Top 5 fastest accelerating diesel hatchbacks in India

Hatchback, in India, is the highest selling body-type. It caters to everybody, right from the ultimate budget segment beginning with the Alto and going all the way to premium hatchbacks like the Elite i20. While many of us are enthusiasts, the rising fuel costs and increasing commutes are making us choose the humble diesels to be practical. However, if that budget diesel hatch turns out to be fast, it is like the perfect icing on the cake that you can have and eat as well. So, we have chosen the top-five 0-100kmph timings from the innumerable hatchbacks that we have tested, starting from the Tata Tiago, all the way to the Volkswagen GT TDI.

1. Ford Figo – 10.37 seconds

Surprise! The Ford Figo might not be selling as many units as Ford would want it to, despite being such a good product. It is sad that the Figo has remained the underdog when it comes to featuring on buyers’ shortlists, but those who have chosen it would be cherishing every bit of this excellent handling hatch. It is the only diesel hatchback to have a 10-second 0-100kmph dash, even racing ahead of a few ‘hot hatches’ as well.

2. Volkswagen Polo GT TDI – 11.47 seconds

Volkswagen offers the Polo in two trims, the average diesel with 89bhp power output and the GT TDI with 108bhp from the 1.5-litre diesel engine. While the regular Polo takes 13.12 seconds to 100kmph, the GT takes only 11.47. Speak about earning the badges! And it is also one of the better handling cars in the segment. So, if you want to hit the twisties, you know what to choose!

3. Maruti Suzuki Swift – 12.12 seconds

This has been one of the highest selling hatchbacks in the Indian market and is deemed as one of the sportiest and the fastest hatchbacks. Sadly, it ranks just third on our list. But, to its advantage, it is the lightest of them all thanks to the new Heartect platform which helps it change directions faster and also brake quicker. This should certainly make it faster around the racetrack!

4. Honda Jazz – 12.15 seconds

The Honda Jazz is sometimes called the Innova of the hatchbacks. And that is because of the amount of cabin space this sub-four metre hatch packs. Sadly it doesn’t offer the magic seats anymore, but the 99bhp i-Dtec diesel engine does weave some spells. It takes just 0.03 seconds more than the Swift despite being almost 40 per cent bigger! 

5. Maruti Suzuki Baleno – 12.65 seconds

Maruti does make light cars and this is why the Baleno deserves a mention here. Of course, it has the same 74bhp setup as the Swift. Also like the Swift, the Baleno is also quite low on horsepower when compared to the competition, but the gearing, combined with the light weight makes it properly fast.

We also have the Hyundai Elite i10 (12.85 seconds) that trails the Baleno by just 0.2 seconds in spite of being heavier. The Grand i10 is almost two whole seconds slower with a 0-100kmph dash in 14.83 seconds followed by the Toyota Liva at 15.60 seconds. Finally, the little economy hatchback, the Tiago, with its 1.05-litre turbodiesel manages the sprint in 17.26 seconds.