Affordable petrol cars with the most ‘power per rupee’: Honda City to Hyundai Verna

It’s said that more power is never enough. In the world of cars, having more power than most other road users not only makes you a bit faster but also makes you feel good about your choice of wheels. There are plenty of very powerful cars on sale in India. However, most of them come with a rather stratospheric price tag. Hence, we decided to find out the most powerful petrol cars you can buy for less than Rs 10 lakh. Here are as many as 5 mainstream cars that offer a high power-to-cost ratio.

Fiat Punto Abarth

This Fiat Punto is the cheapest Abarth-badged car you can buy in the country. It’s also the most powerful hot hatch you can buy for less than Rs 10 lakh. It has an ex-showroom price of Rs 9.67 lakh. It’s powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol motor that outputs 145 bhp. This gives you a BHP per lakh rupees ratio of 14.99. The turbocharged petrol engine also has a high torque output of 212 Nm. This car can hit 100 kmph from standstill in just 9.8 seconds, which makes it quicker than even some pricier cars. The Abarth version of the Punto also looks much hotter than the regular Punto, which is, in fact, an already gorgeous looking car that has been designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. This car has a top speed of more than 190 kmph.

Honda City iVTEC

The next car in our list is the petrol-powered Honda City. The Honda City has been a popular brand name for almost two decades now. One of the highlights of the current gen City is its petrol engine. The City gets a very refined and powerful 1.5-litre iVTEC engine that outputs a maximum power of 117 bhp. The City petrol has a base price of Rs 8.71 lakh. This gives you a BHP per lakh rupees ratio of 13.43. The engine also gives you a decent peak torque of 145 Nm. This C2-segmenter offers a top speed of 182  kmph.

Fiat Linea TJet

The third car on our list is also one of the least popular sedans in the country today. The Linea TJet is actually the most powerful variant of the C2-segmenter from Fiat India. However, it comes with a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine that outputs a maximum power of 123.2 bhp. The sedan has an ex-showroom price of Rs 9.90 lakh, which gives you a power per lakh rupees figure of 12.44. The Linea TJet not only offers a powerful engine but also comes with sporty handling characteristics. The Linea TJet has a top speed of over 190 kmph.

Hyundai Verna Petrol

The fourth car on our list is the more powerful petrol variant of the latest-generation Hyundai Verna. The Verna petrol gets a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated motor that produces a maximum power of 121 bhp along with a peak torque of 151 Nm. Hence, you get 12.41 bhp per lakh rupees. The Verna petrol can be bought with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed auto box. However, the automatic transmission variant will cost more than Rs 10 lakh. Other than having a pretty high power output, the Verna is even pretty quick off the block. This is mainly due to the decent peak torque on offer. Also, with a maximum power of 121 bhp, the Verna petrol ends up being more powerful than the likes of Honda City, Maruti Ciaz, Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen Vento. It can even hit a top speed of 185 kmph.

Volkswagen Polo GT TSI

The Polo GT TSI is considered to be one of the hottest petrol hatchbacks you can buy. In terms of maximum power, it’s second only to the Fiat Punto Abarth. However, an advantage it carries over the Punto Abarth is that it comes with a dual-clutch gearbox that offers lightning-quick shifts. The Polo GT TSI is a favourite of driving enthusiasts and for a reason – the 1.2-litre mill offers 103.5 bhp and the steering is precise. On sale at an ex-showroom price of Rs 9.33 lakh, the GT TSI offers a power-per-lakh rupees figure of 11.09. True, it’s the last car on our list here but that doesn’t make the Polo any less fun to drive. It’s your safest bet in case you are in the market for a fun hatchback but don’t want to take the Punto Abarth route.