Top six diesel hatchbacks in India

Top 6 diesel hatchbacks

The B-segment hatchback market is one of the largest that we have in the Indian market today. Its target buyers are mostly two kinds of individuals - The first, are those who have owned a smaller car and are looking to upgrade to something bigger. The second, are those who are purchasing a car for the first time and have a considerably large budget which affords them something higher up in the price range. The contenders in this comparo are the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Ford Figo, Hyundai Grand i10, Tata Bolt, Nissan Micra and the Toyota Etios Liva. Among these, nearly everything has undergone some kind of revision in the last year or so with the Ford Figo and Tata Bolt being completely new cars that were launched this year

Ford Figo (60/70)

It should come as no surprise that the newest car in the segment has managed to score the highest number of points when we add it all up. The Figo scores the highest in terms of safety thanks to the 6 airbags on the top-of-the-line Titanium variant. It has the highest in segment fuel efficiency and most powerful engine in its class. The six-airbag option is a standout feature and is found on cars only much higher up the food chain. The ARAI specified fuel efficiency is 25.8kmpl from the 1.5-litre four-cylinder which produces 99bhp/215Nm of torque, both segment leading figures.

Tata Bolt (59/70)

The Bolt is Tata’s latest hatchback for the Indian market and it was launched earlier this year. A glimpse into the product reveals that Tata has taken all the right steps with regard to building the car. It is the first car in the segment to offer a touchscreen system (designed by Harman). It is also only of the three vehicles in the fray to offer speed sensing door locks.

On the price front, this is the second cheapest car thanks to the Rs 7 (ex-showroom Delhi) lakh pricing for the top-spec XT diesel. Sadly despite so much on the plate, Tata appears to be struggling to sell the Bolt in the volumes that it wanted. We believe that this may be down to the perceived brand value that Tata cars hold in the eyes of the consumers. 

Hyundai Grand i10 (58/70)

Hyundai’s have known always to be feature loaded and this one is no different. The Grand i10 was launched for the Indian market in late 2013 and was the first car to sport the South Korean automakers 1.1-litre three-cylinder diesel engine. It is also the first car in the segment to be offered with rear AC vents and an internal one GB hard drive.

However, where it manages to outgun its rivals is in terms of pricing, as the top-spec Asta diesel (O) variant is priced at Rs 6.74 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) which is Rs 26,000 lesser than the Tata Bolt, the next cheapest car.

Maruti Suzuki Swift (54/70)

The Maruti Suzuki Swift is the segment leader when it comes to volumes. It stands miles above the competition; in some cases its monthly numbers alone are equivalent to the sales of 4-5 manufacturers put together. Clearly, the popularity of the hatchback has not dimmed one bit since it was launched in 2005.

Our scoring process has resulted in a tie between two vehicles- the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Etios Liva. The Swift holds its ground over the Etios Liva in terms of fuel efficiency, feature list, safety features and engine output.

Toyota Etios Liva (54/70)

The Etios Liva is Toyota’s only hatchback offering for the Indian market. It has been on sale for more than five years but has always been an average performer. Despite this, it has managed to tie with the Maruti Suzuki Swift in terms of overall score but trumps over it in terms of warranty, price and boot space and cubby holes.     

Nissan Micra (51/70)

Underdog, that is perhaps one of the best terms I could use to describe the Nissan Micra when it comes to this competition. It was launched in India in 2010 and then got a mid-life facelift in 2013, but none of this seems to have worked for the car. This is a bit surprising when you consider that it is quite feature-rich, has a decent engine lineup and most importantly offers four airbags, ABS+EBD and brake assist. However, the two things that play against the Micra are the high price and questionable service network.