New age diesel cars have really come a long way. Almost all new age diesel engines are based on Bosch's Common Rail Direct Injection technology which revolutionized Diesel engines. The current engines are less noisy, more reliable, more powerful,extremely efficient,etc. Thanks to innovations in the newer engines they have become trouble free and do not need heavy maintenance like older gen engines.
So it is safe to say that in terms of reliability,both petrol and diesel new cars are equivalent with respect to ease of maintenance. It is a fact that when it comes to maintenance costs, even today diesel ones would be marginally more because of the basic nature of a diesel engine.
In the long run though, if your daily running is decent enough, the cost difference between a petrol and diesel car is easily recovered.
Irrespective or whether it is a petrol or diesel car, periodical maintenance goes a long way in increasing the engine life.
Almost all new gen diesel cars, small or big are turbocharged which has increased their fuel efficiency tremendously, in some cases its almost double of their petrol counterparts. Diesel engines being high compression engines, have more torque compared to petrol engines and since the new ones are turbocharged, you have even more power and torque, making these cars extremely fun to drive.
Having had the opportunity to own a Swift diesel and Getz diesel, I can safely say that in terms of handling, the swift is way ahead compared to the Getz. The getz has a stonker of an engine so its a straight line monster. Somehow, I am not too happy with Hyundai handling, steering response but apart from this, their cars are good.
i20 too suffers from the same problem, horrible suspension setup, vague steering feel and to some extent, poor ergonomics.
Ok so now that you have been given basic idea about diesel cars, here is my take on several hatchbacks available in India
Suzuki Swift Diesel - Pros - Proven engine, excellent chassis and suspension setup,interior quality is improved with some new features,massive service support across the country,cheap to maintain.
Cons - Reduced boot space, ridiculously long waiting periods,Ride can be a bit bumpy at times. Car comes with mediocre tyres.
Suzuki Swift Petrol - Pros - New gen K series engine with VVT. excellent chassis and suspension setup,interior quality is improved with some new features,cheaper than its diesel counterpart,massive service support across the country,cheap to maintain.
Cons - Variable valve timing will improve power but all that power would be tucked away at higher RPM bands making it useless in city driving, Won't be as fuel efficient as its diesel counterpart.
Ford Figo Diesel - Pros - Proven diesel engine,brilliant chassis and handling, feels more European than american,making it so good
Cons - No power windows even on top end model, dependency on dealership,some might find rear passenger area cramped.
Ford Figo Petrol - Pros - Good VFM, superb chassis and handling.
Cons -Poor engine performance,Even top end model doesn't get rear power windows,no parts available in open market making you dependent on the dealership.
Hyundai i20 Diesel - Pros - Stonker of a engine, good looking, loaded with features, top notch build quality, exceptional service support across the country.
Cons - Expensive, uninspiring chassis and suspension setup,vague steering feel.
Hyundai i20 Petrol - Pros -2 engine options,option for Auto transmission,good build quality, dealership network,easy to maintain.
Cons - mediocre performance,expensive,uninspiring chassis and suspension setup,vague steering feel.
Fiat Grande Punto Diesel - Pros - 2 engine options,beautiful chassis and suspension design,typical European handling characteristics, good looking.
Cons - horrible A.S.S backup, some variants are expensive.
Fiat Grande Punto Petrol - Pros - Decent engine performance,beautiful chassis and suspension design,typical European handling characteristics, good looking.
Cons - mediocre performance compared to diesel variants,horrible A.S.S backup, some variants are expensive.
Nissan Micra Diesel - Pros - Proven engine, Japanese reliability,decent handling.
Cons - underdeveloped service network,not exactly a looker, expensive
Nissan Micra Petrol - Pros - Japanese reliability,decent handling.
Cons - lackluster performance, underdeveloped service network,not exactly a looker.
I guess I have covered most of the current popular models, If you need a take on some other models available, let me know.
Hope this helps
