Worried about ever increasing petrol prices? Moreover is the bumper-to-bumper city traffic driving you insane? This calls for a practical and economical mode of commuting. Driving a hatchback is the new mantra for daily commuters. Hatchback cars in India are just not mere modes of transport, they are indeed Ninja's who can bail you out in narrow streets.
The recently launched Celerio, from India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki, is an instant hit in the Indian market. The hatchback features EZDrive technology which is a comfortable replacement of the manual shift. In the past, it was often considered that an automatic variant is low on efficiency and high on maintenance, but the Celerio claims to be highly fuel efficient at 23.1 kmpl and also offer hassle free driving. The Auto Gear Shift system has no manual clutch and thus there are only two pedals. It is based on an electronic control unit which drives the precision hydraulic actuator to control the clutch engagement and the gear shifting. It also ensures that the gear and clutch operations happen at optimal timings. Some of the factors that are responsible for higher efficiency is the optimized compression ratio, reduced frictional losses, low viscosity engine oil, and re-designed valves and springs.
The Hyundai Grand i10 has retained its existing line of 1.2 litre Kappa2 petrol engine and 1.1 U2 diesel engine. The car produces a decent 82 bhp power output. The 2nd generation CRDi technology in diesel offers improved operating pressure, low compression ratio, light weight engine block and an enhanced atomization of fuel. A combined effort from all these ensures more performance, more efficiency with lower running costs, lower NVH and lesser emissions. The Grand i10 seems to be a little peppy and jumps from rest in an impressive manner. This car isn't for highway racing, but its just perfect for city commute. Gear ratio has been attained with perfection to enable the driver to avoid frequent gear-shifts. Suspension in the Hyundai i10 has been designed to handle potholes at a lower speed, whereas taking on a bump at a higher speed may get slightly rough. Steering is responsive and handles well under all circumstances. Interior in the i10 hatchback has always been impressive, and the new Grand i10 doesn't disappoint you either. Beige plastic in the lower end of the car gives it a rich feel. Furthermore, the cabin space features ample legroom and storage space. As per sources, the boot space in the Grand i10 is better as compared to Swift hatchback.
The newly launched Chevrolet Beat is powered by an optional, 1.2 Litre petrol and 1.0 Litre diesel engine. Speculations have been doing the rounds that the new version may receive an automatic transmission sometime down the year. For now, Beat's engine has been mated to a 5 speed manual transmission. The petrol hatchback features a SMARTECH II engine that has been mated with Port Deactivation technology, empowering the car to generate about 79.4 bhp maximum power output with 108 Nm of torque. This engine has claimed to deliver a fuel efficiency of up to 18.6 kmpl. The diesel version features an efficient XSDE SMARTECH Common Rail diesel engine that generates about 57.6 bhp of maximum power with 150 Nm of top torque.
Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki and Chevrolet have been present in the Indian market for quite a long time. All three brands have tasted success in the past with their respective line, and with the new launch and upgrades the car-makers have a little something to be offered for everyone.
