Discerning a suitable car that fits the budget often seems a tedious task. Knowing that the buying decision hinges primarily on the budget, customers usually ignore other important aspects such as comfort features, safety equipment and power offered by the engine. It is therefore difficult to find a vehicle that fits all the parameters, hence one need to prioritise. As per general consensus, customers pay more attention to the power and those looking for a powerful vehicle within Rs 10 lakh can go through the below options before making a decision.
1. Ford Aspire
Ford’s first entrant in the subcompact sedan is essentially a bootless Figo. Launched in 2015, the subcompact sedan is identical to Figo in terms of styling with similar elements and design cues. Before hitting production, the sedan was brought to the 2014 Auto Expo in concept form and was launched eventually in August 2015.
Mechanicals powering the Aspire sedan include the engines in petrol and diesel guise. While all the units output decent power, the 1.5-litre, Ti-VCT petrol mill is the most powerful of all belting out maximum power of 110bhp along with 136Nm torque. Out of the nine variants in the carline, the engine is available with the Titanium grade mated to the 6-speed dual clutch.
Ford Aspire 1.5-litre Petrol Titanium AT Price – 8.28 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
2. Honda Jazz Diesel
Despite being a good product, Jazz succumbed to high pricing leading to its withdrawal from Honda India’s line-up in 2013. Honda, however was determined to reprise the nameplate and re-launched the premium hatchback in 2015. Although the current model retained the basic silhouette, Honda made radical changes to the styling, making it sportier than the predecessor.
Available in petrol and diesel guise, Jazz derives power from the 1.2 litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.5litre i-DTEC oil burner. In terms of power, the diesel Jazz is more powerful putting out 98.6bhp at 3,600rpm and 200Nm at 1750rpm. Missing out on the CVT, the 1498cc, four-cylinder diesel engine uses a six-speed manual transmission.
Honda Jazz Diesel price –Rs 7.20 lakh to Rs 9.18 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
3. Ford EcoSport EcoBoost
Ford’s popular SUV EcoSport is a strong contender in the subcompact space fighting the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. While the segment has received various models over the years, EcoSport continues to be one of the most popular choices in the segment. Known for its contemporary styling, EcoSport range is available with a choice of three engines including the 1.5 litre Ti-VCT petrol unit, 1.5litre TDCi oil burner and the globally acclaimed 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine.
The most powerful engine of all the three units is the 999cc, EcoBoost engine delivering a meaty 123bhp. Mated to a five-speed manual unit, the three-pot engine is offered with Titanium+ MT, Trend+ MT and Platinum Edition MT. Since the Platnium edition is priced over Rs 10 lakh only Titanium+ and Trend+ variants fall in this category.
Ford EcoSport 1.0l petrol EcoBoost Trend+ MT price –Rs 8.56 lakh
Ford EcoSport 1.0l petrol EcoBoost Titanium+ price – Rs9.89 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
4. Volkswagen Polo GT
Volkswagen Polo GT is primarily a more powerful derivative of the popular Polo hatchback. In a bid to make it sportier, VW has made minor changes to the exterior and interior. While under the hood it continues using the same engine from Polo, but the power delivered is substantially higher. That said the 1.2 litre petrol and 1.5 litre diesel units have been calibrated to put out increased power of 104bhp. Transmission duties on the Polo GT are handled by VW’s 7-speed DSG unit.
Volkswagen Polo GT TSI price -Rs 9.12 lakh (ex-showroom price)
Volkswagen Polo GT TDI price – Rs 9.22 lakh (ex-showroom price)
5. Ford Figo 1.5-litre petrol
Ford Figo recently witnessed a generation change sporting changes in line with its sedan twin Aspire. Compared to the last generation model, the current Figo looks modish and much like Aspire, save for the boot on the subcompact sedan. On the inside too, the hatchback mirrors Aspire’s styling sporting similar equipment including the 4.2 inch SYNC multimedia infotainment system, three-spoke steering wheel with silver accents and steering mounted controls.
Mechanically, the Figo is all new using three new units-1.2 litre & 1.5 litre petrol engines. Diesel Figo sources power from the 1.5 litre powertrain, while transmission offered on the carline includes a five-speed manual gearbox and a six-speed auto unit. Making a healthy power of 111bhp, the 1.5 litre petrol engine is available with Titanium variant, paired to an automatic transmission.
Ford Figo 1.5-litre Petrol Titanium AT- Rs 7.43 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
