8 Budget Cars In India That Are BIG On Safety

Snapshot – As the Indian car buyer is evolving, attitudes to safety are changing. Seat belts are no longer the only safety device that the evolved ar buyer is actively seeking. From airbags to ABS, traction control to hill hold assist, the car buyer is demanding more and manufactuers are responding with vehicle variants that are big on safety. Today, we take a look at 8 budget cars that are BIG on safety. If you want to keep yourself and your family safe on the road, these cars tick all the right boxes.

Nissan Micra

The Nissan Micra is the only budget hatchback that is offered with four airbags and ABS+EBD. The curtain airbags offer better protection in case of a collision. The Micra equipped with these safety features is available in both petrol and diesel variants. The diesel variant of the car is the pick of the lot, what with its 1.5 liter K9K turbo diesel motor delivering seamless torque with almost zero turbo lag. The safety features loaded Micra starts from 6.4 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Delhi.

Ford Figo Aspire

The Ford Figo Aspire will soon be launched in India. Ford’s first compact sedan for the Indian market, the Figo Aspire will be loaded with creature comforts and safety features. Talking safety features, the top end petrol and diesel variants of the car are expected to gain a full complement of six airbags and ABS+EBD. The car will use petrol and turbo diesel engine options, with the top-end, 1.5 liter petrol model also gaining a 6 speed powershift twin clutch automatic gearbox. This gearbox brings with it Electronic Stability Program and hill hold assist, which makes the Figo Aspire the safest car in its category. Prices are yet to be announced.

Ford Ecosport

The Ford Ecosport is the most safety loaded compact SUV that’s sold in India. The sub-4 meter offering offers ABS+EBD, a full complement of six airbags, and on the petrol-automatic variant, ESP and hill hold assist. The Ecosport is sold with 1.5 liter naturally aspirated petrol and turbo diesel engines, and a 1 liter-3 cylinder turbo petrol motor. The prices of the safety loaded turbo petrol variant and diesel variant are pegged at 9.7 lakh rupees and 10.2 lakh rupees, while the 1.5 liter petrol automatic variant retails for 9.77 lakh rupees.

Volkswagen Polo GT TSI

The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI is the most loaded B+ segment premium hatchback in the country. The car is sold with twin airbags, ABS+EBD, electronic stability program, hill hold assist and reverse parking sensors. The last two features are courtesy the 7 speed DQ200 twin clutch DSG automatic gearbox. The Polo GT TSI is also the fastest hatchback in the country, with its 1.2 liter TSI turbo petrol engine putting down 103 Bhp of peak power and 175 Nm of peak torque. The car is priced at 8.38 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Delhi.

Nissan Sunny

Like its hatchback sibling, the Nissan Sunny sedan is another car that offers buyers the option of adding side-curtain airbags for the front seat occupants, in addition to ABS+EBD of course. The Nissan Sunny is a spacious car known for acres of leg room at its rear. The C-Segment sedan is sold in petrol, petrol-automatic and diesel variants. The petrol engine is a 1.5 liter unit with 99 Bhp and 134 Nm on tap, while the diesel motor is a 1.5 liter K9K motor with 85 Bhp and 200 Nm outputs. The car’s 4 airbags equipped variant is a diesel-only model, starting at 10.29 lakh rupees.

Renault Duster AWD

The all wheel drive variant of the Renault Duster is the safest in its variant line up. The Haldex clutch powered AWD mechanism gives the Duster a slew of additional safety features. Electronic stability program, traction control, the all wheel drive mechanism itself, driver and passenger airbags, ABS+EBD, a speed limiter, and hill hold assist are the various safety features that the Duster AWD offers buyers. The SUV uses a 1.5 liter K9K turbo diesel engine with 108 Bhp and 248 Nm on tap. A 6 speed manual gearbox handles torque transmission. The Duster AWD is priced at 12.4 lakh rupees, ex-showroom Delhi.

Hyundai Creta

Hyundai will debut the Creta compact SUV in India on the 21st of July. The Creta will be stuffed to the gills with creature comforts and safety features, as is typical of Hyundai. Every variant of the compact SUV will get ABS and EBD as standard fare. The top end variants will bring in additional equipment on board such as a full complement of 6 airbags and traction control. Also, the diesel automatic variant of the Creta will add hill hold assist. The Creta is likely to start from around the 8 lakh rupee mark.

 

Mahindra XUV500

Right from the outset, the Mahindra XUV500 crossover has been a well equipped vehicle safety wise. Even the base variant of the XUV500 features twin airbags and ABS+EBD as standard fare. On the top-end variant, Mahindra offers six airbags, ABS+EBD, electronic stability program, disc brakes on all four wheels and a hill hold assist function. The XUV500 has challenged D-Segment sedans in India and has carved out a big market for itself. The flagship Mahindra crossover recently received a facelift, and prices now start at 11.29 lakh rupees.