10 European-Spec Hatchbacks We would love to see in India!

Indian automotive market has become the fourth largest in the world. Automakers across the world want to try and capture some share in this budding economy. New companies such as Kia have taken the market by storm. Some such as Citroen are still evaluating the land for their cars. Amidst all this, which are the hatchbacks that we would love to see in India, especially the European-spec. Let’s take a look.

1. Kia Ceed

   

   We started the talk with Kia, so let’s keep talking about it. The Korean automaker made its entry at our shores with Seltos. The rest is the history we all are well aware of. So, why won’t we want more cars from Kia in our country? Ceed is one of the best selling hatchbacks in Europe. This hatchback in its European form is offered with 3 petrol options and 1 diesel option. Let’s take a brief look at the options.

   Kia Ceed | Engine Specs
   Engine	1.0 T-GDi ISG	1.4 T-GDi ISG	1.6 T-GDi ISG	1.6 CRDi ISG	(134 BHP) 1.6 CRDi ISG
   Power@rpm	118hp@6,000	138hp@6,000	201hp@6,000	114hp@4,000	134hp@@4,000
   Torque@rpm	172Nm@1,500-4,000	242Nm@1,500-3,200	265Nm	280Nm@1,500-2,750	280Nm@1,500-3,000
   Transmission	6-speed Manual	MT (6-speed) / 7-speed DCT	6-speed MT	MT (6-speed)	MT (6-speed) / 7-speed DCT

   Kia Ceed does offer a lot of engine options. The European-spec hatchback comes with features such as 8-inch touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, reverse parking camera, cruise control, 4 airbags, electronic parking brake, rear AC vents and much more right from the base variant. We cannot expect to get all of these features if launched in India, but still, Kia Ceed is a good hatch for sure.

2. Suzuki Swift Sport

   

   You might be wondering why is the Swift on the list? We already have Maruti Suzuki Swift in India. Right? Well, the European spec Swift, first of all, is a lot safer. The Indian Swift has scored a 2-star rating while the Euro-spec gets a 3-star rating at the Global NCAP. It also gets a 1.4-litre BoosterJet petrol engine. This powerhouse is capable of producing 129hp of power and a peak torque of 235Nm. It comes paired to a 6-speed Manual transmission. Now, that’s some performance spec we would love to see from some Maruti, here in India.

3. Ford Focus

   

   It is the hatchback from Ford that has been a prominent player in the European market for a long time. The family hatch is affordable, powerful and efficient. It is offered with two engine options: a 1.0-litre Ecoboost which produces 100ps of power while the 1.5-litre Ecoboost which produces 182ps. Like the other cars on the list, Focus also offers a lot of features such as an 8-inch touchscreen, heated steering wheel, blind spot information, panorama sunroof, hands-free tailgate and this list is a long one. We will surely dwell more into the car once Ford launches the Focus in India. Are you listening? Ford?

4. Vauxhall Astra

   

   This European automaker is not new to India. You might say that where is the company then? Where is their car? Not many of you might know, but India’s very own muscle car, the HM Contessa was based on Vauxhall’s VX series. The car we are talking about today is the Astra, a hatchback from the European carmaker. Under the hood, it gets 3 versions of a 1.2-litre 3-cyl turbo petrol engine in tunes of 110hp, 130hp and 143hp. It also gets a 1.4-litre petrol unit producing 143hp. For those who want a diesel option, it has 1.5-litre turbo-diesel which churns out 105/120hp. On the feature end, it also gets such as 7-inch infotainment system, pedestrian detection, reverse camera, heated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, automatic lighting control and so on. European cars do have a load of features to offer!

5. Peugeot 208

   

   The European carmaker offers a 1.2-litre Puretech petrol engine and a 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel engine. The petrol one is offered in two tunes, 100ps and 130ps. The diesel one produces 100ps. It comes equipped with cruise control, ABS with EBD, parking sensors, dual airbags, side airbags, traction control, ISOFIX child seat anchors, electric power windows and much more. The hatchback looks good and performs well, it can really do great if launched in India.

6. Citroen C3

   

   We all are well aware that Citroen is going to launch its first car in 2021. It has already been testing its cars on our roads. We do expect the company to launch the C3 hatchback here. It is offered with two engine options, a 1.2-litre PureTech petrol unit and a 1.5 BlueHDi diesel one. The petrol unit produces 110hp while the diesel engine produces 102hp. It also offers a decent number of features such as 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, rear parking sensors, ABS with EBD and so on. We know that the company is surely going to launch vehicles in India, C3 can be a good option.

7. Renault Clio

   

   A hatchback that has been running from the past 30 years, and still manages to ignore our shores! Many of you might have seen the Clio while playing the NFS Most Wanted. Now, I am not saying that Renault should bring the V6 version in India, don’t put words in my mouth. The current European spec offers 3 petrol units: an SCe 75 producing 75hp, TCe 100 producing 100hp and a TCe 130 FAP EDC which produces 130hp. The transmission option ranges from 5-speed manual gearbox to a 7-speed DCT. The peppy car gets good engine options with plenty of features.

8. Subaru Impreza

   

   This Japanese automaker offers a hatchback in Europe that has had a good share of sales on the continent. Impreza, under its hood, gets a 2.0-litre 4 cylinder engine producing 152hp of power. That is huge, considering that Impreza is a hatchback. The company claims that it is built to last. 97% of Impreza sold in the past 10 years still run on the roads, with ease. Hey Subaru, why don’t you test this hatch on our roads?

9. Hyundai i30

   

   South Korean’s i-series has already been a success story in India. i10 and i20 have been setting the hatchback segment on fire since their inception. Why not step up the game and add the i30 to the lineup too? The European i30 gets 3 engine options, a 1.0-litre T-GDi, 1.4-litre T-GDi and a 1.6-litre CRDi. Being from Hyundai, it offers a plethora of features too. Take a look at the features list here.

10. Kia Niro

    

    We started with Kia, we end with Kia. Last on the list is the Kia Niro. The company says, “There’s nothing like Niro!” The hybrid vehicle gets a PHEV setup which gets 1.6-litre GDi which produces 104hp alone while the whole system produces 139hp. The Euro-spec gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen system, 8-speaker JBL Premium Sound System, blind spot detection, heated and ventilated front seats, heated ORVMs, in short, is feature-loaded.

So, this was our list of hatchbacks from Europe that should come to India. Are there some cars that you would like to suggest? Let us know in the comments section below.