So who do you think is the hottest?

'Corners and Cuts are only for Fords and Fiats'. Now that rhymes! Not a revelation, of course. This was my FB status for yesterday. Plainly, I was too bored seeing each of friends update their status with 'Kovaleri –Kovaleri 'song. So, out of nowhere struck this rhyme and pasted it directly on my FB Wall…Little did I know of this 'random thought' making some people go hopping mad! The first comment came from an ardent Lancer fan and he questioned, "Mitsubishi?? ". As I have no idea of how a Lancer's steering wheel feels, I replied honestly, answering in German (we both attend German classes together), "So lala (so-so)". Now, one of my cousins has just bought the diesel-rocket- i20 Crdi. He's only two years elder, mechanical engineer and a wheel-spin enthusiast; the 'one' thing he looks for in a car is Engine! A few days ago, we were on the same topic discussing hot-hatches. Clearly in his mind, a diesel car with stump-yanking torque and chic looks is the one. Let's be honest, it's the i20 he's invariably pointing towards. On the other hand, I am a die-hard Palio GTX fan-boy. None of the cars to this day and date evoke the same sense of passion, magnetism, character and charm that a Ferrari red painted GTX provides, period! That's all concluded without having driven one, actually. Wonder how will I react when I get behind the wheel of one? Thanks to the drive experiences shared by all of you here, who have driven the GTX, I love it more and more every passing day! Just to pull my brother's leg, I thought it would be a good idea to bring steering/feedback thing in picture and get his facts straighten up. We had an hour long argument that day but sadly, no conclusions! The aforementioned Facebook update, as he would have thought, had surely been posted to offend him! As a result, he started bickering again. Without any second thoughts, I joined him thinking it'd be a good time pass. Some other armchair enthusiasts joined the party too, things started to get serious…And the Word-War II began: WHICH IS THE HOTTEST HATCH LAUCNCHED IN OUR COUNTRY SO FAR? i20- Surely has a bonkers engine (CRDi unit). Good looking and, perhaps the most practical hatch that's being currently sold in our country, alongside the Jazz. But, is it hot? Do you really think? Polo 1.6- Gorgeous when red, 1.6 and 105 bhp. Perfect replacement for the ageing GTX, I thought. But then, stumbled upon this article, read the very first comment there, and I am re-assured that the GTX still is untouchable. Battle of the hot hatches - Heat this! Swift- I believe it to be the only car that is Hot in all the departments. It ticks all the right boxes-Handling, price, engine, fun, looks, reliability and FE (The thing we Indians seek foremost of all in any car/bike!). Definitely, hot! … Hottest? Uhmm, that red Palio. Getz Crdi- Here's some blast from the past! I have heard some great reviews from enthusiasts and automobile journalists about the diesel Getz. It had a CRDi unit and offered 240 N-m of torque…Seriously wow! Also read it being an able handler too. But, does that make it the hottest hatch of all times? I have no idea; please pour in your comments. Punto- Best looking hatch of all times. Period. Hot as hell in red. Wish Fiat had plonked some 100+ bhp motor into it. It would have been so easy to forget the GTX then…Engine and performance is the only weak-link that stops it from clinching the 'hot hatch' title from elder brother! Brio and Jazz- Honda's Vtec delivering a revalicious 90bhp. Most fun cars around (GTO's words, if I am not mistaken). Jazz with revised pricing is easily the best small petrol car in market today. Albeit, both Hondas look a bit soft to me rather than hot (also the reason why Fabia is not in my list of hot-hatches, apologies for the same). And I think, I am right in saying that none of these handle anywhere close to a Fiat or Ford. The Jazz or the Brio simply does not 'cut' the mustard for the cornering-happy-janta. I am sure many will disagree, and I would like to hear back-up reasons for the same as well. :-) Ford Figo- Here comes the Ford, finally. Fords are the only rivals I see to the Fiats when one seeks outright fun in a car. Betters Fiat, actually (Fiesta). Amazing handlers, best steering feedback and some great engines to drool over. The Figo though could have been an enthusiast's delight had it been bolted with the same unit as that of Fiesta (1.6). Because as of now it's not an outright performance hatch vis-à-vis Polo 1.6 or GTX. Its subtle looks don't help spice up things much, either. The Figo then resembles to its Italian meaning of cool than being a red-hot chili pepper. Still, if I were in market today to pick a small car, it'd be a tough call between this Ford and its arch-rival Fiat Punto-from an enthusiast's point of view. Zen Carbon/Steel- Aha, the two door hot hatch. I have very little to share about this car. Remember reading only 300 or 500 of these were made. A very hot chick, down my street used to drive one of these (Steel). The combination was simply jaw-dropping. How it feels to drive is unknown yet? (Both, the girl and the car :D). Recently did a Chandigarh-Delhi run on the first-gen Zen. Pick-up was quite insane and it climbed up to the figures of 130-140kph effortlessly. Only concern was high-speed stability as it felt shaky and unstable (scary!). So guys these are the only entrants I could think of for now. I know I have missed many other brilliant hatchbacks (Fabia, Micra, Liva, Santro, Wagon R, Chevy, Opels etc.), but you can always favour any of those missed in your posts, if you think they had some kind of X-factor in them. Besides being a fan-boy, why I think the GTX reigns above all? It's only because I think GTX is the perfect amalgamation of looks, power, performance, handling, character, passion and fun. We have some great cars today but they all miss out on some or the other points above. Secondly, it's painted in Ferrari red. :D What do you think? Am I correct in saying so?

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