Hey, this is my debut article on Indian Car Landscape & hopefully will inspire me to write many more articles related to Indian car industry. The common dream of every common man / woman in India is to own at least one car in his / her lifetime. Hatch back is the starting segment in India & interests most of the first time car buyers in India. Hatch back cars are those cars which do not have extended boot & are generally smaller in length compared to sedans. They are available in the price bracket of any where between 1.5 lakhs to 4.5 lakhs. This article tries to cover current Indian Hatchback Cars Landscape & should help you to make a short list of hatchback cars which you want test drive before you finalise on your probably first car.
Tata Nano
Available currently only in petrol, diesel variant of the same is expected soon from Tata. Really a first car to which ideally any two-wheeler rider should be upgrading to. Available in the range of 1.5 lakhs to 2.5 lakhs, Nano is the cheapest car available in India. Bajaj is also planning to launch a car in this price segment soon.
Maruti 800
Iconic car which fulfilled a common man's car owning dream at one point of time is now ageing & sales of the same are on decline month on month. With so many options available with a price difference of about 50 K - 75 K in this range, many people are now opting for a more modern & fresh looking car.
Maruti Alto
Highest selling hatch back in the country is the most popular amongst the mass. Good mileage, lower maintenance cost, reasonable spare part cost & excellent resale value makes this car so popular in this segment. Hyundai has recently launched Eon as a competitor to Alto & wants to claim No. 1 spot from Alto in a short period. Available with 2 petrol engine options: 800 CC & 1100 CC this car offers the required compactness in any Indian city. Also available in alternate fuel (CNG) in 800 CC avatar for eco & pocket friendliness.
Hyundai Eon
Recently launched Eon is capturing the market very fast & makes Maruti nervous about losing No. 1 highest selling car every month spot to Hyundai which it claimed for so many years. Eon is modern, stylish & compact city car with features that are available in the segment above. Maintenance cost & spare part cost parameters will decide the fait of this car in future, but this car has managed to start very well & is bang on target to claim No. 1 spot from Maruti Alto. Should be available soon with alternate fuel (LPG) option.
Hyundai Santro
It was launched by Hyundai to compete with Maruti 800 & Alto. This car is ageing now & with Eon & i10 options available from Hyundai's family itself, people are opting for other options. This car is also available with alternate fuel (CNG + LPG).
Chevrolet Spark
Remodelled Matiz, Spark has gained popularity in the market due to its size, comfort, price & Chevrolet's 3 years service promise. Available in powerful (compared to 800 CC Nano, Alto, Santro & Eon) 1 litre petrol engine, this car truely offers value for money. Only downside is resale value is not as good as Maruti or Hyundai cars. Also available in alternate fuel (LPG) to save your self from petrol price rise shock every now & then.
Maruti Zen Estilo
Maruti replaced previous generation Zen with Zen Estilo model without managing to create similar success which last generation Zen enjoyed. Low acquiring cost, low service cost & Maruti's brand realiability has made this car sustain in this market. Also available in altertinate fuel (CNG) to make it more pocket friendly.
Maruti Wagon R
Wagon R or also known as blue eyed boy is very popular amongst masses since it ticks most of the parameters that people look for while making a hatch back purchase decision. High seating position which gives you a better view of the road in front is a boon in city traffic conditions. ABS + Airbags option is available in top end model. This car is also available in alternate fuel (CNG + LPG) options.
Maruti A-Star
Launched by Maruti to attract more youngsters to Maruti brand, this car also offers ABS option in top end model. Available with trendy stickers spanning across bonnet & doors to make this car look funky. This car is also available in automatic transmission which gives complete relief to your left hand & leg while driving within the city traffic conditions.
Hyundai i10
i10 changed Indian hatchback's landscape when it was launched. Masses accepted this car with both the arms open & allowed Hyundai to strenghen the position against Maruti in Indian car market. This car is also available in automatic transmission in petrol variants. In manual transmission also available is the alternate fuel (LPG) option.
Chevrolet Beat
Stylish, modern & chic, this car offers many features which are offered for the first time in this segment including climate control (auto AC). Available also in small but torque diesel engine, it offers more engine choice to the customer. Many color shades (including florocent options) are also available. This car is also available in alternate fuel (LPG) option.
Ford Figo
Figo became instant hit amongst the hatchback prospective customers due to its pricing vis-a-vis features offered in the car. Figo is a solidly built car with great driving dynamics & comforts inside. Available in petrol as well as popular fuel efficient & bullet proof diesel (1.3 litre from Fiesta Classic) options, this car is managing to get the much needed volumes for Ford.
Tata Indica
Famous amongst tourist operators, Tata has managed to keep Indica alive for more than a decade now by regularly making changes to the exeterior & interiors to the car. Due to this, it has created many problems for the people who stock Indica spare parts. They have to manage a big inventory of same parts for various models of Indica (Old, V2, Vista, new Vista etc). Available in 2 diesel engine options & 2 petrol engine options, no other car in this category gives you so many engine options for a model.
This sums up the various hatch back models currently available in Indian market. Keep watching this space for my next article on "Premium Hatch back" which should be out soon.
