India best top 10 petrol car under 5 lakh

The Honda Brio is the Japanese carmaker’s first small car for India. Its radical styling has managed to polarize the consumers to an extent, but the Brio manages to be popular largely amongst the young and trendy customers. Honda has managed to price the Brio very competitively and with its ‘safety first’ attitude, the Brio is also one of the safest cars you can buy for small-car money.

A toned, stylish aesthetic dominates the exterior of this head-turner. Several functional elements have been added to the exterior in a way that complements the Maruti Suzuki DZire’s distinctive good looks.
The Dzire gets beige interiors that atleast give a sense of more space than what the Swift offers and it sips fuel on par with other cars in this class at 18.6kmpl. What’s disappointing is the lack of safety features like ABS and airbags in VXi trim and a boot that’s not too larger than the hatchback. It’s the Maruti service network giving the Dzire a major boost. For peace of mind, affordable spares and accessibility of workshops, there’s no better car/company combination.

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India's one of the top selling hatchbacks, Maruti Suzuki Swift has all the bells and whistles along with brilliant driving dynamics to offer to its buyers. Powering the Swift are two very capable engines- 1.2-litre, DOHC, VVT, K-Series petrol and 1.3-litre DDiS, DOHC diesel powertrains that are mated to a five-speed manual transmission gearbox.

The Toyota Etios Liva V SP is the top end petrol variant that is being sold with a safety pack. Also there are other set of features such as a multifunction steering wheel with sporty leather wrapping and Bluetooth connectivity function, which have been offered with this top end variant. As part of the safety package, this top end variant is being offered with Dual SRS Airbags, driver seat belt warning and anti lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution. Powering this particular variant is the 4-cylinder, DOHC based, 1.2-litre petrol power plant, which is capable of generating 17.71 Kmpl of peak mileage. This top end variant is being blessed with bold yet sporty body design that can steal the attention of the auto enthusiasts.

It’s a hard fought battle towards the bottom of this list. The cars aren’t far apart and if they lose in one criterion, they gain in another. The Micra scores same as the Figo and again, we’ve rated the better driving car higher. The Micra petrol loses out on the features front as the XL is a mid-spec variant. Yet, it’s about Rs 35 thousand costlier than the Ford. Nissan has done a good job with the facelift making the Micra less feminine than before. It’s got a lot of space on the inside and its light steering makes maneuverability in the city a breeze.

The Pulse is a badge engineering Micra and so gets the same score. The Pulse scores more on the features front in this top RxZ trim but is also costlier than the Micra. Light steering, aggressive styling, efficient engine (ARAI certified 18.44kmpl) and greater acceptance to the Renault brand than when it was launched are attributes working in favour of the Pulse.

The Xcent has emerged as the best car to put your money on. Hyundai has a knack for making good all-rounders and when we drove the Grand i10, we knew its sedan version is going to be a good car. But car for price, it has turned out to be the best car in our list, which we didn’t fathom at the time. The Xcent is the best Hyundai we have driven in the budget segment, and in many ways, it’s more fun to drive than the Verna, its elder sibling. The Kappa engine under its hood is quite and eager unit and gives the impression of a lot more power on tap than it actually has. In S with the optional safety package, it is feature rich and has the biggest boot in this top 10 list at 407 litres. Where the Xcent aces is in the fuel efficiency department. It’s the most economical with an ARAI certified figure of 19.1kmpl and that takes it first across the finish line.

The Grand i10 was our car of the year for 2013. It’s an impressive hatchback from the Hyundai stable, inside, out and to drive. The Grand is thoroughly well engineered and gets the same smooth Kappa engine as in the Xcent. It rides better than it handles and that’s mostly to do with the inert steering wheel that’s devoid of any feel. As we’ve known of Hyundais, this one is no different on the features front. It comes kitted to the gills with features, is very efficient at 18.9kmpl (ARAI figure) and offers good amounts of interior space and decent boot space. This Hyundai scores same as the Brio but comes in third simply because we love driving and the Honda thrills us more in that aspect.

If there’s a value for money petrol car you are looking for, there’s no better one than the Figo. The Figo is Titanium trim costs just Rs 5.09 lakh ex-showroom. This Ford is quite old though despite its facelift and its age will weigh into your buying decision. But drive one and you will realize how much fun the car is. Underpowered engine aside, the Figo’s very direct mechanical steering delivers ample feedback and its planted ride and solid built will put a smile to your face. The updated Figo gets a lot more features but it’s still not on par with likes of the Grand i10. Biggest drawback of the Figo is its fuel economy which at 15.6kmpl is the lowest in this list.

Hyundai Elite i20 is quite high on style quotient due to the European touch in the exterior designing and it would definitely benefit the company. As being said, "First impression is the last impression"; same holds true in the case of cars. And, what further justifies the association of this proverb with cars, especially with Elite i20, is the fact that it received a thumping response from the customers and registered around 5000 advance bookings in just a week prior to its launch. Same tried and tested engines are under the hood, but Hyundai's move on cutting down the safety features still remains an intriguing and mysterious one!