In India Hatches are the most popular and loved cars. Around the world, the scenario is due to multifold reasons and in India the case is so due to first and foremost, their compact size and mileage. We bring to you the list of hatchbacks that are currently hitting volumes with their sales due to various reasons like pricing, comfort, mileage (all figures for mileage mentioned here are what the hatchbacks delivered under test conditions) and are growing in popularity ever since their launch.
P.S Your favorite might be missing but that doesn’t make it any less a car in comparison to the others present but surely the numbers might not be favoring its chances to be included in the list of most popular hatch of the present time, in no particular order though.
Lying in the Rs. 4.44 – 6.76 Lakh (Ex-showroom New Delhi) bracket and coming from the Maruti Suzuki family, it’s no surprise that the Maruti Swift gets a mention amongst the most popular hatchbacks. Not just because of its economic price or Maruti brand name, but Swift owes its popularity to the efficient petrol as well as diesel engines as well as its unique sports styling. In fact Swift was one of the first hatch with such sporty-looks in the Maruti family. The diesel models of the Swift are powered by a 1.3-litre, 1248 cc DDiS engine which delivers a mileage of 22.9kmpl on an average and the petrol models on the other hand are powered by very responsive and efficient 1.2-litre, 1197 cc K series engine. The petrol models deliver a mileage close to 18.5kmpl.
The safest car in this segment, Hyundai i-Gen i20, the refreshed version of the Hyundai i20, was launched in March this year. In this new generation i20 the handling is tighter, drive is better and looks are trendier. The mill however has the same configurations as the previous one, the 1.4-litre U2 series CRDi diesel engine which is one of the best diesel engines to drive. The power delivered by the the i-Gen i20’s 4-cylinder 16 valves CRDi engine is almost close to 88.7bhp at 4000rpm. The diesel mill delivers a mileage close to 21kmpl. There is also an 1197cc petrol powertrain, which is capable of delivering a mileage of 18kmpl.
At a price of Rs 4.73 – 7.67 Lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi), Hyundai’s assurance and safety features galore, there can be no questions, whatsoever, as to why the Hyundai i-Gen i20 is rising the charts day by day.
The ‘Value for Money’ hatch from Ford has been a successful venture for Ford in India. With small issues here there, like in terms of the ground clearance, the car has been proving itself to be quite a decent buy, especially at a price range of Rs. 3.81 – 5.94 Lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). Figo, except being a little low, provides a very comfortable drive and is counted amongst the smoothest drives in the section that it belongs to. Powering the Figo currently is the 1.2-litre, 1196cc petrol engine, delivering a city mileage of 12.5 kmpl approximately and a 1.4L Duratorq diesel engine comprising of 4-cylinders, which delivers a mileage of 15kmpl in the city.
Very soon, amidst the Diwali festivities, we will be seeing the Ford Figo facelift that would further be loaded with comfort features.
The small car from Hyundai that turns ‘India On’ is one of the cheapest hatchbacks available in India. Hyundai Eon, in terms of price follows Tata Nano, Maruti 800 and Maruti Alto. With Maruti 800 and Alto being out of production, it is the second cheapest hatchback of present times. The top end of the Hyundai Eon Sportz comes at a price of Rs. 3.80 Lakh and the base petrol model is priced at Rs. 2.74 Lakh (Prices mentioned are ex-showroom New Delhi). Powering the Eon is the small 814cc petrol engine that gives at an average mileage of 21kmpl. The car has pretty cute looks and comes with well built and finished interiors.
The cheapest car in the Honda line is the Honda Brio but of course same is not the case with the segment that it belongs to, it is actually seen as the hatchback at the higher end of the market. Honda Brio is considered to be one of the strongest products from the house of Honda in India. Brio is soon to come in its sedan form as well, more about that later. Coming back to the Brio hatch, it is currently present in a petrol version with a displacement of 1198cc. The diesel model is still in the pipeline and is one of the most awaited cars in the Indian segment. Brio gives a mileage of approximately 18.4kmpl. The hatchback from Honda falls in a price range of Rs. 4.05- 5.23 Lakh (all prices mentioned, ex-showroom New Delhi).
Hyundai i10, now this is one car that is in this list because of the price range, material quality used, easy maintenance and comfortable seating. In terms of drive, the car is average. There seems to be a little problem with the gear shifts. However coming from the stables of Hyundai, the hatchback is among reliable cars, especially in terms of after sale service. The Hyundai i10 comes with petrol fuel options. The mills are 1.1 iRDE2 and 1.2 Kappa units. The average mileage of the Hyundai i10 is 15kmpl. The i10 is available with manual as well as automatic transmissions. Hyundai i10 falls in the price range of Rs. 3.65 Lakh to Rs. 6.11 Lakh, providing a variety of options for consumers to choose from (all prices mentioned, ex-showroom New Delhi).
The facelift of the i10 is coming in somewhere by the end of 2013 or early 2014 with probably a diesel engine as well.
The diesel version of this particular hatchback makes it one of the most fuel efficient cars in the segment leaving behind all Tatas and Marutis of India. Beat diesel with its 936cc engine, mated to a manual transmission system delivers a mileage of nearly 25.44kmpl. The S-Tec II petrol variants as well are very efficient with 1199cc mill with manual transmission. The petrol variant delivers close to 19kmpl.
The price of the Chevrolet Beat starts from Rs. 3.73 Lakh for its base petrol variant and Rs. 4.52 Lakh for the base diesel variant. Top of the range for the Beat is the diesel version, priced at Rs. 5.70 Lakh (all prices mentioned, ex-showroom New Delhi).
One of the best hatchbacks from the Volkswagen group is the Volkswagen Golf. Sadly however India has not been blessed with that particular hatchback. No need to fret though; we got the Polo instead which is a very good little hatch. Quite similar in looks to the Golf, the Polo has smooth curvature coupled with an excellent interior. The price range on the Polo is between Rs. 4.75 and 7.50 Lakh (Prices mentioned, ex-showroom New Delhi). It comes in both 1.2-litre diesel and petrol engines and two high end petrol models with 1.6-litre displacement. The Volkswagen Polo mileage can be anywhere between 17 kmpl to 22 kmpl based on the selected model. In simplicity this hatchback from Volkswagen, with the best ride quality and comfort level, is definitely worthy of the top 10 hatchback list.
Toyota Etios Liva is amongst the famed models among the hatchbacks today, falling in a price range of Rs. 4.09 – 6.32 Lakh (Prices mentioned, ex-showroom New Delhi). In terms of looks, Liva is a very young looking car with 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.4-litre diesel engine. Liva recently completed its one year and Toyota introduced a limited edition Sports model to celebrate Liva’s birthday. The 1197cc petrol engine is capable of delivering a mileage close to 18.3kmpl whereas the 1364cc diesel car engine gives a mileage of 23kmpl. Holding the Toyota badge, the Liva is undoubtedly a technologically advanced car with an extremely comfortable driving experience.
Maruti Suzuki Alto, the list for the most popular hatchback cars in India would obviously be incomplete without the mention of this car. One of the bestselling hatchbacks in India the Alto has long been the favored car of the average blue collar Indian. Though currently it is out of production and is soon to be replaced. Maruti Suzuki is intending to release a new version of the Alto that will feature a tweaked 800cc engine. The new 800cc engine car from Maruti is expected as the Maruti Alto 800.
The price of the Alto ranges from a relatively cheap Rs. 2.4 Lakh to a manageable Rs. 3.4 Lakh (price mentioned, ex-showroom New Delhi). The mileage on the Alto is an appreciable 19 kmpl to 26 kmpl.
