that had till date been associated with boring and dull cars. Developed by legendary designer Giugiaro of Ital Design and FIAT’s style center , the Punto , even three years into a worldwide launch , still looks the prettiest of the supermini lot in India. It oozes style from each and every angle and has the X factor that we youngsters often look for while making our car buying decisions. Is it just me who thinks that the front end looks like the Aston Martin DB7? The multi-spoke alloy wheels add more Jazz and the swooping windshield imparts a graceful look. The rear , though not as exciting as the rest of the car , nonetheless looks gorgeous with bulging wheel arches.

The Maruti offering , on the other hand , might not be as bold and outgoing as its Italian counterpart but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t command a second look on the road. Developed as the Suzuki Splash initially , the Ritz has its own share of good design angles. The huge front headlamps stacked on each side of the slightly raised bonnet give the car a muscular look. Standard alloy wheels and wide tyres are sorely missed on the VDI variant here. In profile , the bonnet of the Ritz seems to finish too early into the windshield which is exactly what the Japanese wanted in order to liberate space on the inside. Stepping into the Maruti is easy and will be preferred by the fair sex as well as the elderly. You sit upright and everything seems to fall in place perfectly. Top marks to Maruti for ergonomics and the quality of plastics used. However , even the top of the line diesel (VDI) variant lacks a standard music system , steering wheel mounted controls and shockingly a height adjustable steering wheel and even a day/night rear view mirror! The list of features absent extends to electronically controlled outside rear view mirrors , keyless entry as well and a dead pedal for the left foot. However , the interiors feel airy , thanks to a high roof which liberates an extra 115mm at the front and 70mm of headroom at the rear as compared to the Punto.

The Punto , true to its sportier looks , has a low seating posture. It’s a little difficult getting in and out of the car after you switch over from the Ritz , but this is the way some of us like our car to be. The steering wheel , with audio and other controls , feels great to hold and we like the layout as well as the colour theme of the speedometer console. The Punto further earns brownie points for a multi-information display that has two trip meter and fuel efficiency displays. The black and silver theme looks good , although , touch the plastics and you’ll be disappointed. Even the air vents work flimsily. The central console , however , looks good and the soft touch buttons for the climate control and the audio system feel nice. There are more cubby holes than the Ritz here and nice touches come in the form of neatly slotted grab rails (as compared to protruding ones for the Ritz) , a dead pedal and electronically controlled external rear view mirrors. The Punto also has an edge when it comes to interior space. Though it lacks in head room , it gains in other areas – 20mm more shoulder space and better knee room up front as well as at the rear.

The slightly more spacious Punto also rides far better than the competition. Over potholes , broken roads or sharp undulations , the car feels planted. The suspension works silently and its ability to absorb whatever comes its way is stupendous. All this combined with a light steering wheel which is a boon for City traffic and the Punto adds up as a very good city car for a family of four or five. Comfort in this case doesn’t come at the cost of handling. The wide 195mm Goodyear tyres work very well when you push the FIAT around corners , though at high speeds , the light steering does rob the driver of confidence. The Ritz also rides well , however , the suspension and tyres are noisy and sharp undulations , no matter how small , easily get transmitted to the occupants. The heavy steering though adds a touch of assurance at high speeds on the highway. The VDI comes with thin 165mm tyres which means all that torque while going fast around corners has them screeching away in agony.

Both the hatchbacks come powered by FIAT’s famed 1.3-litre Multijet engine , however , their performance is completely different in each car. Maruti seems to have made the best use of the motor and the Ritz sprints past the ton mark in less than fifteen seconds. It impresses further in the top speed stakes but all this comes at a price. Low rpm drivability of the Ritz suffers and only once you are beyond 2000rpm does it gather speeds seriously. The Punto , on the other hand , with its short gearing feels at home at low speeds. Slotted in fifth , One can ponder in traffic from as low as 30km/h. The roll-on figures further show the FIAT’s competencies. The downside is outright acceleration. The Punto is three seconds slower to 100km/h than its counterpart and highway cruising has the engine spinning at higher revs. We also didn’t really appreciate the soggy gearshift action on the Punto as compared to the precise short throw action of the Ritz.

Maruti has always been known for pricing its products competitively , but this time FIAT has turned the tables in its favour by offering the base diesel Punto at a killer price. However , compare the top end models and the story changes. The top of the line diesel Ritz , the VDI with ABS costs Rs 5.20 lakh (ex-showroom , Pune). For another Rs 38 , 000 , you can buy yourself the Punto diesel Emotion variant. The looks of this Italian beauty alone compel us to pick this car as a winner. The Punto’s standard list of features can shame its rivals plus it rides and handles better and most importantly , has a reassuring big car feel to it. The Emotion Pack variant costs another fifty big ones which gets you goodies like steering wheel mounted controls , fatter tyres mounted on alloy wheels , Microsoft’s Blue&Me package and airbags for the front passengers. What you get with the Ritz though is peace of mind and of course savings of almost ninety grand! Maruti’s legendary reliability , after sales support , the largest workshop network in India and strong resale values too cannot be overlooked. Picking the Punto is one of those decisions that are made by your heart. But the Ritz makes practical sense out of the two here plus being cheaper means it whisks past its Italian counterpart as our winner.

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