Seven Upcoming B+ Segment Hatchbacks To Look Forward To

Snapshot – The B+ Segment hatchback space will witness a slew of new car launches over the next 9 months. The spate of launches will include all new cars and upgraded variants of existing incumbents, making for a boatload of options for the Indian hatchback buyer to pick and choose from. CarToq profiles seven such upcoming B+ segment hatchbacks that will be in the Indian car market before 2015 folds over to 2016.

Honda Jazz

The Jazz hatchback will be Honda Car India’s fourth and the final all-new car for some time to come. Making its comeback after its 2013 discontinuation, the third generation Jazz will now be sold with both petrol and diesel power. The car gets more spacious than ever before, making for great versatility, a traditional strong suit of the Jazz range. The 1.5 liter i-DTEC turbo diesel engine, also found on the City and Amaze, is likely to be the major volumes bagger. The 1.2 liter i-VTEC petrol motor will start the car’s variant line up, while the 1.5 liter i-VTEC motor could also be a part of the equation if Honda decides to add an element of sportiness to the car. The Jazz is likely to bow into India in July, with prices expected to start at a little over 5 lakh rupees.

All-New Ford Figo

The current Figo hatchback will soon be replaced by an all-new model. The car will roll out from Ford India’s Sanand manufacturing facility, due to be inaugurated on Thursday, the 26th of March, 2015. The 2015 Figo gets a new top hat. However, a suitably modified platform of the previous generation Fiesta, will continue being used on the new car. Apart from refreshed looks, new interiors and features will be added to the car. The 1.2 liter petrol engine will get a power and torque boost by means of a redesign while the 1.4 liter TDCI turbo diesel motor will make way for a 1.5 liter unit. In terms of positioning, the new Figo hatchback is expected to sit at similar price levels as that of the outgoing model. The new hatchback could be preceded by a compact sedan sibling.

Maruti Suzuki YRA

Before the end of this year, Maruti Suzuki will foray into the B+ segment premium hatchback space, setting its sights on the likes of the Honda Jazz and the Hyundai Elite i20. The YRA code-named car, recently revealed at Geneva as the iK-2, will be put into production with turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. The turbocharged petrol motor will be a first for Maruti Suzuki. The diesel motor will be the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet unit. The YRA will offer more capacious innards than the Swift, and will also be priced higher. The car is expected to feature premium levels of fit and finish, to justify its premium positioning. Prices will start at over 5 lakh rupees.

Tata Bolt Sport

Tata Motors wants to infuse a modicum of excitement into its cars, as the Indian automaker seeks to shed its “taxi” image. A performance sub-brand is a part of this strategy, with the Bolt Sport all set to hit the Indian car market by the end of this year as a performance centric hot hatch, in the lines of the Volkswagen Polo GT twins and the upcoming Fiat Punto EVO T-Jet. The Bolt Sport gets a new body kit on the outside and firmed up suspension to hold its line better when the going gets curvy. The real deal though is the uprated 1.2 liter REVOTRON turbo petrol motor, which now makes 120 Bhp-170 Nm, enough to edge out every other competitor in terms of the sheer power it outputs.

Tata Bolt Diesel AMT

 

The Bolt isn’t turning out to be the rainmaker that Tata Motors expected the hatchback to be. A 65,000 rupee exchange bonus is already being doled out to Bolt buyers. However, Tata Motors still has a party trick up its sleeve, in the form of a AMT option for the diesel powered variants of the Bolt. The AMT unit will be mated to the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet turbo diesel engine, making for a marriage of convenience and fuel efficiency. The Bolt Diesel will also offer India one of the first diesel-automatic hatchbacks, at a time when the Indian hatchback buyer is seeking convenience in affordable cars.

Fiat Punto EVO T-Jet

The Fiat Punto EVO is built like a vault, and we’re not talking fit and finish here, but the sheer toughness the car’s outer shell exudes. The car also handles like on rails, with the hydraulic power steering delivering plenty of feel to make one want to corner carve all day long. However, the flies in the ointment are the engines, which just don’t excite the enthusiast enough. The solution lies in the 1.4 liter T-Jet petrol engine with its water cooled turbocharger, and 114 Bhp-207 Nm outputs. In a single stroke, Fiat will make the Punto EVO the hot hatch of choice when it plonks in that 1.4 liter T-Jet motor. The car will sit at the top of the Punto EVO’s model line up.

Maruti Suzuki Swift Diesel AMT

The Swift is India’s best selling B+ segment hatchback, but Maruti Suzuki isn’t satisfied. The automaker wants to add a new dimension to the Swift, by equipping the diesel powered model with an automated manual transmission. The Swift Diesel AMT will not just be a breeze to negotiate India’s manic traffic but will also deliver great fuel efficiency. In terms of price, the diesel AMT variant of the car is expected to command a 50,000 rupee premium over the equivalent, manual transmission equipped variant. The 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet turbo diesel engine will be retained, with its 75 Bhp-190 Nm outputs.