The Indian market has been a budget-conscious one, ever since the early years of the popular people’s car – the Maruti 800, which now lives in a new avatar as the Alto 800. In recent years however, India has been home to some rather global and class-leading offerings. The average Indian car buyer is value-conscious and looks to make the most bang for the buck. We’ve shortlisted a few cars that are bound to offer the best value for your money.
1) Maruti Suzuki Swift
Price: ₹ 5.19 – ₹ 7.97 lakh
The Swift is powered by a BS6-compliant 1.2-litres, four-cylinder K12B engine that’s been upgraded and produces 81bhp and 113Nm of torque and delivers a fuel efficiency figure of 21.2kpl. The 1.3-litre DDiS190 diesel engine, on the other hand, has been phased out. The Swift comes with a whole lot of safety features like dual airbags, co-driver seatbelt reminder, brake assist, rear parking sensors, speed alert system, ABS with EBD and driver-side seatbelt reminder. The range starts with the LXi variant and goes all the way up to the ZDi AGS variant. The cabin gets an all-black theme and gets hooded binnacles for the speedometer and tachometer. Some features include LED projector headlamps and DRLs, 7.0-inch Smartplay touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
2) Maruti Suzuki WagonR
Price: ₹ 4.46 – ₹ 5.95 Lakh
The new WagonR is based on a new platform, features a fresh design language and gets more space on the inside, along with the option of a more powerful engine. The WagonR is powered by two engine options: a 1.2-litres petrol engine that makes 81bhp and a 1.0-litre petrol engine that makes 67bhp. The range starts from the LXi variant and goes all the way up to the ZXi AMT variant. Both engines get the option of a 5-speed AMT gearbox. The WagonR shares its Heartect platform with a number of Maruti Suzuki models, making it lighter than before. The car is also larger than before, which in turn, makes it more spacious inside. Features include a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, front fog lights, washer a wiper, rear defogger and adjustable wing mirrors.
3) Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS
Price: ₹ 5 – ₹ 7.99 lakh
The Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS comes in ten variants, with four engine-gearbox combinations. The car features a cascading grille up-front along with a shapely front bumper. It sports projector headlights with LED DRLs and projector fog lamps. It also gets blacked-out C-pillars, 15-inch alloy wheels and roof rails. At the rear, the tail lights and bumper are a sporty combination. The car is available in six monotone colour options: red, blue, teal, white, grey and silver. Features include an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control, wireless charging, leather-wrapped steering, rear AC vents, steering mounted audio controls, cooled glovebox, push-button start/stop, four-speaker Arkamys sound system and a 5.3-inch part-digital instrument cluster. The NIOS is powered by a BS6-compliant 1.2-litres Kappa petrol engine that makes 81bhp and 114Nm of torque and a U2 CRDi diesel engine that makes 73bhp and 190Nm of torque, with both engines paired either to a 5-speed physical or AMT gearbox.
4) Tata Altroz
Price: ₹ 5.29 – ₹ 9.34 lakh
The Tata Altroz is sold in five variants: XE, XM, XT, XZ and XZ Option. If buyers want more features without paying more for a higher variant, a customisation pack is available too. Power comes from a BS6-compliant 1.2-litres, three-cylinder, naturally-aspirated petrol engine that produces 84bhp and 113Nm of torque and a BS6-compliant 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo diesel that makes 88bhp and 200Nm of torque, paired to a 5-speed physical transmission. There is no automatic gearbox available at the moment. Features include automatic climate control, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, ambient lighting, automatic wipers, auto projector headlamps with LED DRLs, adjustable front and rear head restraints, ABS with EBD, dual airbags, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, cruise control, push-button start/stop and a cooled glovebox. The Altroz received a 5-star rating by Global NCAP.
5) Volkswagen Polo
Price: ₹ 5.83 – ₹ 9.6 lakh
Volkswagen has shelved the 1.5-litre TDI diesel, 1.6-litre MPI petrol and 1.2-litres TSI turbo petrol engines, making way for a new 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, TSI engine that makes 108bhp and 175Nm of torque, paired to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox and a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, naturally-aspirated MPI engine, mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The 7-speed DSG auto ‘box has been axed. The 1.0 TSI engine is sold in the Highline Plus and GT Line variants only. Externally, the Polo remains the same – its understated appeal, clear-cut lines and compact silhouette remain, making one wish it were a breath of fresh air instead. Features include front fog lights, 15-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable ORVMs, rear defogger and wiper, power windows, front and rear, rear luggage cover, ambient lighting with dimming function, cooled and lit glove box, digital MID Music system with Bluetooth, USB, AUX, and SD-card support, four-speaker sound system, remote central locking and speed-sensing auto door locks.
6) Maruti Suzuki Baleno
Price: ₹ 5.58 – ₹ 8.9 lakh
The Baleno facelift sports aggressive-looking bumpers at the front, a 3D design for the grille and LED projector headlamps with DRLs. It also gets dual-tone 16-inch alloy wheels. The cabin boasts of a dual-tone, black-and-blue colour theme and now gets a new SmartPlay Studio infotainment system with a 7.0-inch touchscreen that gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other features include in-built navigation, voice recognition, reverse camera, rear parking sensors, speed alert warning and seatbelt reminder system. The Baleno is powered by a 81bhp, 1.2-litres petrol engine and a 73bhp, 1.3-litre diesel engine, paired to either a 5-speed physical gearbox or a CVT automatic for the petrol model. The Baleno had crossed the 5 lakh sales mark in less than two years, making it the quickest model to have reached this mark in India. It is one among the best selling cars in India. It also sold in DualJet Smart Hybrid variants, which return a fuel efficiency figure of 23.87kpl. This hybrid is a combination of a 1.2-litres, K12C petrol engine with a lithium-ion battery. It is also faster by a decent margin. The Smart Hybrid system provides a torque assist function that betters acceleration and a start-stop system that shuts off the engine at idle, further improving fuel economy.