Battle Of The Small Hatchbacks: redi-GO vs Kwid vs Alto 800

The small car segment is the bread and butter segment in India, it is one of the most important segment in the country to get the best of technology. Now, Datsun wants to a piece out of it, read about the specification comparison of the small hatchbacks and find out who is a performer.

Design

The Datsun redi-GO is an urban crossover with bold and muscular finishes to its body design language. The hexagonal honeycomb front grille is large and prominent like all Datsun cars, the headlamps, and the front fascia is angular and muscular. The side shoulder lines run from the lower front door and rises up to tail lamp of the redi-GO. At the rear, the boomerang design of the tail lamp to the faux skid plates, the car takes the crossover looks.

As for the Renault Kwid, the small car or rather the small SUV is designed with cues from its bigger sibling, the Duster. The plastic cladding which runs along the car makes and punches in the SUV characteristics. The front fascia of the Kwid is split with two air dams and imposing headlamps are now synonymous with any SUVs. The high side wheel arches, to the swept up rear profile of bold and solid looking taillamp, is a fresher approach to small cars in India.

The Maruti Alto 800 is a simple looking small car, with conventional looks. The main air dam or the vents can be seen implanted on the front bumper and is split with single slat grey stripe running through. The side profile of the Alto 800 is designed to look practical and simple, the shoulder lines are conventional and not contemporary. As for the rear of the Alto 800, here the car looks a lot more elegant and with bold lines designed on the tailgate and good cluster taillamps make up the Alto 800.

Overall Design Rating

• Datsun redi-GO 8/10
• Renault Kwid 8/10
• Maruti Alto 800 7.5/10

Features

Datsun will feature the redi-GO with the latest trend like the DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) and illuminated door sill scuff plates. The redi-GO boasts of innovative storage areas, however, it lacks bottle holder on the door. Audio will be 2-DIN music system, however, we will have the complete picture of variants once it is formally launched in the first week of June. Driver side airbags will be standard in the redi-GO.

The Renault Kwid is feature ridden like the touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity, USB, and Aux-in. On the safety front, the Kwid comes with driver side airbags.

As for the Maruti Alto 800, there isn't much when it comes to features, there is a 2-DIN audio system with speaker, however, it misses out on the Bluetooth features. Also, Maruti has given thought storages and the Alto 800 provides lot of spaces to store.

Overall Features Rating

• Datsun redi-GO 7.5/10
• Renault Kwid 8/10
• Maruti Alto 800 7.5/10

Engine Specification & Gearbox

The Datsun redi-GO will share the engine through its sibling, the Kwid, the engine is powered by 799cc, which develops 53bhp at 5678rpm and torque of 72Nm peaking at 4386rpm. A 5-speed manual gearbox will move the front wheels of the Datsun redi-GO. Mileage of 25.17 km/l is confirmed by Datsun through ARAI.

Renault Kwid features the same engine which will power the Datsun redi-GO and will come with the same specifications. A 1-litre engine with AMT (Automatic Manual Transmission) is expected to be launched in the near future. The 800cc Kwid provides a mileage of 25.17 km/l/

As for the Maruti Alto 800, the car is powered by 796cc engine, developing 47bhp at 6000rpm and torque of 69Nm at 3500rpm, which is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The Maruti Alto 800 will provide a mileage of 22.74 km/l.

Overall Engine Rating

• Datsun redi-GO 8/10
• Renault Kwid 8/10
• Maruti Alto 800 7.5/10

Pricing

Datsun redi-GO: Expected Price Rs. 2.5 to 4 lakh ex-showroom

Renault Kwid:

Maruti Alto 800:

Note: Prices are ex-showroom (Delhi)

* Optional Driver side Airbags

Verdict

With high ground clearance and a good turning radius of the Datsun redi-GO, the maneuverability is really good. Looking at the design, if you are looking for a car and not an SUV with good pricing, the Datsun redi-Go is the car that you will have to consider.

The Renault Kwid is the flavour of the season and it's a runaway success, it's bold and SUV characteristics combined with good pricing and a powerful engine, the Kwid is a winner as well.

As for the Maruti Alto 800, the company name does the trick, the Alto 800 might not be the best among the lot, however, it comes with the best of post sales service, cheaper spares, pricing is competitive.