The advancement in automobile sector of India offers a huge variety of cars at any given price point. Currently you can buy something as small as a brio and as large as an Ertiga within INR 6 to 8 lakhs. It all depends upon your preferences for luxury, drivability, transmission or seating capacity. Also, now you don’t need to compromise on some key features like safety even if you are on budget. Tata Nexon which can come upto 8 lakhs offers probably the safest environment to be in.
Almost all the available cars have an option of automatic gearbox. I have tried to include the best cars you can buy under 8 lakh rupees. On road price of the car can vary in every state. I have also mentioned base models of some cars which offer a great value for the price.
Latest Video on our YouTube Channel:
This is a one a stop article which would help you to select the best car for you within the mentioned price range. Continue reading to know more.
Hyundai i20
Hyundai i20 is back with yet another facelift. It comes with a petrol 1197cc and a diesel 1396 cc engine. Its available within a price range of 5.5 to 9.31 lakh. The fuel efficiency is 18.6 kmpl for Petrol and 22.54 kmpl for diesel. The diesel engine is the same as the previous one and comes with a6 speed manual option. The petrol manual is also retaining the same old configurations and is slightly retuned for more power at lower rpm. Both the petrol and diesel models are good for city drive and highway usage.
If you like linear and smooth performance, then “sportz plus” petrol should be your pick. Otherwise the “magna plus” diesel engine is more fuel efficient. It’s not typically a “driver’s” car but it hits all the right boxes of comfort practicality and a linear power delivery. Hyundai i20 is clearly selling out like hot cakes with an average sale of more than 11,000 cars per month.
Suzuki Swift
[ryvl video_url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7pacjpnb1I” auto_play=”yes”]Watch Suzuki Swift Review[/ryvl]
The new third generation Suzuki swift is completely changed and now looks more of a Maserati than a Mini Cooper. However, the side view clearly signifies her DNA. The car is available in the price range of 4.9 lakh to 8 lakh rupees.
It comes with a 1248cc diesel engine and 1197 cc petrol engine.Fuel Efficiency for the new swift is 18 kmpl for petrol and 23 kmpl for diesel. Suzuki Swift is more famous for its drivability. The car being a hatchback has compact dimensions outside but from the inside its nowhere less than luxurious. The steering makes the city commute very easy but on highways and round the corners you would feel it’s very light.
The version that I would most likely recommend for under 8 lakhs would be the “ZXI plus”which is a Petrol Manual transmission car. The reason for this is that it’s more affordable than the automatic version and it’s more fun to drive. Especially if you are a person who love driving, then ZXI plus is the only choice you should go for. Diesel manual top trim version would go above 8 lakhs.
And the diesel automatic version being the costliest would lack the features like the touch screen infotainment system and the attractive looking alloys. On an average 18,500 swifts are sold every month.
Suzuki Ignis
Love it or hate it but you cannot ignore it! Suzuki ignis is the most stylish hatch you can bring home under 8 lakhs. It comes with a 1197 cc petrol engine only. The price range of this car is from 4.79 to 7.14 lakh rupees and the fuel efficiency is 18 for petrol and 23 for diesel version. The variant recommended for the Ignis is the petrol Manual version. This is because you can be a lazy as well as an enthusiastic driver in this car and it would return the best feedback. The weakness here is again about the light steering.
Maruti Suzuki has designed these cars most suitable for city driving conditions. The light steering is best in the traffic’s but is the worst to cruise on highways. On an average 2400 Ignis are sold every month.
Tata Tiago
Tata tiago’s launch defined a completely new design language by Tata Motors. This car is available in the price range of 4.27 to 6.56 lakh rupees. It’s available in 1199 cc petrol engine and 1047 cc diesel engine It returns an average fuel efficiency of 15 kmpl for petrol and 27 kmpl for diesel. The diesel manual version is the most recommended for the tiago.
Power delivery in the diesel is smooth and if you are gentle on the gear shifts you will get a comfortable ride in the tiago. Almost 7600 Tiago’s are sold every month. Prefer the diesel manual top spec version only if you are very tight on your budget.
Hyundai Grand i10
Hyundai grand i10 is a huge leap forward from its predecessor. Its price range is from 4.9 to 7.65 lakh. It has a 1197 cc petrol engine and 1186cc diesel engine.TheFuel efficiency figures are 18 kmpl for petrol and 23 kmpl for diesel. Asta CRDI (Diesel Manual) would be a great choice. The suspension setup is more improved, and the car is a breeze to drive in urban traffic conditions.
Moreover, grand i10 manages to give a comfortable highway drive. The diesel motor is also the one which produces a lot of unpleasant engine sound. At premium price tag sound insulation is the least one can expect. The 1.2 CRDI Asta model comes at a price tag of 7.58 lakh. An average of 12,500 units of these cars are sold every month.
Honda Brio
Honda brio is like a little monster and it definitely “loves you back”. You can comfortably cruise the car anywhere without hesitation. It completely retains the “fun to drive” element within a very tight budget. Major advantage of brio over its Suzuki rival is that the electric power steering seems light in the city
and weighs enough on the highway to give a wonderful feedback. It comes within a price range of 4.82 to 6.9 lakh. With an engine potential of 1198cc, brio just nails the drivability. The fuel efficiency figures are 18.5 kmpl for Manual and 16.5 kmpl for automatic. The manual petrol version of the honda brio is more recommended. Rear parking sensors are a major miss in the brio. Ironically, the sales figures of the brio are very low compared to other rivals.
Suzuki Baleno
Suzuki baleno is the most sought-after premium hatchback.Baleno has a price tag of 5.54 to 8.87 lakh. It comes with a Petrol 1199 cc engine and a diesel 1248 cc engine. The fuel efficiency figures are 21.4 kmpl for petrol and 27.39 kmpl for diesel. These figures claim that the baleno is the most fuel-efficient car in its segment. The steering wheel is light enough for city commute and provides adequate feedback on the highways.
This is an impressive improvement over the Suzuki swift. Sound insulation in the baleno is wonderful. The ride quality is exceptionally good for both petrol and diesel motors. For an urban car buyer, Petrol Automatic would be a great choice.Delta 1.2 AT CVT Petrol, Alpha 1.2 Petrol Manual or Delta 1.3 Diesel Manual are better options.On an average almost 18000 units were sold every month in 2018.
Ford Freestyle
If you are in the market for a crossover, then this is the best thing you can buy. Its luxurious, fun to drive, has mild off roading abilities and comes with a great brand value. Freestyle comes within 5.43 to 8.03 lakh. Its available in petrol and diesel options.Ground clearance of the car is 16 mm greater than its sibling.
The 1.5-liter manual diesel “titanium plus” model would be the best buy at any given condition It feels great to drive this car around the corners. City commute would be hustle free. Also, you can go over mild off roads to cut the traffic. Fuel efficiency figures are 17kmpl for petrol and 22 kmpl for diesel. Almost 1600 cars are sold every month.
Honda Amaze
Honda Amaze is available in a prize range of 5.9 to 9.12 Lakh rupees. Honda has increased the wheelbase of the new Amaze by 65 mm from the old. This creates a generous space inside the cabin. Also, the new amaze has a class leading 420-liter boot space. The new honda amaze is available within the prize range of 5.9 to 9.12 lakh. It comes with both, the petrol and the diesel engine. Petrol Engine yields an average fuel efficiency of 19 kmpl and diesel an average of 27 kmpl. 1.2-liter CVT (Automatic) Petrol and 1.5 S MT (Manual) Diesel would clearly give the best ride quality and a great value for money. The diesel automatic would be better for city driving conditions. The Petrol Automatic is quick to respond and would also give a very relaxing performance on the highways. On an average Honda sells 6500 units of the amaze every month.
Suzuki Dzire
The new Dzire has dropped the “swift” from it. It is one of the best compact sedans available. Suzuki Dzire comes within the price range of 5.69 to 9.54 lakh rupees. The car is available both in petrol as well as diesel options. Petrol Engine is 1197 cc and the diesel engine 1248 cc. Fuel Efficiency of the new Dzire is 22 kmpl for petrol and 28.4 kmpl for diesel variant. The reduction in the weight adds up more power. Diesel AMT may slide back a bit while on hills. The best option available under 8 lakhs would be would be ZXI AMT Petrol or VDI diesel AMT. This car being more focused on practicality and ease of driving in city traffics, AMT would be the best options. You may not get a touch screen infotainment at this price, but the automatic gearbox runs smoothly and compensates for the lack of entertainment. On an average Suzuki sells almost 17000 units every month.
Tata Nexon
The safest car is also now the most affordable compact SUV. It is available within the range of 6.46 to 10.87 lakh rupees. It is the onlycompact SUV you can buy under 8 lakh rupees. Other models like the XUV 300 go higher than 8 lakhs on road. Tata Nexon is available in a 1198 cc petrol engine and 1497 cc diesel Engine.
The petrol motor delivers an average fuel efficiency of 17 kmpl and the diesel motor delivers an average fuel efficiency of 21.5 kmpl. AMT gearbox is refined and responds very well to your driving. You also get 3 driving modes. The diesel engine is the best option available for city traffic conditions. Gear shifts are not much required, and you can be a pretty lazy driver in the manual mode. Ride quality is excellent and sound insulation is perfect.
All in all, XMA Petrol AMT or XE diesel Manual are the most recommended models, not just because they fit in the budget but also because they offer a very good value for money. Tata Motors sells almost 4500 units every month.
Suzuki Ertiga
Yes, it is possible to get a brand new Ertiga somewhere around 8 lakh rupees! It’s the only MPV in the segment to be priced so low. The price range is from 7.4 to 10.9 lakh rupees. However, under the budget of 8 lakh rupees all you can buy is the LXI Petrol model which is quite a basic offering. It comes with a 1462 cc engine mated to a manual gear box. The LXI petrol model comes well equipped with all the modern-day requirements like the power window, charging socket, 60:40 seat split option, ABS and a lot more.
However, a major miss in the new ertiga LXI model is a music system. Ultimately, it’s a people mover and not a luxury salon. This car may not be the best option for fleet owners as it’s a petrol model. However, fleet owners can spend a bit extra and opt for the diesel manual model which comes with a good music system coupled with really cool speakers. Even the higher variant of the ertiga would be much more economical than any other rival. The drive is not really exiting even in the petrol manual. You do have to play a lot with the gears to get a move on. H
owever, this car is all about practicality where it scores great! The sales of the new ertiga crossed the 6000 mark right within the first month of it’s launch.
To Summarize all the above models, you get a variety of options under 8 lakh rupees.The fuel efficiency of all the cars, except the legendary Suzuki Baleno is almost the same. A major observation in all the
models is that, you don’t get luxury features like the touch screen infotainment system with the automatic versions even if they are amongst the priciest.If you are in the market for a hatchback under 8 lakh price tag, and if 90% of the usage would be in the city, then Baleno Delta CVT petrol would be a great option for you.
If you are an enthusiastic driver then look no further and book a Swift ZXI plus. If you are looking to buy a crossover, then Ford Freestyle would be the best pick. Please note that its not an SUV neither it has any off-road electronics. Just that the enhanced ground clearance would be of more usage. Picking one between the honda amaze and the new Suzuki dzire is really hard. However, both the cars are good enough to keep you happy.
If you are planning to buy a compact sedan under 8 lakh rupees you do have the option of Tata Nexon XE diesel Manual. However, if you extend your budget a bit more, you could get the best ROI with the all new XUV 300. It is also possible to fit in a big ertiga within a compact price tag of 8 lakh rupees. However, you just get all the necessary kit for a people mover and nothing else. But even if you increase your budget for a diesel manual Ertiga, you still get the best ROI.