10 Best New 2017 Hatchbacks For India

2016 Renault Kwid

Launch: November, 2015
Price: Rs. 3 to 4 lakhs
Engine: 3 cylinder, 799cc
Power: 54 PS at 5678 rpm
Torque: 72 Nm at 4386 rpm
Competitors: Maruti Alto 800

SUV inspired Renault Kwid is the latest entrant in Hatchback segment which has all the ammunition to take on the market leader’s Alto 800. It is however a very optimistic take of the company as Alto sales alone surpasses the sales of all the Renault’s model put together i.e Fluence, Lodgy, Scala and Koleo. Company is not positioning this car as compact SUV as people would start looking for features and space but small car or “A” segment is the right fit for this vehicle. The black plastic cladding, muscular looking grille, big fog lamps, good looking tail lamps, macho looking bonnet and many such features which gives a feel of SUV. Other notable features includes its ground clearance which stands at 180mm its 150/80 tyres and big 13 inch wheels.

Inside cabin the infotainment system is another premium feature that has navigation too. This feature is not present on any other car in its price bracket or even in lot of premium hatchbacks. Kwid engine is powered by 799cc 3 cylinder engine that punched out peak power of 54 PS at 5678 rpm and maximum torque of 72 Nm at 4386 rpm. The killer feature is its mileage that is 25.17kmpl according to Arai fuel economy rating. The low kerb weight of 660 kg might be the real reason for this high mileage. 80% of the maximum torque produced at 4386rpm is achieved at 1200 rpm which makes it an ideal city car.

Mac Pherson Strut in front and Twist beam suspension at rear is well integrated to the frame and gives a very smooth ride primarily in the mid speed ranges. The car could take up bumps and bad roads at ease. Due to the effective suspension and fun drive it can be easily termed as driver’s car. The biggest difficulty Renault is going to face with the car is lack of brand value and availability of service center. I think if you are planning to go for a small car then you must give it a try.

2016 Tata Nano Twist Active

Launch: 2015
Price: Rs. 250,000
Engine: 0.6 Petrol
Competitors: Maruti Alto 800

Every year Tata comes out with an update for Nano but it is different this year. In 2015 Nano Twist Active is going to get a big facelift. Lot of significant updates is coming both under the hood and interiors. The car is going to come with an option of Automatic gearbox AMT. This is going to much similar to the one fitted in Zest. The other updates include opening tailgate and facelift for interiors. All these are bound to come with increase in price but that is not going to change its stand on the cheapest automatic car. The price is estimated to be around Rs. 2.5 lakh. The engine would be of 0.6 l petrol.

2016 Ford Figo

Launch: 2015 end
Price: Rs. 450,000 to Rs. 650,000
Engine: 1.2 Petrol & 1.5 Diesel
Competitors: Hyundai i10 Grand, Maruti Swift

In line with Maruti Swift and Swift Dezire, Ford is coming up with new Ford Figo and Figo+. Figo is going to be similar to Figo+ minus boot space. Figo+ is expected to be launched before the Figo. Ford is going to place this new car aggressively against Maruti Swift and Hyundai i10 Grand. The car is going to come with 1.2 l petrol and 1.5 l diesel engine. The price is estimated to be around Rs. 4.5 to Rs. 6.5 lakh. The current Figo on road is based on hatchback Fiesta that is primarily sold in Europe. The all new version of the car is going to be based on the current Fiesta. This car is already on roads in Brazil but is expected to arrive in India by end of 2015.

2016 Maruti Celerio Diesel

Launch: 2015 end
Price: Rs. 400,000 to Rs. 500,000
Engine: 0.8 Diesel
Competitors: Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo

Celerio with its AMT automatic gearbox is a great hit and going by the popularity of the car, Maruti has planned to launch the diesel variant for the same. This car is going to be fitted with smallest diesel engine and of course its low cost automatic gears. The diesel engine fitted in the car is going to be developed by the company in-house and will not be a Fiat engine as earlier. The engine is not going to be that powerful but with the price tag I am sure nobody is going to complain. Celerio diesel is going to be fitted with 0.8l diesel engine and is expected to cost around Rs. 4-5 lakh. The car is expected to be launched by the end of 2015.

2016 Tata Bolt

Launch: 2014 end
Price: Rs, 500,000 to Rs. 600,000
Engine: 1.2 Petrol, 1.3 Diesel
Competitors: Maruti Swift, Hyundai i10 Grand

By now you might already know about this car first seen in 2014 February Auto Expo. Bolt is highly based on Indica Vista platform but as there is huge updates this might be considered as all new version. The car is completely re-engineered and shares only chassis and shape with Vista. The new car is going to come with better handling and comfort with lot of new equipments. The interior is also going to be far better than the old Vista. The AMT automatic gearbox is not likely to be included in Bolt. 2015 Tata Bolt is going to come with both diesel and petrol variants. It is going to be fitted with 1.2 l turbo petrol engine (Revtron) and 74 bhp Quadrajet diesal engine. The expected price is going to be around Rs. 5-6 lakhs.

2016 Datsun Redi-Go

Launch: 2016
Price: Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 400,000
Engine: 0.8 Petrol
Competitors: Hyundai Santro, Maruti Alto 800

This car is going to give a tough fight to Hyundai Santro and Maruti Alto 800 due to its aggressive pricing. All cars for this model will be priced below Rs. 4 lakh. 2015 Datsun Redi-Go will be based on the concept car that was unveiled in February 2014 Auto Expo. The car has big wheelbase (2350mm) which shows the type of cabin space one could expect. It is going to give a crossover like appearance and lot of Indian buyers are going to love it. The car is going to be fitted with 0.8l 3-cylinder petrol engine. Datsun Redi-Go is going to come with dealers in the beginning of 2016 with a price tag of Rs. 3-4 lakhs.

2016 Honda Jazz

Launch: 2014 end
Price: Rs. 600,000 to Rs. 800,000
Engine:1.2 Petrol, 1.3 Diesel
Competitors: Volkswagen Polo GT, Hyundai i20

We all know that Honda Jazz has great cabin space but with this all new 2015 Honda Jazz expect that to increase further. It seems like i20 is going to face a stiff competition from new Jazz. The highlight will be primarily its pricing as it is going to be cost between Rs. 6 to 8 lakh. The car is going to come in both petrol and diesel variants and will be fitted with 1.5 l diesel engine that is going to give 99bhp power. The petrol variant would have 1.2 l i-VTEC petrol engine.

2016 Tata Kites

Launch: 2015 end
Price: Rs. 400,000 to Rs. 500,000
Engine: 1.2 Petrol, 1.4 Diesel
Competitors: Chevrolet Beat, Hyundai i10, Maruti Celerio

Tata is coming up with yet another all new Tata Kites which is going to be competing with Zest and Bolt. This car is going to be based on highly successful Indica platform which is going to be completely re-engineered. It would have both hatchback and compact sedan versions. It would not be directly competing with the other 2 mentioned cars directly but would be placed just below it and above Nano. Kites is expected to have great exterior and attractive interiors. The quality of interior is going to be greatly improved and will come with highly tuned suspension for better handling and comfort. The interior space for kites is going to be bigger than other 3. It is most likely to be launched in end of 2015 with an estimated price tag of 4 to 5 lakh and will be available in 1.2 l petrol and 1.4 l diesel engine.

Top 5 most Sold Hatchbacks in India (as per November 2014 Data)

When it comes to sales the market leader Maruti leads the chart with top 3 positions while the next 3 comes from number 2 when it comes to sales in India, Hyundai.