GWM C30 vs Nissan Almera vs VW Polo Vivo sedan: Here's our winner.

By Farzana Chaumoo

We take a look at the C30, Almera, and the Vivo sedan in terms of power, safety and convenience features. Our pick is the Polo Vivo.

The GWM C30, the Nissan Almera and the VW Polo Vivo sedan play in a very important market segment. The cars in this segment are aimed at families who require maximum passenger and luggage space while the engine has a good blend of power and economy, all the while it is affordable.

Power

With a power output of 73kW @ 6000rpm and torque of 134Nm @ 4000rpm, the Almera’s 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine is a little underpowered. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. While there are more sluggish cars in the segment, the Almera still has to be worked hard to keep up in the fast lane. The Almera is certainly not an “enthusiast’s car” but you can have fun stirring its gears to keep the revs in a happy range as the transmission has precise shifts.

The C30 is powered by GWM’s 1.5-litre VVT-i engine that delivers 71.3kW and 138Nm of torque. This engine’s reliability and efficiency have been proven from previous GWM vehicles such as the C10 and C20R hatchbacks. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

The Polo Vivo offers several engines but for the sake of this comparison, the 1.6-litre engine puts out 77kW and 153Nm of torque, and the engine can be mated to either a manual or automatic transmission.

Fuel consumption

The claimed fuel consumption for the Nissan Almera is 6.3L/100km. But real-world figures, you can expect a segment-average fuel consumption of about 7.5L/100km.

With the variable valve timing in the GWM C30, this engine delivers a fuel consumption figure of 7.3L/100 km on a combined cycle. The engine is mated to a slick five-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels.

With the Polo Vivo, VW claims fuel economy figures of 6.6L/100km. When we tested it, our test mule returned about 7.6l/100km.

Safety

The C30 sedan rides on a MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension which has been tuned for ride comfort. Occupants’ safety is taken care of by means of disc brakes all around, along with ABS (anti-lock braking system) and EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution), and the car is fitted with dual front airbags.

Standard safety in the Vivo includes an airbag for the driver and front passenger, 2 head restraints front (height adjustable) and rear, rear-window heating, ABS and remote-controlled central locking with alarm.

Safety equipment in the Almera includes ABS with EBD and BAS (brake assist), auto-locking doors, three-point safety belts for five passengers, dual front airbags and ISOFIX child seat anchors come standard across the range.

Comfort and Entertainment

The Vivo received a downgraded interior compared to the Polo but despite the reduction in features it still boasts an SD card rear, aux input and USB port. In the Trend model, you can also expect to find air conditioning, an audio system with MP3, USB and Bluetooth functionality.

In 2014 the Almera received some interior updates that included seat fabric with contrasting stitching and a new audio system design, as well as more elegant looking air conditioning controls. The Almera was also boasting class-leading rear legroom at the time and boot space of 490-litres. The Almera also got telephone controls on its steering wheel for the standard Bluetooth and audio system which now featured USB functionality.

In the C30 you will find aircon; power steering; electric windows all round; an audio player with radio, CD, MP3 and USB capacities and Bluetooth. Luggage capacity is limited to 475 litres, while the rear bench splits 60/40 and can be folded down to accommodate longer items.

Verdict

The Almera is not pretentious and simply stands tall as a spacious, B-segment sedan.

The C30 is high on value but low in image. It’s good enough if you need basic transport.

Our winner goes to the Polo Vivo as it is the most reliable and dependable. It also has a guaranteed better resale value.