Hatchback, by far, is the most popular segment in terms of production and sales in the Indian auto market. According to statistics, it has played a significant role in the progress of passenger car segment. A major chunk of Indian population goes for affordability, fuel-efficiency and compactness, all of which are found in hatchbacks. Also, facts and reports suggest that auto makers who have performed exceptionally well, generate most of their sales from hatchbacks. Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai, two of the leaders in the passenger car segment, rely heavily on their hatchbacks. Initially, these cars came only in their petrol version but due to recent demands, auto makers are introducing diesel variants of hatchbacks as well.
Maruti Suzuki always remains on the top position in this segment, which is mainly because of the budget friendly and high mileage cars produced by it. Maruti Suzuki entered into the market with its most successful offering to the nation, the M800, a car that brought a revolution in the car market. According to a lot of experts, the M800 laid the ideal platform for other cars to do well, thereby boosting the overall progress of the industry. Since the discontinuation of the M800, models like Alto 800, WagonR and Swift have kept Maruti Suzuki in the top spot of the hatchback segment.
Alto 800 comes with 796cc three-pot 12-valve engine and gives a fuel economy of 22.74 kmpl. Tagged with a starting price of Rs. 2.46 lakh, this hatchback attracts the highest number of customers every year. Maruti Suzuki WagonR, designed on the concept of a 'tall wagon', has made a huge impact on the Indian car market. This car comes in petrol, diesel and CNG variant, giving an average of around 17.1 kmpl.
Maruti Suzuki Swift, next in line in the category of cost efficient hatchbacks, has been a top seller in the market for a long time now. It comes in two engine variants, which are equipped with WT powered K series petrol and DdiS diesel engines, both featuring a 5-speed transmission gearbox. Hyundai, which comes second in the list of successful auto makers of the passenger car market, has produced some of the best hatchbacks, such as Santro Xing, i10, i20 and Eon.
The Nano hatchback, introduced as the cheapest car in the world, was a highly ambitious project by Tata Motors. However, the car was not able to reach anticipated levels of sales, which dealt a blow to the company's fortunes. Despite this, the Nano can still be considered one of the most cost effective hatchbacks in the Indian car market due to its aggressive pricing and astonishingly high mileage. The Indica e-V2 and Indigo e-CS are other cars from Tata Motors that have always got a place in the cost efficient cars list.
Nissan is a newbie in the domestic car market and in order to register its presence in the passenger car category, it has introduced Micra. This hatchback is powered by a 1461 cc four-cylinder k9k diesel engine and gives a mileage of 23.08 kmpl. Chevrolet Beat is among the most successful cars in this segment. Its appealing interiors and exteriors, power packed performance and good fuel economy has helped it to generate tremendous sales. Toyota, a firm generally known producing big cars, launched the Liva hatchback, which has done remarkably well in India.
