Over the past decade, The Hatchback segment has witnessed tremendous growth in terms of utility and safety features offered. The engine performances have also gone a notch higher. Hatchbacks now are not the same undersized machines, which used to excel only on the mileage front, and used to be short on essential features.
The cut-throat competition between manufacturers and rapid progress on the technology front, (thanks to bulk spending on R&D) has meant that customers are getting bang for every single buck that they pay. With a number of options to choose from, Indian buyers now have more options than ever.
Over the last decade, luxuries that the most premium cars in the hatchback section offers have changed drastically. I mean, no one would have dreamt of enjoying the utility of a parking camera, a floating infotainment system that helps in easy the navigating with voice-guided assistance, or even getting safety features like EBD and ABS as standard for that matter, that too in the budget segment.
Although the cars across the different price segments have seen a great growth, hatchback section deserves a special mention not just because of a restricted budget but it is also important to note that Indians love hatchbacks.
Let us script the top 5 players in the Indian hatchback segment under 10 Lakhs, which will surely help, in case you are planning to drive one home.
Hyundai I20
The pioneer of the premium hatchback segment in India, i20 when launched in 2008. i20 was the Hyundai's answer to the only prominent player in the segment then – Suzuki Swift. The Hyundai i20 got off to a blazing start and there has been no looking back after that.
Though Hyundai's premium offering boasts of a number of USP's long feature list, comfortable seats and rides (thanks to a decent suspension), its stand-out feature has to be its upmarket styling, Now with the introduction of a smooth CVT transmission, i20 is all set to up the ante.
To nitpick, one can say that its mileage (claimed-18.6 kmpl) is a bit of a letdown if one considers the fact that its arch-rival Baleno has great mileage.
Also, It is priced a bit on the higher side. Its top petrol variant costs almost equal to the top diesel variants of its rivals Altroz. Despite this, Hyundai has always managed to sell i20 in good numbers and it remains in the top 10 charts every month.
| Engine | 1.2L Petrol | 1.4L Diesel (Discontinued Now) |
| Power | 83 bhp | 89 bhp |
| Torque | 113 nm | 217 nm |
Power and Torque figures of Hyundai Elite i20
Maruti Suzuki Baleno
Maruti Suzuki Nexa's Baleno is the highest selling premium hatchback. Its launch in 2016, gave birth to the El Classico of premium hatchback segment, the i20 Vs Baleno debate. It has always been a burning topic, with updates and facelifts only rekindling the discussion.
Without taking anything away from the Baleno, India's trust in Maruti Suzuki as a brand has to be the primary reason behind Baleno's success. Add to which the decent list of features that Baleno has, a good to drive petrol engine and a generous amount of legroom at the back, the premium hatchback has been people's favourite for a reason.
Though Baleno is a near-perfect package, it fails to match i20's mettle, due to a bouncy suspension system and sub-par quality interiors. An interesting fact being that i20 scores heavily on both these fronts.
| Engine | 1.2L Petrol | 1.2L Dual JET Dual VVT Petrol | 1.3L DDiS Diesel (Now Discontinued) |
| Power | 83 bhp | 89 bhp | 74 bhp |
| Torque | 115 nm | 113 nm | 190 nm |
Power and Torque figures of Maruti Suzuki Baleno
Tata Altroz
Tata's new offering also happens to be the latest entry into the premium hatchback segment. Developed on Tata's ALFA ARC platform, this eye-catching beast from Tata 2.0 Design philosophy provides them with all the reasons to hold their heads high.
Right from its attractive styling to 5 star NCAP crash test rating, Altroz has hit the ball out of the park on a number of parameters. With segment-first features like 90-degree wide-opening doors, mood lighting, Harman Kardon's infotainment & sound system, Altroz is a strong entrant capable of giving a tough time to established players like I20 and Baleno.
Altroz, did set the bars high with its stylish design and body. But on the engine refinement and performance front, its 1.2 litres, 3-cylinder Tiago sourced engine does an underwhelming job. Diesel also lacks proper pedal feedback and behaves like dealing with Turbo leg.
| Engine | 1.2L Petrol | 1.5L Diesel |
| Power | 85 bhp | 89 bhp |
| Torque | 113 nm | 200 nm |
Power and Torque figures of Tata Altroz
Ford Freestyle
Launched about a couple of years back, the Ford Freestyle is the unluckiest premium hatchback or the CUV (whats company calls it). Its sales figure does not justice to its class. Although Ford's CUV (Compact utility vehicle) is based on the hatchback Figo, a number of design tweaks on the exterior make sure that Freestyle looks different.
Freestyle resembles stylish and distinct, thanks to aggressive design features like under-body plastic cladding, faux skid plates on both front and rear and an aggressively designed front. Freestyle USP definitely lies in the long list of first in segment safety features like Side and Curtain airbags, Traction control system (TCS) and Active Roll-over preventions.
The Freestyle has the best performing engine in the premium hatchback space. While the petrol unit produces impressive power figures of 94.68 HP and 120 N-m torque, The diesel engine in the Freestyle tops even the petrol producing peak power figures of 98.63 HP and 215 N-m torque.
The only reason that can be attributed to Freestyle's failure is that it is not the most flashy of the cars in the segment. Though it is equipped with all the essential features, absence of fancy utilities like Push-button start, and rear AC vents, seems the most plausible explanation for Freestyle's below-par sales numbers.
| Engine | 1.2L Petrol | 1.5L Diesel |
| Power | 95 bhp | 99 bhp |
| Torque | 119 nm | 215 nm |
Power and Torque figures of Ford Freestyle
Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS
The only non-premium hatchback on the list, Grandi10 NIOS has carved a niche for itself in the Indian market. Post its launch, it has been able to put up a strong fight against established cars like the Swift and Tiago.
Like all the Hyundai cars, NIOS scores well on the styling front. It is wider than its predecessor Grand i10, which gives it a dynamic front stance and the side profile also looks stylish with blacked-out design elements on C-pillar. It also sports a long list of utility features including an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless charging, iBlue audio remote and voice-assisted guidance etc.
With the recently launched CNG version on the Magna and Sportz variant, NIOS will only strengthen its sales game.
| Engine | 1.2L Petrol | 1.2L Diesel |
| Power | 83 bhp | 74 bhp |
| Torque | 113 nm | 190 nm |
Power and Torque figures of Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS
