When in the market to buy a vehicle, there are limited primary aspects people are mostly after. For instance, usually, car buyers either look for safety, i.e a good set of safety features and a 4 and above global NCAP crash test rating is a bonus. Next, features include ventilated seats, sunroof (conventional or panoramic), digital instrument cluster, and others. And then there are the third kind of people that are after power and also seek the driving pleasure. For them, there are fairly limited vehicles in the market. So, let’s take a look at 14 of the most powerful cars that one can consider and cost under Rs. 20 Lakh (ex-showroom).
Depending upon the price and the body style the power of the cars may vary. Here are the 14 cars which have the among the most powerful engines in their segment.
Note: All the prices mentioned are ex-showroom prices. The prices of Volkswagen Virtus and Honda City Hybrid (*) are estimated prices. Both the brands have not launched the vehicle in India yet.
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Hyundai Grand i10 Nios (Rs. 7.89 Lakh)
Engine Specs
Engine 1.0-Litre Turbo Petrol Power 98bhp Torque 172Nm Starting with the hatchbacks, where lightweight combined with a powerful engine makes the most sense. And the most powerful affordable hatchback in India is the Grand i10 Nios. The i10 Nios comes with a 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine that is capable of generating a peak power of 100ps and 172Nm of peak torque.
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A lightweight car with a 100ps motor makes this hatch quite a fun car to drive. That said, i10 Nios shares this engine with other Hyundai’s lie Venue, Verna, and i20, but it sits in a different state of tune. That said, setting the power down on the wheels from the engine is a 5-speed manual transmission only, no automatic.
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Hyundai i20 (Rs. 8.79 Lakh)
Engine Specs
Engine 1.0-Litre Turbo Petrol Power 118bhp Torque 172Nm The next vehicle which is the most powerful in its segment is the Hyundai i20. If you are confused, the Hyundai i20 is a part of the premium hatchback segment that sits a notch above the Grand i10 Nios. Now, as the i20 shares the same powertrain, it gets the same 1.0-litre displacement with 3 cylinders, except the engine is a little more powerful.
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The motor in the i20 generates a peak power of 120ps and 172Nm of peak torque. Here, Hyundai offers an option of either a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT to choose from.
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Mahindra Thar (Rs. 13.53 Lakh)
Engine Specs
Engine 2.0-Litre Turbo Petrol Power 150ps Torque 300Nm Unexpectedly, the next vehicle on the powerful vehicles was a full-time off-roader, Mahindra Thar. With this new Thar, this off-roader has come forward by leaps and bounds, including engine and features on the inside. Talking about the engine, Thar comes with a new 2.0-litre m-Stallion turbo petrol engine.
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This mill is capable of generating a peak power of 150ps and 300Nm of peak torque. This new series of engines was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo. Also, many engines from this series power a couple of cars including Thar, and are expected to be present under the hood of many cars from the brand in the future.
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Mahindra XUV700 (Rs. 13.18 Lakh)
Engine Specs
Engine 2.0-Litre Turbo Petrol, mStallion Power 197bhp Torque 350Nm The next vehicle is the other SUV from Mahindra that comes with the same 2.0-litre turbo petrol m-Stallion engine, XUV700. However, the one in the Mahindra XUV700 has a different state of tune. The one here generates a whopping, 197bhp. This makes the XUV700, not just the biggest but also the most powerful SUV in at this price point.
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Also, when comparing ex-showroom prices, strangely the XUV700 is about Rs. 35,000 cheaper than Thar. Moving further, this engine in XUV700 produces 380Nm of peak torque and comes mated to either a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed automatic transmission (Torque Converter).
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Tata Harrier/Tata Safari (Rs.14.64 Lakh / Rs.15.25 Lakh)
Engine Specs
Engine 2.0-Litre Turbo Diesel, Kryotec Power 168bhp Torque 350Nm Moving on, we have the Tata Safari and the Tata Harrier. The Tata duo is the only combination here on the list that supports only a powerful diesel engine and does not have an option of a petrol motor. That said, both the cars look and feel almost the same behind the wheel, after all both share a ton of things on the outside and the inside
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That said, under the hood of the cars comes a 2.0-litre Kryotec engine that pushes 168bhp of max power and 350Nm of peak torque. Although both the cars come with a capable and AWD compatible chassis, still there is no AWD drivetrain on offer. So, a 6-speed MT or a 6-speed AT (Torque Converter) transfers the power from the engine to only the front wheels.
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Kia Seltos/Hyundai Creta (Rs. 15.85 Lakh /Rs. 15.42 Lakh)
Engine Specs
Engine 1.4-Litre Turbo Petrol, T-GDi Power 138bhp Torque 242Nm The next duo on the list to share the same powertrain are the Kia Seltos and the Hyundai Creta. Nevertheless, it was the Seltos that introduces us to the powerful 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine. This engine generates a respectable 138 bhp and 242Nm of peak torque.
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Well, both the cars have the engine with the exact same power and torque specs, however, the transmission choices vary. If you want is a manual, then Seltos is the only vehicle in the duo to support a 6-Speed manual transmission. But if it is an automatic that you are after, both the SUVs have the same 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox.
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Skoda Kushaq/Volkswagen Taigun (Rs. 17.18 Lakh / Rs. 15.40 Lakh)
Engine Specs
Engine 1.5-Litre Turbo Petrol, TSI Power 148bhp Torque 250Nm Giving the Korean SUVs an impressive competition are the vehicles from the house of Germans, the Volkswagen Taigun and the Skoda Kushaq. Like the Koreans these too share the same platform as well as many features on the inside. Additionally, both the compact SUVs have the same 1.5-litre TSI motor that is also turbocharged. This engine generated 148bhp of max peak power and delivers a max torque of 250Nm.
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Even though both the vehicles share the same engine, they have slightly different power and torque curve. Meaning, behind the wheel both have a little different throttle response and power delivery. Additionally, VW also has cylinder deactivation tech that gives Taigun an edge over the Skoda in mileage on highways. Skoda and Volkswagen both offer SUVs with a 7-Speed DSG and also a 6-speed MT.
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Volkswagen Virtus/Skoda Slavia ( Rs. 15.5 Lakh* / Rs. 16.19 Lakh )
Engine Specs
Engine 1.5-Litre Turbo Petrol, TSI Power 148bhp Torque 250Nm Similar to the SUVs, from Skoda and Volkswagen, the sedans also follow the exact same pattern. Firstly, both the cars, Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia are based on the same MQB-AO-IN platform. Not just that, both come with the same engines as their SUV counterparts. In other words, these are the two most powerful sedans that one can buy under Rs. 20 Lakh (ex-showroom).
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Coming to the important part, under the bonnet of these sedans rests a 1.5-litre turbo petrol TSI motor. This engine generates peak power of 148bhp and 250Nm of ultimate torque. And for the gearbox, both have an option of a 5-speed manual as well as a 7-speed DSG.
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Honda City Hybrid (Rs. 20 Lakh*)
Engine Specs
Engine 1.5-Litre Naturally Aspirated Petrol, Atkinson cycle, i-VTEC + Electric Motor Power 98bhp & 109ps Torque 127Nm & 253Nm By far the most advanced car in terms of technology on the list has to be the Honda City Hybrid. As of now, Honda has just unveiled this vehicle and the prices are still unknown. But if we have to guess, the prices will somewhere be around Rs. 20 Lakh (ex-showroom). But how is this in the most powerful cars you may ask? Well, like a typical hybrid, this City comes with a 1.5-litre engine as well as a battery that powers an electric motor.
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Coming to power, the engine running on the Atkinson cycle generates a modest 98 bhp of peak power and 127Nm of torque. And this is not the only powertrain it has. On the other hand, the electric motor generates 109ps of power and 253Nm of peak torque. As of now, the company has not revealed the combined power output but according to testing, this City is a little faster from 0-100kmph than the conventional City. Also, the City Hybrid can do 0-100 sprints in a little under 10 seconds.
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Jeep Compass (Rs. 18.03 Lakh)
Engine Specs
Engine 1.3-Litre Turbo Petrol, TSI Power 161bhp Torque 250Nm The last vehicle on the list if the Jeep Compass. Compass in India comes with a couple of powertrain options, a diesel and turbo petrol. It is the diesel that is more powerful, but the turbo petrol is relatively more affordable. The Jeep Compass comes with a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel.
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The petrol motor generates peak power of 161 bhp and 250Nm of peak torque, which is impressive considering the engine size. On the other hand, the diesel generates a max power of 168bhp and 350Nm of peak torque. Although both the engines are offered with an automatic gearbox, those are the 6-speed MT that sits under Rs. 20 Lakh (ex-showroom).
So, these were the 15 cars in India that come with a powerful motor. Well, there are more cars that are powerful, so let us know in the comment section, that should come under part 2 of this list.
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Should have included Nissan Kicks Turbo 1.3 Petrol, with 154 Bhp and 254 Nm torque. The most powerful car in under Rs. 14 Lacs
Hi Himanshu
Thanks for writing in
We will definitely include that in the part 2!