Hyundai Santro to Mahindra XUV300: India’s most feature-rich affordable cars

When buying a car, many people set their eyes on the feature list apart from mileage and power. This is especially the case with people who know they are going to be chauffeur driven and hence they will have the extra time to check out all the additional gimmicks the manufacturer provides. Automakers too have started to provide a slew of new features to remain competitive in a market that is growing exponentially. Therefore, here are ten feature-laden cars from each affordable segment in India.

Renault Kwid

Entry level Hatchback

Starting this list is the Renault Kwid which has become a big seller in the entry level hatch segment. It has become popular because of its SUV-ish design and the host of features it comes with. The feature list on the car includes a reverse parking camera, a rear seat armrest, and a 12-volt electric socket. Moreover, the company has also equipped the Kwid with Emergency Locking Retractors (ELR) for the rear seat belts. Other highlights of the features list include – a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a digital instrument cluster, one-touch lane-change indicator, front speakers, and speed-dependent volume control. While these may not sound as much, remember we are talking about entry level hatch segment where the base variants don’t even get AC system.

Hyundai Santro

Entry-Mid size hatchback

Hyundai relaunched the Santro name last year and the car comes with several segment first features to take on the competition. Hyundai has equipped the car with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, rear AC-vents, and dual-tone cabin among others. The Santro also offers safety features like dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, seatbelt reminder, speed alert, reverse parking sensors and speed-sensing door lock. The standard features include driver-side airbag with ABS. The car has grown in dimensions than its predecessor but the overall height has been decreased.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Mid size hatchback

The current generation Swift had a huge responsibility on its shoulders left over by its predecessors but the car has tackled the challenge pretty well and has become one of the top-selling cars of India yet again. Talking of features, It gets some unique features, such as LED projector headlamps and standard ABS and dual airbags in all variants. The car also comes with a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, keyless entry and push-button start system. The upcoming Ford Figo facelift and Hyundai Grand i10 facelift are expected to bring some challenge for the Swift but for the time being, it is the best-equipped car in the segment.

Hyundai Elite i20

Premium Hatchback

The Elite i20 is known for being the most feature-car in the segment and that is also among the chief reasons for its excellent sales. The car comes with 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, projector headlamps LED DRLs, and keyless entry with a start-stop feature. There is also a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that gets navigation and Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink connectivity. It also gets dual front airbags and ABS standard. The Elite i20 also comes with anti-pinch power windows, smart pedal, six airbags, reverse parking sensor and camera, cooled glove box and sliding front armrest. The interiors of the car are pretty well put together and the cabin is a great place to be in.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Subcompact Sedan

The current generation Dzire has proved to be a superb car for the company and was the best selling car model in the year 2018. It comes with features like LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs, LED brake lamps, and diamond-cut alloy wheels.  It also gets standard ABS and dual airbags across all the variants. Higher versions of the car come with features like keyless entry and start/stop button with touchscreen infotainment that gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, rear seat AC vents and 12 V charging points. The Honda Amaze provides stiff competition to the Dzire and is even better than it in many aspects but eventually, its the Dzire which takes the trophy home for being feature rich.

Hyundai Verna

Mid-size Sedan

The Hyundai Verna is among the most feature-rich car in its segment and nudges ahead due to few additional practical features it comes with. The sedan gets projector headlamps with LED DRL and positioning lamps, LED tail lamps, 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, powered wing mirrors with folding function, leather-clad steering wheel and gear knob, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an electric sunroof, automatic boot lid opening, keyless entry, start/stop button, wireless phone charging slot, twin airbags and ABS. 6 airbags, and leather-clad ventilated seats along with telescopic adjustment function for the steering. It is also priced lower than most of its rivals, which makes it a value for money buy.

Honda Civic

Premium Sedan

Honda just launched the new Civic a few days back and has made sure that the car is decently equipped to challenge its rivals. The feature list on this car includes a push-button start/stop system, automatic wipers, smart key, sunroof, 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay apart from a fully digital instrument cluster, which is similar to the Honda CR-V. Safety features on the car includes six airbags, ABS+EBD, stability control, Agile Handling Assist (Cornering stability), hill start assist, reverse camera, walk-away auto-lock feature, ISOFIX mounts for child seats, electric parking brake and automatic hill hold system. However, the upcoming new Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra will give it a tough fight but till the time they are not here, the Civic is here to rule.

Mahindra XUV300

Subcompact SUV

The XUV300 is the latest vehicle from Mahindra and the manufacturer has made sure that the car does not fall short on features. It comes with a touchscreen infotainment interface with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 6 speaker stereo, dual zone climate control, projector LED headlamps, power folding wing mirrors that have turn indicators built-in, ambient lighting, leather seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, multiple modes for the steering, an electric sunroof with anti-pinch protection and a 60:40 fully folding rear seat. Many among these are segment-leading features.

Safety features on the subcompact SUV too are class leading. It gets 7 airbags, ABS+EBD, ESP, roll over mitigation, hill Hold, disc brakes on all four wheels, front parking sensors, rear parking sensors + camera, speed alert and seat belt reminder.

Mahindra XUV500

Affordable mid-size SUV

The Mahindra XUV500 is the highest selling model in its category and is known for its feature rich interiors. The features list on this car runs long and includes electrically adjustable driver seat, electric sunroof, leather upholstery, soft-touch dashboard wrapped in leather, lounge lighting, and underarm cooled box. Other features include logo projection by the puddle lamps, keyless entry and start, fully automatic temperature control, Tyre pressure monitoring system, smart sensing rain wipers, intelligent light sensing headlamps, brake energy regeneration. The infotainment system can be connected to smartphones and smartwatches and can be used as a remote to control the entertainment system. It also gets Android Auto and Mahindra EcoSense system that includes Navigation, Driving statistics, apps and more.

Hyundai Tucson

Mid Size SUV

The Hyundai Tucson gets direct competition from the Jeep Compass which is another great SUV. However, the Tucson leads the way in terms of features as it comes with features like powered drivers seat, rear ac vents, 8 inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, push button start/stop, cruise control, cooled glovebox, rear camera with sensors, panoramic sunroof, powered tail-gate, 6airbags, hill start assist along with ventilated seats.

Skoda Kodiaq

Full Size SUV

The Skoda Kodiaq is the most feature-rich SUV in its segment and probably the most feature-rich vehicle on this list. In fact, its high price is justified by the list of features it comes with. These include Virtual Cockpit, full LED lighting, auto headlamps and wipers, electronic tailgate, 3-zone climate control, 12 way electronically adjustable front seats and a panoramic sunroof. It also comes with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support along with Canton audio system with 10 speakers.

Safety features include 9 airbags, ABS, ESC, electronic differential lock, traction control, electronic parking brake with auto hold function, a multi-collision braking system, drowsiness sensor, and ISOFIX anchor points for child seats. The Kodiaq also get cruise control and parking sensors and camera which help assist the automatic hands-free parking system.