Best Petrol Hatchback Models

The Maruti Baleno is a premium hatchback offering from the brand, sold exclusively through their exclusive NEXA outlets. The car offers upmarket interiors and features, which is almost on par with those sold in European countries. The petrol avatar of the Baleno is through the trusted 1.2-litre Maruti engine; same as on the Swift. While this provides decent performance, the Baleno is also available in a more sportier avatar, the Baleno RS. The Baleno RS is powered by a 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbocharged petrol engine. The RS variant further offers unique styling bits all around the car, to help differentiate it with the standard model.

The Maruti Swift is one of India’s most popular cars, ever since it was launched back in 2005. Over the years, the Swift has gone through multiple facelift, with the latest generation model being launched at the 2018 Auto Expo. The Maruti Swift uses the same 1.2-litre petrol engine as seen on all previous generations. The engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual or an automatic gearbox. Sold globally as the Suzuki Swift, the hatchback has won multiple awards over the years, in international markets as well.

The Maruti Celerio when launched, was the first affordable AMT car in India. Most manufacturers started introducing AMT versions, only after its availability on the Celerio. The 5-speed AMT offering available on the Celerio provides a smooth driving experience. Maruti also introduced a funkier version of the car, the Celerio X, which is now available in the market. However, the Celerio X features only cosmetic upgrades compared to the regular variants.