Budget friendly cars in the country, until now only focused on the practicality aspect. However, over a period of time, the easy to own cars have now evolved with unconventional styling and more features than ever before. The fresh design element appeals to youngsters as well as a middle class conventional buyer who is keen to drive home a value for money car.
Recent entrants like Renault Kwid, Datsun Redigo, Mahindra KUV100 and the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Ignis sport unconventional designs and feature an SUV-like stance. In a price sensitive market like ours, a vehicle that appears premium and offers more features is surely a keeper. Moreover, with higher roofline than the regular hatchbacks, ingress and egress is not a difficult task. Neat upholstery, interior and stylish instrument clusters also make the newer generations of cars a lot more appealing to the younger buyers.
Under the hood, the Kwid offers two petrol - 0.8-litre and 1.0-litre engine options which come mated to five-speed manual as standard, whereas an AMT option is available on the bigger engine variant. Speak of features and the vehicle comes loaded with 7-inch touch-screen media-nav system with Bluetooth connectivity, satellite navigation and iPhone and iPod operation. The Kwid also offers the largest of boot space in its category. The Redigo from Datsun gets the same 0.8-litre engine which powers the Kwid hatchback, however in terms of styling, the Redigo gets a comparatively taller roofline, sporty body cladding and strong waistline makes it noticeable in the crowd.
The Mahindra KUV100 is a compact hatchback with an SUV-like stance. The vehicle gets bold and sharp contours which is aimed at appealing the youth. The XUV500 inspired vertically stacked grille renders it a familiar Mahindra design. The Maruti Suzuki Ignis on the other hand gets a more upright design with large headlamps that neatly connects with the grille. The biggest catch for the Mahindra’s KUV100 is the six-seat layout unlike the Ignis which will come with a five-seat layout pattern. The vehicle gets ABS and EBD as standard, while airbag is optional. The Ignis from Maruti Suzuki will be sold via the company’s premium Nexa outlets, hence we can expect to see front airbags and ABS with EBD as standard on the upcoming vehicle. Moreover, depending on the variant the Ignis will be loaded with features like 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, USB, and AUX. Additionally, it will also offer automatic climate control and reverse parking sensors with camera.
New-age styling, modern features and easy maintenance have been key factors which have appealed to the Indian buyers. Considering those, the automakers in the country have been introducing models are different price points that meets every buyer’s requirement.
