Best Hatchback between Rs. 2 Lakh and Rs. 4 Lakh

City driving in India is best done with hatchbacks; they are small, comfy and easy to handle and park along the busy city roads. There are quite a number of hatchbacks available in the Rs. 2-4 lakhs segment that are easily manoeuvrable, with a strong body and spacious seating for four.

But the thing to keep in mind is that for this price range you would have to compromise on some features that you might desire. But these hatchbacks do offer good value and equipment for the money you pay and these are essentially good vehicles to pick when you are on a transition from two-wheelers to four-wheelers.

Let’s look at two popular cars of this segment: the Tata Nano and the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800.

Tata Nano:

Priced at Rs. 1.5 Lakh to Rs. 2.65 Lakh, you get a decent mode of transport. The design is unique and the interiors are fine. Tata Nano is available in two interior colour schemes, black or beige, and there is a silver centre console carrying a stereo system and two glove boxes.

Although small to the eyes, the Nano is quite spacious on the inside and the singular design can accommodate four people inside comfortably. Compared to the other cars in its price range, the materials used in the Nano are good, especially since Tata has improved their quality for the new Nano.

Under the hood, the Nano carries a 0.6-litre, 2-cylinder petrol, bi-fuel motor coupled with a four-speed gearbox. You get pretty good mileage at around 23KMPL.

Handling is easy and driving is no big deal due to the large steering wheel and improved clutch pedal. The firm suspension prevents the car from leaning too much at curves and the brakes could have done with some improvement. There is no boot-lid to speak of so you have to reach behind the rear seats to access your luggage, which can be quite tiresome.

When going for the Nano, the Tata Nano LX or the Tata Nano CNG eMax LX are the options worth considering.

Maruti Suzuki Alto 800:

The design isn’t something to boast about on the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, but at Rs. 2.86 Lakh to Rs. 3.41 Lakh, it doesn’t really put you down. While the outside has all sorts of shapes converging, the interiors are quite an improvement from the Maruti 800.

The car comes with two colour schemes for the interior- black and brown- of which the brown is the more conducive one. The dashboard is decently put and you get a simple working space inside.

Similar to the 800, the Alto 800 has the same platform, so not more than four adults could travel comfortably. The car is narrow so expect to rub shoulders with the driver if you sit in the front. Even with the tall design, the low seating arrangement requires you to lower yourself to get inside. The car has a boot space of 177 litres so you can keep small bags in.

Material-wise, it is rough plastic and the quality is the same as those found in the Alto K10, Estilo and Zen. But when compared with the Nano, the quality is acceptable for the price.

The car is easy to handle and drive, the steering holds good and the gearshifts are no arduous task. The new 796cc engine is easier to modulate and with the supple suspension, the car can withstand a degree of rough driving.

The engine is a 0.8-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine that can deliver 47 BHP power coupled with a 5-speed transmission. You get a good mileage of 22.74 KMPL that helps if you travel long distance, although the thin seats would disagree with your back.

The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 LXi (comes with airbag) is the recommended variant. Among the Nano and the Alto 800, when you look at the best-value-for-money, best mileage and cost of ownership, the winner is the Tata Nano. But if you consider the best after sales service and resale value, then go for the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800.

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