Since teenage drivers are less experienced and more prone to accidents, they need an easy-to-drive city car with advanced safety features, robust body-built and decent fuel efficiency. In Indian laws we have a minimum/ legal driving age of 18 years, so we strongly urge parents to not let their children drive cars or bikes till they reach their legal age.
For teenagers who have just turned 18, here's our list of top 10 cars they can buy. We have included only hatchbacks in the list, since they are comparatively easier to manoeuvre due to their less turning radius and one should always begin with hatchbacks.
Cars under 5 lakh
Maruti Suzuki Celerio: The Maruti Suzuki Celerio is one the most fuel efficient, feature-packed and affordable cars from the automaker. It’s the first Maruti Suzuki car to get an automated manual transmission (AMT) – EZ Drive – that makes it quite easy to drive in city traffic.
Nissan Micra: The Nissan Micra is a proper urban car. It offers a spacious cabin and impressive low-rev ride. The strong engine performance and affordable pricing further make it one of the best cars for teens.
Honda Brio: The Honda Brio has always been favored for its superior handling, mileage and competitive pricing. The Honda's ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) body structure build of highest-grade steel and advanced safety features make it one of the safest teenager cars.
Ford Figo: The Ford Figo is a fuel efficient and fun-to-drive car. It has perfect combination of style, comfort and practicality. The hatchback offers smooth drive in city traffic, thanks to its well calibrated engine and responsive gearbox.
Chevrolet Beat: The Chevrolet Beat is among top 10 cars for teens in India. It’s a well-equipped, highly frugal and easy-to-drive city car. With compact dimensions and short turning radius, the hatchback makes a decent choice for teenagers.
Cars up to Rs. 8 lakh
Maruti Suzuki Swift: The Maruti Suzuki Swift is one of the best-selling and popular hatchbacks in India. The car offers well-equipped and comfortable interior. It’s quite frugal and has strong braking capabilities and engine performance. Along with this, the Swift looks very sporty and outgoing.
Hyundai Grand i10: The Hyundai Grand i10 is one of the best new cars that drive so well, and offer an impressive performance. It has got all what it takes to become perfect car for teenagers – i.e. robust body-built, advanced safety features and highly frugal engine.
Volkswagen Polo: The Volkswagen Polo is great value for money car. The hatchback offers best-in-class interior, advanced technology and strong engine performance. It’s an absolute fun to drive; and loaded with plenty of safety features, it ensures a safe drive too.
Toyota Etios Liva: The Toyota Etios Liva is among the most spacious and practical cars in its league. The engine options of the car are quite frugal and offer decent performance. The handling and city drivability are pretty impressive, too.
Hyundai Elite i20: The Hyundai Elite i20 is one of the best looking, comfortable and fun to drive new cars available in the market. It offers best-in-class interior with lots of comfort-enhancing and safety features. The engines are refined and highly efficient.