What’s better than a hatchback? A hatchback with a boot!
We all want thoda aur and that’s what the automakers in India cashed in on in 2015 with their sub-4 metre sedans.
These cars look almost identical to their hatchback siblings and offer more storage.
Sub-4 metre in length, they attract less tax and are, hence, cheaper than full sized sedans. This way, people get a little more than a hatchback for a tiny bump in the price.
This has created a huge demand for these vehicles which, in turn, has become a win-win situation for car dealers and car buyers alike. We have put together a list of the best ones on Indian roads right now.
But since we couldn’t choose a favourite from the lot, the list is in no particular order.
Ford Figo Aspire
The Ford Figo Aspire stands as testimony to the fact that Ford India has done its homework rather well and has really got down to looking at what a customer in the compact sedan segment expects – and then surpassed that.
Powering the diesel variant of the Figo Aspire is a 1.5-litre TDCi unit that is an absolute delight to drive. The power is seamless and getting up to three digit speeds is effortless. Making 100ps of power at 3750rpm and 215Nm of torque at 1750-3000rpm, the 1498cc engine is mated to a slick five-speed gearbox and the power is driven to the front wheels.
It’s an engaging drive and the Figo Aspire scores well in the ride and handling department as well. The icing on the cake is that you also get brilliant mileage (25.83 km/l according to ARAI test figures) – the best of both worlds.
Maruti Suzuki DZire
When you’re talking about the best sub-4 metre sedans in India, you cannot exclude the Maruti Suzuki DZire. The impressive number of sales that this car has stacked up, shows just how good this car is.
Available in 1.2-litre petrol and diesel engines, the car comes with 5-speed transmission and can also be fitted with airbags, for an extra 20,000 bucks.
Tata Zest
Tata has been working towards moving on from the Indica and Indigo line-up and bringing a new design language to the table.
The Tata Zest was a part of that strategy and managed to hit the bullseye.
This car came loaded with technology and promised to offer luxury unlike any other Tata vehicle in the country. It came with features like phone-connectivity, dual-tone interiors and drive-away door locks. The car managed to garner a good response and offers good value for money.
Honda Amaze
The Honda Amaze drew inspiration from the Brio and went on to inspire the looks of the Mobilio. This may mean that there are several Honda cars which look similar, but that’s not a bad thing since they look fantastic.
One of the most interesting things about this car is the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine which, according to Honda, gives an impressive mileage of 25.8 km/l and 100ps of power at 3,600 rpm. That’s enough for the Amaze to be on our list.
Hyundai Xcent
Although the car borrows the name Xcent from Hyundai’s discontinued sedan named Accent, it looks identical to Hyundai’s Grand i10 from the front.
The car’s interiors are some of the best in this segment and it comes loaded with technologies like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), rear parking sensors, rear camera display and auto-dim rear view mirror.
The car is powered by 1.1-litre CRDi diesel and a 1.2-litre VTVT petrol engine which produces 72 ps and 83 ps of power respectively. The Xcent also comes in two versions: A 4-speed automatic transmission along with 5-speed manual transmission system.
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