Small vs BIG; Hatchbacks that are more POWERFUL than the Honda City

Hot hatchbacks are known for their fun and performance factor in the automotive world while the sedans are the practical versions of the hatchbacks. The Indian automobile market also has a slew of hatchbacks that are quite powerful, even more powerful than the most sedans from the same segment in the market. We bring you five such petrol hatchbacks keeping Honda City petrol (117Bhp – 145 Nm) as a benchmark.

Volkswagen Polo GT TSI

Volkswagen Polo GT TSI is an enthusiast’s delight. The hatchback was one of the first cars to offer a dual clutch gearbox in the segment. The car comes with a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine that produces a maximum power of 103 Bhp and 175 Nm.

The engine is mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission that powers the front two wheels. The GT TSI can do 0-100 km/h in just 9.7 seconds and can reach over 180 km/h easily.

Maruti Baleno RS

The Baleno RS is the first car from Maruti to get a turbocharged engine. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine produces a maximum power of 101 Bhp and peak torque of 150 Nm. The car also gets a body kit too. The Baleno RS being very lightweight is quite quick off the mark. It takes only 8.1 seconds to reach 100 km/h from standstill.

Abarth Punto

Fiat launched the Abarth badged Punto in the market making many enthusiasts happy. This is the cheapest Abarth badged vehicle that you can buy in India yet. The car utilises a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine that generates a maximum power of 143 Bhp and 215 Nm. The Abarth Punto is the most powerful car in the segment. The hot hatchback can do 0-100 km/h in 9.54 seconds and can reach a top speed of 190 km/h. The Abarth Punto is also the most powerful car from Fiat in India.

Abarth Avventura

Fiat launched the Abarth Avventura alongside the Abarth Punto in 2015. The Avventura is a crossover version of the car and comes with a lot of body cladding and rear hatch door mounted spare wheel that gives it an SUV-ish look. The Avventura is also powered by the same 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine but it has been re-tuned to produce 140 Bhp – 210 Nm. The Abarth Avventura can go well over 180 km/h if given space and time.

Abarth Urban Cross

Fiat launched the Punto based Urban Cross last year after it attracted a lot of crowd in the Auto Expo. Fiat offers an Abarth version of the vehicle that is powered by the same 1.4-litre Turbocharged petrol engine. The Urban Cross looks much trendier and younger than the Avventura on the outside and the inside. The engine produces the same power of 140 Bhp – 210 Nm. It only gets a manual transmission. It only gets one version.

There are a couple of upcoming hot hatchbacks that will be more powerful than the sedans. Here are they.

Maruti Swift Sport

Maruti will launch the all-new Swift in January next year. Following that, we will see the sportier, more powerful version of the car in the form of Swift Sport. It is already available in the international markets and with the launch of the all-new model in India, Maruti will also launch the hot hatch version of the Swift.

The new Swift Sport will be powered by the 1.4-litre turbocharged Boosterjet engine that develops a maximum of 138 Bhp and 230 nm of torque. The engine will be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Tata Tiago Sport

Tata dropped the plans for launching the Bolt Sport due to its low sales and now the brand is focussing to create a more powerful version of the Tiago. Named as Tiago Sport, the car will be launched next year. The car will get a body kit with a new bumper that will add sportiness.

The 1.2-litre turbocharged engine that powers the Nexon is expected on the Tiago Sport too. The engine produces a maximum of 108 Bhp and 170 Nm in the Nexon. It may get re-tuned for the hot hatchback but still, it will have ample power to get past most of the sedans in the segment.