Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz comparison

Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz comparison is one of the hottest. This is the segment that is one of the fastest growing. As petrol is the highest selling variant, we will focus more on petrol engines. Even though we have even considered diesel engines, we reckon that the petrol engine is where 70% of the sales happen. So, which one should you buy? We do a detailed comparison.

Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz

Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz Exterior

The main reason of buying a premium hatchback surely it cannot be just value for money.  It has to be something beyond and one that has a certain style, sophistication and road presence. All three hatchbacks here offer these elements in their own way.  All three cars are good looking in their own way and as looks are a matter of individual choice, we leave that to the buyer to decide the best one.

Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz Interior

The feel of the interior is very important in a premium hatchback and so are the comfort levels too. The Honda Jazz is the most spacious of the lot and has a dashboard similar to the Honda City with a heavy dose of piano black finish in the centre, the same three-spoke steering wheel which is nice to hold and also the same instrument cluster.

The black colour interiors look nice. The Jazz also gets full flat folding rear seats at the twist of a lever and the backrest of the rear seats also reclines. However, this feature is available only on the top of the line VX variant. The boot of the Jazz is big and has a low loading lip which makes luggage loading very easy. Jazz scores highest on practicality.

The Hyundai i20 Elite has the most premium interiors and it is the most feature loaded car in this comparison. In addition to the other two it gets a cooled glovebox and a rear AC vent. The front and rear seats are comfortable and spacious too. The Baleno has all black interiors which look sporty and its a fairly feature loaded car. It is the only car among the three has auto dimming mirrors, a large touchscreen display and its MID graphics are also advanced. Baleno also gets Apple Car Play.

The rear seats of the Baleno are a little upright which is not very comfortable and the boot loading lip is also set pretty high which makes it less practical for luggage loading and unloading. The i20 Elite and Baleno have push button start, which is absent on the Jazz.

The Hyundai i20 wins here as it offers the most premium cabin with more number of features.

Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz Engine

For petrol engine, it Baleno that is the most powerful. At the same time, Jazz and i20 have decent power. As the Baleno is the lightest, it is more peppy. There is much of a need to shift gears either. While, the i20 and the Jazz need downshifts for those quick overtakes. In diesel, the Jazz has the most powerful engine. There isn’t much of a difference in the performance of all the three. Jazz dies

In terms of performance the Baleno comes out on top for petrol and in diesel, it is the Jazz which inches slightly ahead owing to the 98 horses and the six-speed gearbox.

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Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz Ride

This is area where all there cars have their own character. The Jazz offers a soft ride and the suspension is tuned for comfort . The car has a sporty handling with the best steering feedback of the three and it is a fun to drive car too. The Hyundai i20 Elite also has a supple ride and decent handling. The steering is not as much fun as the Jazz but it is clearly the best handling Hyundai to date and leaves little room for complain. Though the grip on the steering could have been better. The Baleno’s ride quality is not very different but larger potholes are audible and travel through the suspension setup. It is no doubt an agile car. Being the lightest, it has nimble handling too. We would’ve however, preferred a smoother steering with better feedback.

In ride quality, it is a close contest between the Jazz and Elite i20 and the Jazz is better of the three in terms of handling.

Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz Mileage

With regards to petrol engines, the Baleno is the most fuel-efficient and also the most powerful too, when it comes to outright performance. The Baleno petrol returns about 14km/l in the city, while the others have an efficiency of 12km/l for city. On the highway, all three petrols have a similar efficiency of 16km/l. For the diesel engine, Jazz is the most efficient at 16km/l for the city and about 20 for the highway, while the others have 15km/l in the city and 19km/l on the highway.

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Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz Price

The Honda Jazz is priced in the range of INR 6.1 lakhs to INR 10.15 lakhs (on-road, Delhi).  The Hyundai i20 costs between INR 6.0 lakhs to INR 10 lakhs (on-road, Delhi). The Baleno costs between INR 5.6 lakhs to INR 9.4 lakhs (on-road, Delhi). Maruti Baleno is the most affordable car amongst the three.

Verdict

The Honda Jazz is a very practical car but it misses out on a few features desired in this premium segment. It is also the most expensive car here. On the other hand, the Maruti Baleno is the most value for money car and the latest entrant in the market, offering good number of features as well. However, the i20 shines here because it makes you feel special. It also has the best combination of style, practicality, performance, features and that desired premium feel you would expect from a premium hatchback. The Hyundai i20 Elite is thus our choice for the best premium hatchback and we recommend the petrol until you do about 70 kms a day.

Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai i20 Elite vs Honda Jazz Specifications