Which is the best diesel car in India in Sub-4 meter category?
In this article we have compared the latest sub-4 meter cars in India to find out the best diesel engine car in this lucrative segment. Tata Zest has entered the competition with the likes of Honda Amaze, Suzuki DZire and Hyundai Xcent. We bring to you how well it contests with the competitors, where we now compare Tata Zest with other Diesel cars in the segment on 25 comparison points.
Best Diesel Car in Engine & Transmission:
Honda Amaze’s 1.5L i-DTEC DOHC turbocharged diesel engine is the biggest & the most powerful engine among all with 100 PS of power & 200 Nm torque. There is simply no match for this. Tata Zest’s 1.3L turbocharged Multijet engine’s performance of 90PS power and 200 Nm torque is the closest among all. Advantage – Honda Amaze.
All the models provide a 5 speed manual transmission. However, only the Tata Zest provides 5 speed AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) in Diesel; which is real value for money. Advantage – Tata Zest.
Best Diesel Car in Space:
Tata Motors has created the Zest with bigger size. The length, width and height dimensions are the maximum among all for the Zest. Add to this the longest wheelbase of 2470mm; making it more spacious. Also with the ground clearance of 175mm, the most among all makes it perfect for the Indian road conditions. Advantage – Tata Zest.
The height of Amaze is lowest and from the point of ‘Centre of Gravity’, Amaze has an advantage in vehicle dynamics. Advantage – Honda Amaze.
Honda Amaze has more boot space with 400 litres which is only slightly smaller than 407 litres of Xcent, but way bigger than 360 litres of Tata Zest. The Honda Amaze’s kerb weight is the lowest at 1060 kg as against Zest’s kerb weight of 1170kg which is the highest among the all. Advantage – Honda Amaze.
Best Diesel Car in Steering & Suspension:
The Zest & Honda Amaze both provide electric power assisted steering (EPAS); which is common to other models. The Zest provides tyre size of 185/60 R15 which is bigger than Amaze and Xcent. Advantage – Tata Zest.
However, the turning radius of only 4.7 meters of Amaze is the lowest among all making it perfect for typical city driving conditions. Advantage – Honda Amaze.
The front suspension of the Zest includes McPherson Struts and an anti-roll bar, which provides stability. The rear suspension for the Zest has a Twist-Beam design which is similar for other models.
Best Diesel Car in Safety:
The Zest’s front brakes discs and rear brakes are drum same as Honda Amaze. The Zest comes with an ABS unit and two front air-bags, all of these are common to other models.
Best Diesel Car in Convenience:
The Zest provides an Automatic Climate Control unit alongwith Dzire & Xcent, except Amaze. Advantage – Tata Zest
Best Diesel Car in Performance:
Honda Amaze i-DTEC DOHC diesel engine claims an ARAI certified fuel average of 25.8 Km/L is highest among all. Although the Zest’s fuel tank of 44 litres is the biggest among all, the Zest Diesel’s ARAI certified fuel average is 23 Km/L which is lowest. Advantage – Honda Amaze
Best Diesel Car in Price:
The top end XMA variant (with AMT) of the Zest compared here comes at only Rs.6,99,000/- (ex-showroom Delhi) which is the lowest price among all. At this price, Tata Zest is offering more value for money. Advantage – Tata Zest
Verdict:
When compared Honda Amaze i-DTEC with Tata Zest MultiJet; overall both are almost equally competitive cars on paper. While the Tata Zest faring well in some areas like Space, Comfort & Convenience; Honda Amaze scores impressively well in the key areas of Engine, Performance & Dynamics against the competition. Though the comparison makes it difficult to choose the best diesel engine car in the sub-4 meter segment; Honda’s proven technology, build quality and reliability gives it an edge over its competitors.
Advantage – Honda Amaze i-DTEC
Further information about Honda Amaze can be obtained at: https://www.hondacarindia.com/Amaze/
Note: *AMAZE, DZire, Xcent are registered trademarks of Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), Maruti Suzuki India Limited and Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) respectively.
