Top 10 Hatchbacks In India With The Best Road Presence

Amidst the current era of SUVs and the long-gone period of sedans, there is a segment that never runs out of fame, the Hatchbacks. Well, this segment is considered as the most versatile segment because of its compact dimensions. (Wasn’t that obvious?)

Okay, that’s not all, hatchbacks offer the right balance between price, features and mechanical specifications. So, let’s take a step back and look at the hatchbacks that used and are still have a special spot in our hearts.

1. Chevrolet Beat
   

   

   The American car manufacturer wrapped up their shops in 2019 and sailed away for our country. Nevertheless, they gave us a small cute little package that we still remember, Chevrolet Beat.

   

   Surely, the car got our hearts racing when sitting behind the wheel (especially the one with diesel powertrain). That motorcycle-like instrument cluster that used to just sit on the steering column looked unique. Because of such little details, the vehicle will surely be remembered.

2. Ford Figo
   

   

   The vehicle that has changed very little is the Ford Figo. Sometime back, Ford introduced the new generation of the Figo that is still available in the Indian market. Although this Ford Figo is in a desperate need of an update it offers a lot more than you pay for.

   

   To be exact, this is the most powerful hatchback at its price. Another plus, it can be heavily tuned as per the driver’s convenience as the parts are readily available. For sure, it still turns heads when it cruises on the road.

3. Honda Jazz
   

   

   A hatchback which is known for being overpriced from the day it was launched is the Honda Jazz. Why is the car expensive? Well, the Jazz is like a Honda City lite. Okay, to be precise, the interior and the driving dynamics are alike.

   

   That said, all you have to compromise is the boot. But it didn’t makeup with just the premium interior, in the market that is a purely budget-friendly. Nevertheless, it is still in Honda’s portfolio in India but the sales numbers are limited.

4. Tata Tiago JTP
   

   

   A petrol head’s dream is to drive a vehicle that interacts back. Surprisingly, Tata with the JTP version of the Tiago did just that. This vehicle came with a differently tuned suspension and a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine.

   

   There was more. When keeping the engine on the boil; one could hear the BOV (Blow Off-Valve) loud and clear making the drive even more emotional. We wish the car soon becomes a part of the company’s BS6 lineup.

5. VW Polo GT TSI
   

   

   One of the first vehicles that came with a turbo in a petrol engine in India was the Volkswagen Polo GT TSI. Diving a little deep, the Polo GT used to come with as 1.2-litre 4 cylinder turbo petrol engine.

   

   This motor came mated to either a 6-speed MT or a 7-Speed DSG. Oh Boy! the driving experience from behind the wheel cannot be explained in words. One has to drive it to witness this vehicle for hooligans!

6. Fiat Abarth Punto
   

   

   There were vehicles running on the Indian roads that can be called as beasts and calling them that may not be wrong. Abarth Punto is the perfect model to justify the above statement. This Abarth used to produce a jaw-dropping power of 145hp from a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine.

   

   I’m not quite done. Verses the power, the Abarth Punto was capable of producing a peak torque of 212Nm. It all came down to the driving, being a super powerful vehicle the car used to face some torque steer. But that is nothing to worry as it is common is powerful FWD vehicles.

7. Hyundai i20
   

   

   Another contender in the premium hatchback segment is the Hyundai i20. The vehicle offers more value for money than its contenders as it gets bucket loaded of features. Nevertheless, it compromises a little on the power.

   

   With that out of our way, Hyundai launched a new generation of i20 last year with a whole lot of changes. The unique one being the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine with a DCT transmission. Alongside that, the car also boasts of a ton of new features on the inside making it an evergreen vehicle for the Indian customers

8. Toyota Etios
   

   

   The Japanese carmaker Toyota now has a limited vehicle line-up in the domestic market. But this was not the case a while back. Not so long ago, Toyota had one of the top-selling hatchbacks, the Etios Liva. For you to know, this is when chopping off the boot of a sedan was a trend.

   

   Well, this was not just a hatch. The hatchback, along with Toyota’s reliability was everything one could desire back then. Even the powertrain and the drivetrain was spot on. The thing that was concerning for some were features which this Toyota was deprived off.

9. Nissan Micra
   

   

   Offering one of the best power to weight ratio was the Nissan Micra. It was light, it came with a decent powertrain and it was also outstanding on mileage. This was considered as the perfect package until the implementation of the BS6.

   

   This is when the car was discontinued. That said, the car used to offer tremendous value for money and versatility when driving in the city. Nissan Micra came with two engine options, a diesel and petrol with no choice of an automatic.

10. Skoda Fabia
    

    

    Ending the list on a good note is the Skoda Fabia. Well, this vehicle too couldn’t resist itself from the trend of chopping sedan’s boot. Under the hood, the Skoda Fabia was similar to its German cousin VW Polo. Not just the engine, but the interior also resembles the Polo.

    

    Well, this is nothing to complain as the built quality though being plastic was top-notch. Skoda Fabia surely was built like a tank as this vehicle can clock 1 lakh kilometres without breaking a sweat.

Let us know in the comments, did we miss something?

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