To say that the Indian car market has huge potential for all car makers would be a massive understatement. If we look at the progress the Indian auto industry has made over the years, the graph of growth would be remarkably upward sloping. Despite enduring some torrid times due to financial instability in the economy, the country's car market has managed to stay afloat. Auto makers from all around the world operate in India with some of them relying heavily on it to boost their fortunes.
Although all segments of cars have found a liking among some buyers or the other, hatchbacks remain to be the top ones. A hatchback, typically, embodies all qualities that a major portion of Indian buyers look for in their cars. Compact, suitable for congested road conditions, fuel efficient and affordable, a hatchback happens to be an ideal car for the average Indian buyer. Needless to say, all companies performing well in the passenger car segment have relied heavily on their hatchbacks to generate revenue. Also, in recent times, the demand for petrol cars has risen due to the constantly decreasing gap between the rates of petrol and diesel.
If one was to take names of companies leading the charts in the passenger car segment, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai top the list. Both these manufacturers have introduced a number of petrol hatchbacks in India, which would constitute a majority if the top ten were to be listed. Maruti Suzuki, in particular, is known throughout the country as a brand that manufactures affordable and fuel efficient cars, which have attained iconic statuses.
Launched with high expectations, Tata Nano has been one of the most hyped cars in the Indian market in recent times. This compact hatchback is fitted with a two-cylinder 624 cc MPFI engine, which can churn out a maximum power of 36 bhp with a torque of up to 51 Nm. Tata Motors claims that Nano is capable of giving a fuel economy of 25.35 kmpl, a figure certified by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). Despite its low price and great mileage, the car has not lived up to expectations for its manufacturer.
The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is considered to be one of the top performing petrol hatchbacks in the Indian car market. It is powered be a 796 cc F8D three-cylinder that is controlled by a 32-bit computer. The Alto 800 is capable of generating a maximum output of around 46 bhp at 6000 rpm along with peak torque of 69 Nm. According to company claims, the Alto 800 petrol hatchback renders a mileage of 22.74 kmpl. The combination of its fuel efficiency and affordability have helped Alto 800 to come up as a celebrated hatchback for several Indian buyers.
Hyundai Eon is another popular petrol hatchback that directly rivals the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800. Equipped with 0.8-litre MPI engine, this hatchback has a maximum output of around 54 bhp and peak torque of 74.5 Nm. The Eon, as per claims by Hyundai, offers a mileage of 21.1 kmpl. This car has managed to generate a lot of positive reviews from both customers and critics, which has helped it to provide a good competition to the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800.
Powered by a 1.0-litre engine, the Alto K10 is another car that features on the list of the top ten petrol hatchbacks in India. A BS4 compliant vehicle, it produces maximum power of 66 bhp and peak torque of 90 Nm. As far as mileage is concerned, the Alto K10 can travel around 20.2 kilometres in one litre of petrol, thereby making it a highly efficient vehicle.
Another Hyundai car that features on this list is the petrol version of i10 hatchback, which is equipped with a 1.2-litre Kappa engine. The i10 can generate an output of up to 78 bhp along with peak torque of around 113 Nm. Hyundai i10's ARAI certified fuel economy is 20.36 kmpl, which is quite good considering the Indian driving conditions. Along with, there are a few other cars that come in the category of most efficient petrol hatchbacks in India. The Beat hatchback from Chevrolet, which is owned by General Motors, returns a fuel economy of around 18.6 kmpl. Others featuring on this list include the likes of Maruti Suzuki A-Star, Ford Figo, Maruti Suzuki Ritz and Maruti Suzuki Swift. If one was to spot a trend, it can be clearly seen that most of fuel efficient petrol cars in India are from Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai, depicting the kind of dominance these two brands have.
