Litre Class Comparo - redi-GO 1.0L vs Kwid SCe vs Alto K10 vs Eon 1.0L Kappa

The Datsun redi-GO will be joining the rest of the 1.0-litre batch on July 29. It has been given the same 999cc, three-cylinder engine which powers the Kwid. Other than the mechanical changes, the car gets a few more updates like a '1.0' badge on the boot and remote keyless entry. With the updated lineup, let's see how the competition stacks up on paper.

Mechanicals

As you can see above, almost all the cars have quite similar power figures. Though it's hard to say which will be the peppiest of them all on a straight run without actually doing it, on paper it's the Hyundai Eon (69PS/94Nm) which has 1PS and 2/3Nm over the other cars. In terms of mileage, the Maruti Alto K10 leads the group with 24.07kmpl but there is a catch here. ARAI's testing method has changed and according to the new method, the 0.8 redi-GO's mileage has come down from 25.17kmpl to 22.7kmpl. The 1.0-litre Redi Go has been tested adhering to the new rules and when tested again, similar reductions are expected in all the other cars too.

In terms of transmission, the Renault and Maruti move ahead of the pack with AMT options. The Datsun might get a similar AMT option as the Kwid at a later stage but the Eon is expected to end its life cycle without one.

Dimensions

In exterior dimensions, the Renault Kwid stands the longest and widest among the lot. This is also evident in the interiors as it is one of the most spacious entry-level hatchbacks.  It even has the biggest and the most usable boot space of 300 litres. But, where the redi-GO and the Eon overtake it is in terms of the headroom on offer. The redi-GO stands tallest at 1,541mm with a max ground clearance of 185mm. The other cars sit somewhere in the middle of the two.

Features

In terms of features, there is a clear winner. With a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a digital instrument cluster, the Kwid has set new standards for small cars. Next in line is the Eon with internally adjustable ORVMs and the rest all fall in the same space with Bluetooth-less music systems, front power windows and central locking.

From the above comparison, the Renault Kwid on paper bests the other in space, features and mechanical options. The Alto K10 and the redi-GO tie for a close second and, despite having the best power figures, the Eon comes last for a simple fact that it has lived its course and is desperately in need of an update. Also worth mentioning here is that the Alto is still the least costly car of this trio, with the redi-GO expected to be priced close to it.