India’s fastest affordable sedans

Oh yes, you like every enthusiast in India wish to zoom about in a Fiat Punto Abarth, only if wishes were horses. The Punto Abarth is a pricey buy and runs on petrol. So, it can get quite pricey to run too. What if we told you that there’s a budget option that’s nearly as fast as the Punto Abarth, costs much lesser, sips diesel, and is more practical and fuel efficient too. Say hello to the fast, affordable sedan, in petrol and diesel.

Ford Figo Aspire

 

It was a while since Ford built a fast car for India. All that changed when the Blue Oval brought in the Figo Aspire compact sedan, in diesel guise. This car moves, and how. Weighing about 1,050 Kgs and with a 1.5 liter turbo diesel engine that makes 98.6 Bhp-215 Nm, the Figo Aspire goes like a bat out of hell. How does a 9.72 second run from 0-100 Kph sound? And it goes 25.83 Kms to every liter of diesel. Yes, that’s what intelligent gearing and a strong diesel motor in a light car can do, old school engine architecture be damned.

Honda City 1.5 Petrol

 

 

The Honda City is large and spacious, and light and powerful. The 1.5 liter petrol engine makes 117 Bhp-145 Nm and really comes into its own when thrashed. A 0-100 Kph run of 9.83 seconds is the result. Well, it’s slightly slower than the Figo Aspire, but much more larger. It also helps that it’s very well priced for all that real estate on offer. If you want a manual petrol sedan that really moves, costs little to maintain and is very reliable, the City could be the option for you.

Hyundai Verna 1.6 Diesel

Another diesel strikes back, with plenty of technology to boot. The Hyundai Verna Diesel has a motor that puts out 126 Bhp-260 Nm. This motor uses four valves per cylinder, a variable geometry turbocharger, common rail direct injection and twin overhead camshafts. So, it’s pretty cutting edge, as far as diesel engines go. The result is a silken engine with perky performance. The Verna Fluidic Diesel hits 100 Kph from standstill in just 10.09 seconds. There’s a big bummer though. The Verna is a boat at high speeds. So, buy it if your idea of fun is limited to traffic light drags.

Fiat Linea T-Jet

 

The Linea T-Jet is a fast, turbo petrol car that also feels rock solid on the road. This is one car that you can drive very fast and not be scared about the obscene speeds. Such is the poise and balance that the Linea’s suspension delivers. And then there’s the vault like build. Powered by a 1.4 liter T-Jet turbo petrol motor with 114 Bhp-207 Nm on tap, the Linea manages a 10.68 second run from nought to 100 Kph. It’s the next best thing that you can buy if you want a turbo petrol car and find the Punto Abarth too pricey.

Volkswagen Vento TSI

The Volkswagen Vento TSI also has a strong turbo 1.2 liter petrol motor that puts out 103 Bhp-175 Nm. Like the Linea, the Vento is solidly built and comes with interiors that feel like they’ll last a lifetime. The Vento offers great convenience, what with the 7 speed twin clutch automatic gearbox. The DSG gearbox also delivers blazingly quick gearshifts, enough for the Vento to make good use of all that torque. A 0-100 Kph run on 10.85 seconds is the result. In short, this affordable car marries convenience to speed.