10 giant-killer cars on Indian roads today: Maruti Alto K10 to Hyundai Verna

Mass market cars sold in India aren’t really known for their turn of speed. However, from time to time there are few cars that escape onto Indian roads that are not only faster than every other car in its segment, but are also faster than some cars in the segment above. We take a look at 10 such giant-killer cars on Indian roads today.

Maruti Alto K10 (0-100km/h in 13.3 seconds)

The Maruti Alto K10 follows the concept of hot rodding to the fullest. Maruti put a bigger engine in the same Alto chassis as the 800cc car. The Alto K10 used the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine producing 67 Bhp as the Wagon R and the Celerio. However, being much lighter than both those cars, the Alto K10 sprints from 0-100km/h in just 13.3 seconds. The Hyundai Elite i20, which sits quite a few segments above the K10 can only manage the same sprint in 13.99 seconds, which makes the more affordable Maruti a giant-killer on our books.

Ford Figo Sport 1.5 Diesel (0-100km/h in 11.2 seconds)

The Ford Figo Sports diesel is a very quick diesel hatchback by Indian standards. It’s 1.5-litre engine produces 99 Bhp and 215 Nm of torque which allows the Figo Sports diesel to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 11.2 seconds, which is a lot quicker than the diesel versions of the Swift (14.2 seconds) and i20 (12.8 seconds). A giant-killer if there ever was one.

Volkswagen Polo GT TSI (0-100km/h in 9.7 seconds)

The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI is not the most powerful Polo currently on sale in India. However, its turbocharged 1.2-litre engine produces 103 Bhp and 175 Nm of torque and is paired to a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which allows for lightning-quick gearshifts. This engine and gearbox combo means that the Polo GT TSI sprints from 0-100km/h in just 9.7 seconds, which is a lot quicker than more powerful cars like the Honda City, which does the sprint in 10.13 seconds.

Volkswagen Ameo Diesel (0-100km/h in 10.74 seconds)

The Ameo diesel is another quick Volkswagen that is priced reasonably. The Ameo’s diesel 1.5-litre engine produces 108 Bhp and 250 Nm of torque and comes paired with both 5-speed manual and 7-speed DSG gearbox options. It is actually the manual Ameo that is a lot quicker off the line doing the sprint to 100 km/h from 0km/h in just 10.74 seconds, which is more than 4 seconds faster than the time of the more expensive Honda City diesel.

Hyundai Verna Diesel (0-100km/h in 10.38 seconds)

The diesel version of the Hyundai Verna is a pretty brisk car. Its turbo diesel 1.6-litre engine produces 126 Bhp and 260 Nm of torque and comes paired with either a manual or an automatic gearbox. The quicker Verna diesel with the manual transmission does 0-100km/h in just 10.38 seconds, which not only makes it faster than its rivals like the Maruti Ciaz and Toyota Corolla diesel, but also a lot faster than SUVs like the Maruti S-Cross (13.81 seconds) and Renault Duster (12.3 seconds).

Fiat Punto Abarth (0-100km/h in 9.8 seconds)

The Fiat Punto Abarth is perhaps the best hot hatchback that gives the most bang for the buck. Its heavily turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine produces 145 Bhp and 212 Nm of torque. The Punto Abarth sprints from 0-100km/h in just 9.8 seconds, which makes it faster than powerful C-segment sedans like the Hyundai Verna (10.38 seconds) and the Honda City (10.2 seconds).

Hyundai Creta 1.6 Diesel (0-100km/h in 10.81 seconds)

The Hyundai Creta diesel draws its power from a 1.6-litre turbocharged diesel engine good for 126 Bhp and 265 Nm of torque. This compact diesel SUV sprints from 0-100 km/h in just 10.81 seconds which makes it a lot quicker than the more powerful and costlier Mahindra XUV500 (11.4 seconds).

Jeep Compass Diesel (0-100km/h in 9.92 seconds)

The Jeep Compass Diesel is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine cranking out 171 Bhp and 350 Nm of torque, which is paired with a manual gearbox. The Compass diesel sprints from 0-100km/h in just 9.92 seconds which is a lot quicker than Mahindra XUV500 and its rivals like the more powerful Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour.

Skoda Octavia 1.8 (0-100km/h in 8.42 seconds)

The Skoda Octavia’s petrol engine is a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine that in India also powers the Volkswagen GTI. The turbo-petrol engine makes 177 Bhp and 250 Nm of torque and comes paired with VW’s DSG gearbox. This allows it to sprint to 100km/h from standstill in just 8.42 seconds. The Skoda Octavia petrol is not only a whole lot quicker off the line than its rivals, but it’s also faster than bigger cars like the Toyota Camry (9.12 seconds).

Skoda Octavia vRS (0-100 kmph in 6.8 seconds)

The Soda Octavia vRS uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 226 Bhp and 350Nm of torque, which is paired to a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The Octavia vRS sprints from 0-100 km/h in just 6.8 seconds, which is a lot faster than premium cars like the BMW 3-series (7.6 seconds) and the Audi A6 (8.58 seconds) which are at least Rs 20 lakh more expensive than the Skoda.