Best compact sedans in India - October 2019
Compact sedans in India have a length of less than 4 meters
Yes, India loves its sedans. In fact, back in the day, owning a sedan meant that you ‘have arrived’ in a post adolescent, middle age when you have ‘financially secured your future’. Today, just look at the number of hatchbacks which have been re-designed as a compact sedan. Remember the time when the Indian government offered reduced taxes on cars which measured sub 4 m in length and had an engine capacity below a stipulated mark (1.2-litres for petrol and 1.5-litres for diesel). While the success or failure of this rule introduced in 2008 is controversial and tale for another day, let’s look at the 4 best and inexpensive compact sedans we can buy in India today:
Maruti Dzire
The Maruti Dzire needs no introduction. Often a regular in the list of top selling cars in India, the Maruti Dzire traces its origins to the hatchback Swift. In its present iteration, the Dzire’s boot is neatly integrated to the body. The judicious use of chrome on the front grille, windows and boot cover gives the overall design a clean look. Besides that, the neat integration of LED projector headlamps and two-tone alloy wheels are a huge plus.
Powertrain options include a 1.2-litre petrol (83 PS/113 Nm) and a 1.3-litre diesel (75 PS/190 Nm). Both the engines are available with a 5-speead manual and a 5-speed AMT. The petrol has a fuel efficiency of 21.21 kmpl while the diesel Maruti Dzire is the most fuel-efficient car in India with a claimed 28.40 kmpl!
The Maruti Dzire gets features like push button start-stop, remote keyless entry and a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Besides that, the car gets faux wood design on the dashboard, flat-bottomed steering wheel, automatic climate control and rear aircon vents.
Maruti retails the Dzire in Oxford Blue, Gallant Red, Sherwood Brown, Magma Grey, Silky Silver and Pearl Arctic White. Maruti Dzire petrol is priced between INR 5.83 lakhs and INR 8.69 lakhs while the diesel version ranges between INR 6.67 lakhs to INR 9.53 lakhs (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi).
Honda Amaze
Not long ago, The Honda City was the car which made its owners a proud motoring head. Today, Honda is promoting the Amaze as just that. Even their tagline ‘I made it big’ shouts the same out loud. Honda Amaze gets a big, fat chrome strip on the front grille while the standard halogen headlamps get an LED daytime running strip. And boy it has come a long way from the Brio it is based on!
Honda Amaze is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol (90 PS/110 Nm) and a 1.5-litre diesel (100 PS/200 Nm). Gearbox options include a 5-speed manual and a CVT. The latter with the diesel mill though produces 80 PS of power and 160 Nm of torque. Besides that, the CVT variants of Honda Amaze boasts of first in segment paddle shifters.
The Honda Amaze is offered with a remote keyless entry, electronically foldable ORVMs, rear parking sensors with camera and auto aircon. Honda Amaze also comes with a neatly designed two-tone dash with a touchscreen infotainment system (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible). The boot space of the Honda Amaze too is a healthy 420-litre unit while the driver’s seat is manually height adjustable.
Honda Amaze is retailed in Radiant Red, White Orchid Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, Golden Brown Metallic and Modern Steel Metallic. The Amaze petrol is priced between INR 5.93 lakhs to INR 8.77 lakhs while the diesel version will cost you INR 7.05 lakhs for the base variant and INR 9.79 lakhs for the top end one (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi).
Tata Tigor
The Tata Tigor is a value for money offering developed from the Tiago hatchback. The front grille of the Tata Tigor gets a beautifully crafted unit, a coupe like roof line and a high mounted LED stop lamp. The compact sedan is loaded with features and has intelligently curated utility spaces. The latter includes bottle holders, cup holders, bag hook and coat hook to carry all your needs.
Powering the Tata Tigor are a 1.2-litre petrol (85 PS/115 Nm) and a 1.05-litre diesel (70 PS/140 Nm) engine options. Gearbox includes a 5-speed manual for both engines and an AMT box for the petrol option. Tata Tigor is also the only car in this list to get driving modes. The manual gearbox is offered with Eco and City modes while the AMT version gets a Sport mode.
Tata Tigor gets projector headlamps, auto fold ORVMs, titanium coloured interiors and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system by Harman with 8-speakers. Besides that, the boot space is a healthy 419-litres. The Tata Tigor also gets 15-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay compatibility, cooled glovebox and auto climate control. Also available are height adjustable driver’s seat and reverse parking assist with camera.
Colour options for Tata Tigor include Egyptian Blue, Espresso Brown, Roman Silver, Pearlescent White, Berry Red and Titanium Grey. Pricing for the petrol option ranges between INR 5.50 lakhs and INR 7.45 lakhs (both ex-showroom, Delhi). The diesel Tata Tigor on the other hand ranges between INR 6.40 lakhs and 7.90 lakhs (both prices ex-showroom, Delhi).
Hyundai Xcent
The South Korean automaker retails the Hyundai Xcent based on the Grand i10. This compact sedan is fitted with a big cascading front grille and a stance which attracts your attention without going overboard. Want some extra practicality? First in segment wireless charging is a huge bonus, especially for folks like me who keep cribbing about low battery performance on smartphones.
At the heart of the Hyundai Xcent is a 1.2-litre petrol (83 PS/114 Nm) and 1.2-litre diesel (75 PS/190 Nm) engine options. Gearbox is a 5-speed unit while the petrol engine is also offered with a 4-speed torque convertor automatic. Unlike the competition, the automatic gearbox in the Xcent is a tad dated.
Hyundai Xcent gets LED daytime running lights, sporty boot lid spoiler and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility. A handy iblue Smart Phone App for Audio Remote Control is also on offer.
The Hyundai Xcent is retailed in Typhoon Silver, Titan Grey, Fiery Red, Polar White and Alpha Blue colours. Petrol option of the Hyundai Xcent will set you back by INR 5.81 lakhs for the base trim and INR 7.86 lakhs for the top end variant (both ex-showroom, Delhi). Diesel option ranges between INR 6.73 lakhs and INR 8.79 lakhs (both prices ex-showroom, Delhi).