10 Best small cars in India: Explore options, specs and price

Indian roads are crowded and always bustling with traffic, and small cars are the best option for daily commutes. The small vehicle's compact dimensions make it easy to drive and manoeuvre around traffic. That's one of the reasons why the Indian automobile market is popular for its budget-friendly small cars. Be it hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles); you can find models that are compact and small. In this article, let's look at the 10 best small cars in India.

Top 10 small cars in India

Below is the list of the top 10 small cars in India based on price, performance and mileage as of February 2022.

*Ex-showroom Delhi

**As per ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) rating

In the following sections, we dive deep into the specifications, features, and notable highlights of the small cars mentioned in the above table.

Below are more details along with the small car price in India.

1. Maruti Alto

Price: Rs. 3.15 lakhs to Rs. 4.82 lakhs

Key specifications

Refer to the table below for the key specs of the Maruti Alto.

Why should you buy a Maruti Alto?

• The Alto is one of the best-selling hatchbacks in India.

• It is also the smallest car in India by size in the hatchback segment.

• Despite its affordable price tag, the Maruti Alto gets a spacious interior.

• It also gets all the essential creature comfort and safety features.

• One of the highlights of Alto is its fuel-efficient petrol engine that delivers adequate power for daily commutes.

2. Maruti S-Presso

Price: Rs. 3.85 lakhs to Rs. 5.56 lakhs

Key specifications

Below are the key technical details of the Maruti S-Presso.

Why should you buy a Maruti S-Presso?

• The S-Presso is a micro-SUV with compact body dimensions.

• The exterior design is funky with premium elements such as the chrome treatment for the front grille.

• The interior design is also unique with its centre-mounted instrument cluster with a circular theme.

• The S-Presso comes loaded with features such as a touchscreen infotainment system and much more.

• The S-Presso is available in petrol and CNG variants.

3. Hyundai Santro

Price: Rs. 4.86 lakhs to Rs. 6.44 lakhs

Key specifications

Glance through the table below for the specifications of the Hyundai Santro.

Why should you buy a Hyundai Santro?

• The Santro is the entry-level small hatchback from Hyundai.

• The updated Santro gets Hyundai’s modern design language with the stylish cascading front grille.

• The car gets a neatly laid out dashboard, spacious rear seats and a host of creature comfort features like rear AC vents, etc.

• The hatchback also gets segment-first safety features such as a rear parking camera, and impact-sensing auto door unlock/lock.

• The Santro is available with a manual and an AMT gearbox.

4. Maruti Celerio

Price: Rs. 5.15 lakhs to Rs. 6.94 lakhs

Key specifications

Refer to the table below for Maruti Celerio’s key specifications.

Why should you buy a Maruti Celerio?

• The Maruti Celerio is a small compact hatchback.

• The updated avatar of the Celerior gets a new exterior design with redesigned front grille, bumpers and headlights.

• The hatchback gets an all-black interior with comfortable rear passenger seats.

• The car is loaded with features such as a touchscreen infotainment system, engine start/stop button, dual front airbags, etc.

• The Celerio is available with a 1-litre petrol engine with the choice of manual and AMT gearbox.

5. Maruti Wagon R

Price: Rs. 5.18 lakhs to Rs. 6.58 lakhs

Key specifications

Below are the specifications of the Maruti Wagon R.

Why should you buy a Maruti Wagon R?

• The Maruti Wagon R is one of the most popular hatchbacks in India.

• It features a tall boy exterior design, and the compact dimensions make it a perfect car for daily commutes.

• The tallboy design philosophy means that the cabin offers good headroom for the rear passengers.

• The hatchback comes with all the standard creature comfort and safety features.

• The Wagon R gets the powerful 1.2-litre engine along with the 1-litre engine.

6. Tata Tiago

Price: Rs. 5.19 lakhs to Rs. 7.64 lakhs

Key specifications

The table below denotes the key specs of the Tata Tiago.

Why should you buy a Tata Tiago?

• The Tiago is an entry-level small hatchback from the stable of Indian automaker Tata Motors.

• The hatchback sports the new Impact 2.0 design philosophy that gives an aggressive stance to the Tiago.

• The Tiago comes with a dual-tone interior with all the necessary features.

• It is also one of the safest hatchbacks in India, with all the essential safety equipment.

• The hatchback gets a powerful petrol engine with a manual and AMT gearbox.

7. Maruti Swift

Price: Rs. 5.90 lakhs to Rs. 8.63 lakhs

Key specifications

Glance through the table below for Maruti Swift’s technical details.

Why should you buy a Maruti Swift?

• The Swift is one of the most popular cars in the Indian market.

• The compact hatchback features a sporty exterior design with a blacked-out roof and sporty alloy wheels.

• The premium interior design complements the exterior of the car. It also comes with sporty elements such as a flat-bottom steering wheel.

• It also gets all the standard safety and creature comfort features.

• The Swift is available with a fuel-efficient petrol engine.

8. Tata Altroz

Price: Rs. 5.99 lakhs to Rs. 9.69 lakhs

Key specifications

Below are the key technical details of the Tata Altroz.

Why should you buy a Tata Altroz?

• The Tata Altroz is a sporty-looking premium hatchback.

• The car's exterior features sporty alloy wheels, projector headlamps, and sharp design lines.

• The hatchback's interior features a floating-island dashboard with a bunch of premium features.

• The main highlight of the Altrox is its safety. The car has an impressive 5-star safety rating from the G-NCAP (Global New Car Assessment Program) crash tests.

• The Altroz is available in both petrol and diesel variants.

9. Maruti Baleno

Price: Rs. 6.35 lakhs to Rs. 9.49 lakhs

Key specifications

You can glance through the table below for Maruti Baleno’s specifications.

Why should you buy a Maruti Baleno?

• The Baleno belongs to the premium hatchback segment.

• The exterior features a unique design with premium elements such as a chrome front grille, projector headlamps, diamond-cut alloy wheels etc.

• The car gets an elegant interior with a neatly laid out dashboard and spacious room for the rear passengers.

• The hatchback comes with all the essential safety equipment.

• The Baleno also gets the Idle Start Stop (ISS) system for enhanced fuel economy.

10. Hyundai i20

Price: Rs. 6.98 lakhs to Rs. 11.47 lakhs

Key specifications

Below are the technical details of the Hyundai i20.

Why should you buy a Hyundai i20?

• The Hyundai i20 is one of the sportiest premium hatchbacks in India.

• The car's exterior features a stylish cascading grille, LED DRLs and sporty alloy wheels.

• It is also one of the most feature-rich hatchbacks with equipment such as a sunroof, ambient lighting, sporty metal pedals, etc.

• The i20 also gets six airbags and a host of driver assistance features.

• The i20 is available with three engine options that offer a wide power output range.

As mentioned earlier, the Indian automotive market is known for its small cars. Covering all the best options in a top 10 list is impossible. So, below we have listed the notable options in the small car segment that could not fit into the above list.

Other notable small car options in India

1. Renault Kwid

Price: Rs. 4.24 lakhs to Rs. 5.80 lakhs

Key specifications

Below are the specifications of the Renault Kwid.

Why should you buy a Renault Kwid?

• The Renault Kwid is an entry-level hatchback with an SUV-like design.

• The exterior features design elements such as roof rails, body cladding, etc.

• The interior is simple and elegant, with plenty of room for the rear passengers.

• The Kwid comes loaded with all the essential safety and creature comfort features.

• The nimble petrol engines offer good performance for daily commutes.

2. Maruti Ignis

Price: Rs. 5.25 lakhs to Rs. 7.62 lakhs

Key specifications

Refer to the table below for the key specs of the Maruti Ignis.

Why should you buy a Maruti Ignis?

• The Ignis hatchback is a premium offering from Maruti Suzuki.

• It features a funky exterior design with U-shaped LED DRLs, roof rails and faux skid plates.

• The interior gets a dual-tone theme and can easily accommodate five people.

• The hatchback gets all the standard safety equipment.

• The powerful petrol engine offers peppy performance, and it is a fun-to-drive car, especially the manual gearbox variant.

3. Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

Price: Rs. 5.29 lakhs to Rs. 8.51 lakhs

Key specifications

Below are the key specifications of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios.

Why should you buy a Hyundai Grand i10 Nios?

• The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is one of the most premium-looking compact hatchbacks.

• The bold exterior design with sporty alloy wheels bumper-mounted LED DRLs renders a sporty look to the hatchback.

• The car gets a typical Hyundai interior loaded to the gill in terms of creature comfort features.

• The Grand i10 Nios also gets all the necessary safety features such as dual front airbags, ABS, etc.

• The hatchback is available with petrol and diesel engine options.

4. Tata Punch

Price: Rs. 5.64 lakhs to Rs. 8.98 lakhs

Key specifications

Glance through the table below to know the key specs of the Tata Punch.

Why should you buy a Tata Punch?

• The Tata Punch is a 5-seater micro-SUV.

• It is a premium-looking small car with design elements such as projector headlamps, LED DRLs, alloy wheels, etc.

• The interior is spacious and comes loaded with features such as automatic climate control, cooled glove box, floating touchscreen infotainment system, etc.

• It is one of the safest small cars in India, with a 5-star safety rating from the G-NCAP (Global New Car Assessment Program) crash tests.

• It is available with a powerful petrol engine mated to a manual or AMT gearbox.

5. Mahindra KUV100 NXT

Price: Rs. 6.15 lakhs to Rs. 7.81 lakhs

Key specifications

Below are the technical details of the Mahindra KUV100 NXT.

Why should you buy a Mahindra KUV100 NXT?

• The KUV100 NXT is a 6-seater micro-SUV.

• It sports a rugged exterior design with body cladding and faux skid plates.

• The interior is spacious with a unique flexible six-seater arrangement.

• The KUV100 NXT also gets standard safety features such as dual airbags, ABS, etc.

• The micro-SUV is available with a petrol engine mate to a manual gearbox.

6. Honda Jazz

Price: Rs. 7.71 lakhs to Rs. 9.95 lakhs

Key specifications

Refer to the table below for the specifications of the Honda Jazz.

Why should you buy a Honda Jazz?

• The Jazz is a premium hatchback from Honda.

• The exterior of the car sports a premium design with a chrome front grille, LED DRLs, etc.

• The interior gets all the essential features, including automatic climate control, engine start/stop button, etc.

• On the safety front, the Jazz gets dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, etc.

• The Jazz is available with a petrol engine mated to a manual or CVT automatic gearbox.

Small cars in India under Rs. 5 lakhs

Here are some of the best small cars in India that you can buy for under Rs. 5 lakhs.

Small cars in India under Rs. 3 lakhs

There are no small cars in India with a price tag of under Rs. 3 lakhs. The cheapest small car in India is the Maruti Alto, priced in the range of Rs. 3.15 lakhs to Rs. 4.82 lakhs.

Small electric cars in India

Below is the list of small EV cars in India.

*The driving range figures are per full charge and ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) testing results.

Small automatic (AMT) cars in India

Below are some of the best small automatic cars in India.

Small SUV cars in India

Below is the list of best small SUVs in India.

• Maruti S-Presso

• Tata Punch

• Mahindra KUV100 NXT

• Tata Nexon

• Hyundai Venue

• Kia Sonet

Small luxury cars in India

Here are the best small luxury cars available in India.

• Audi Q2

• Mini Countryman

• Mini Cooper Convertible

• Volvo XC40

Small diesel cars in India

Below is the list of diesel small cars available in India.

• Tata Altroz

• Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

• Hyundai i20

• Tata Nexon

• Hyundai Venue

• Kia Sonet

Safest small cars in India

Here are some of the safest small cars available in India.

• Tata Punch

• Tata Tiago

• Tata Altroz

• Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

• Hyundai i20

• Honda Jazz

• Tata Nexon

• Hyundai Venue

Upcoming small cars in India

Here are the upcoming small cars expected to be launched in India.

• Tata Tiago EV

• Citroen C3

• Tata Altroz EV

• Renault Zoe

• Renault K-ZE

Note:

• All prices mentioned in this article are ex-showroom Delhi, subject to change.

• Fuel economy figures as of ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) rating.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about small cars in India.

Are there any small cars in India under Rs. 2 lakhs?

There are no small cars in India in the price bracket of under Rs. 2 lakhs.

Which is the most comfortable small car available in India?

Maruti Swift, Tata Altroz, Hyundai i20, Maruti Baleno, and Honda Jazz are some of India's most comfortable small cars.

Which small car is best for long drives?

Tata Altroz, Hyundai i20, Maruti Baleno, Honda Jazz, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet are some of the best small cars for long drives.

Which is the cheapest small car in India?

Maruti Alto, which is priced at Rs. 3.15 lakhs to Rs. 4.82 lakhs is the cheapest small car available in India.

Disclaimer: The above content is for informational purposes only. It is recommended to take the help of an expert before making a decision. ACKO Drive is not responsible for any action taken based on the information mentioned here.

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