The Indian auto market is flooded with a large number of small cars, each of which are competing among themselves to emerge as the winner. Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki India, Hyundai Motors etc are all entangled in a battle to lure as many buyers as possible to the small cars introduced by them. While Tata boasts of bringing the world's cheapest car, Maruti is happy about the success of its recently launched Alto 800. On the other hand, Hyundai too is not behind praising its Eon.
While 2012 has been a year when a large number of utility vehicles like Duster, Quanto, Safari Storme, Ssyangyong Rexton etc. hit the roads, many small cars like Alto 800, General Motors' Sail, facelifted variant of Chevrolet Spark and many more too made its way. The big question, however, lies if the Indian buyers are ready for these number of new entrants, amid soaring fuel prices and a global slowdown. We try to have a look at the special features of some of the popular small cars available in India and find out which would be the best value for money car.
At the top of the list comes the recently launched Alto 800 from the stables of India's most trusted auto maker, Maruti Suzuki India. The car which carries the name of the company's two best selling models, Alto and M800, even before it was launched made a booking of 10,000. The best features of Alto 800 include an excellent mileage of 22.5 kmpl (Petrol Variant), elegant exterior, stylish interiors and a superior performance. With a starting price tag of 2.44 lacs, the Alto 800 is truly a 'People's car.'
Hyundai Eon, the strongest contender of Alto 800 made its debut in October 2011 and has a good number of features in its price range. Its rich features, competitive price, good quality and superior performance has acted as the unique selling proposition (USP) for the car. The EON gives an excellent ARAI certified mileage of 21 kmpl and comes with a starting price of 2.74 lacs. Though this car has been able to make good sales, Alto 800 has been successful in infusing more confidence among the car enthusiasts.
Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car cannot be forgotten whenever the talk of small cars come. The car made its debut in 2009 with a price tag of merely Rs. 1 lac. Its price, though, has slightly increased over the years, but it has proved to be the USP of the car. The looks of the car are rather simple and the interiors are quite good for a car that comes with a price tag of Rs. 1.41 lac. Nano has an excellent mileage of 25.4 kmpl.
Small cars have a number of benefits over sedans and SUVs, which include easy to drive on congested roads, good fuel economy, easy to park and a low price tag. It is for these reasons that their sales are on the rise at a time when people are gripped with rising fuel prices.
