7 Well-Engineered Hatchbacks In India You Can Go For

Here in India carmakers generally research and design cars for a specific purpose. Meaning their hands are tied to deliver the product for the Indian audience. At times to stand out in the crowd these engineers go the extra mile to deliver something that is not very usual. These are the well-engineered vehicles we are after. So, today we’ll look at 7 hatchbacks that we think are well-engineered.

1. Hyundai Santro
   

   Starting with the car from the Korean brand, we have the Hyundai Santro. Why well-engineered you may ask? Santro is the cheapest vehicle to get a 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine. This means the NVH levels considering the price are spot on.

   

   Moreover, the exhaust of the small hatch is just mind-boggling. Also, cars also backfire making those city commutes even more entertaining. In the end, to target the right audience, Hyundai offers Santro with factory fitted CNG which is a plus in these rising petrol prices.

2. Tata Tiago
   

   Nowadays, the Indian carmaker Tata has encouraged people to consider safety while buying a vehicle. The perfect example is the Tata Tiago. Also, it is the Tiago that is the cheapest vehicle from the company’s line-up. Still, with a relatively low price tag, Tata Tiago managed to score a respectable 4-star rating in the Global NCAP crash test.

   

   But that’s not it, under the hood the hatchback comes with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that pushes 85ps and 113Nm of peak torque. Although the NVH levels are not that great but the motor is fairly fuel-efficient.

3. Maruti Suzuki Ignis
   

   The list would have been missing an important part if it weren’t for Maruti Suzuki Ignis. The hatchback that offers the perfect bang for your buck no compromise, is Ignis. Be it features, interiors, or the powertrain or drivetrain, the Maruti Ignis is possibly one of the best vehicles at its price.

   

   The cheery on the case is the local and JDM parts that can take the ownership experience to the skies. Under the hood, the Ignis comes with a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that pushes 82ps of max power and 113Nm of peak torque. Maruti also offers Ignis with an AMT for the tiring city rides.

4. Maruti Suzuki Swift
   

   The oldest car to exist on this list is the famous Maruti Suzuki Swift. There surely is a definite reason being the Swift’ success in India. Kudos to Maruti that they updated this hatchback periodically with the latest update at the beginning of 2021. In 2021, Maruti gave the Swift a more powerful engine and a couple of features on the inside. But the primary reason for Swift to exist on this list is its engine.

   

   The new motor is a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that is capable of generating 89ps of max power and 113Nm of peak torque. Where power figures are class-leading, so are the fuel efficiency figures. Though not tested yet, Maruti Suzuki Dzire with the same powertrain and drivetrain delivers about 28-30kmpl. With Swift being a smaller and lighter vehicle we expect it to make a little more.

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5. Ford Figo
   

   The car from the American carmaker that a petrolhead or a car guy is always on the lookout for is the Ford Figo. Despite making well-engineered vehicles, in India, Ford with its modern vehicles didn’t get the deserved attention. Speaking of which, Ford Figo is currently the cheapest Ford you can buy right now. To know why we place this vehicle in the well-engineered hatchback, you’d have to get behind the wheel of one.

   

   Figo with its precise and sporty dynamics with the segment MOST powerful engine makes the perfect track + city car. Now with the addition of an automatic transmission, it is even more tempting for city use. Under the hood, Ford comes powered by a 1.2-Litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that generates 95bhp and 119Nm of peak torque.

6. Volkswagen Polo
   

   Talking about another hatchback that comes with a gem engine is the Volkswagen Polo. Again, Polo is among the hatchbacks that the petrolheads enjoy driving. The icing on the cupcake is the N-number of customizations that this hatchback is compatible with.

   

   In the BS6 avatar, the Polo came in with a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine that is capable of churning 110ps of max power and 175Nm of peak torque. This makes the vehicle *THE* fastest accelerating hatch in its segment.

7. Hyundai i20
   

   The hatchback that always is considered the benchmark for premium hatchbacks is the Hyundai i20. Over the years, Hyundai has updated this expensive hatch with all the latest gadgets and gizmos. Now in the latest iteration, the hatchback comes with a zillion features that are first in the segment. These include comforting features as well as safety features.

   

   Some of the features that the new Hyundai i20 possess are a premium Bose sound system, sunroof, tyre pressure monitoring system, all-digital instrument cluster and more. On the powertrain part, the Hyundai i20 comes with a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine that generates peak power of 120ps and 172 Nm of torque, which is again in class-leading.