Base variants of cars that you should SERIOUSLY consider: Tata Harrier to Mahindra XUV300

Car prices have touched the ceiling nowadays with most of the manufacturers having increased the prices during the end of the Fiscal year 2018-19. This has also affected their sales and the auto industry is facing a massive sales slowdown, both for four-wheelers and two-wheelers. As a buyer, it becomes tough for many people to go for their choice of car and many have to settle for a car in the lower segment due to the high prices.

However, you can always consider the base variants of some of the cars which come equipped with decent features instead of settling down for a lower segment car or digging your pockets for higher variants. This not only saves you quite a good amount of money but also gives you the option of going for aftermarket accessories to load up the car, all the while saving some big bucks. Here are some of the cars which offer decent kit on their base variant and can be seriously considered as an option if you are a bit tight on the budget.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR

The good old tallboy WagonR recently received a generation update and the new car is better in every aspect. The base LXi 1.0 variant of the hatchback is priced at Rs. 4.19 lakhs while the top end ZXi 1.2 AMT retails for Rs. 5.69 lakhs. Though the ex-showroom prices of both cars have a difference of less than Rs. 2 lakhs, the difference increases in the on-road prices of both cars.

The base variant of the WagonR comes equipped with a single front airbag along with ABS and EBD. These have been made mandatory under the new safety regulations along with some other safety features like seat belt warning among others. Other features on the car include central locking, rear parking sensor, power windows on the front doors, body coloured bumpers and gear shift indicator. For a car of its price, not many manufacturers offer power windows for even the front doors or body coloured bumpers.

Ford Figo

The newly launched Ford Figo facelift rivals the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10 in its segment. The base Ambiente 1.2 variant of the Figo retails at Rs. 5.23 lakhs while the top end Titanium Blu 1.5 variant retails for Rs. 7.55 lakhs. This means that there is a difference of nearly two lakhs in the two variants. The base Ambiente 1.2 variant is powered by a 1.2-litre engine churning out 95 Bhp and 120 Nm while returning an ARAI certified mileage of 20.4 km/l.

Coming on to the features, it comes with two front airbags, ABS and EBD, central locking, tilt adjustable steering and power windows for the front doors. Moreover, Ford is also offering the new Figo with a first-in-class five-year or 100,000 KM warranty, which includes 2-year factory warranty and 3-year extended warranty.

Honda Amaze

The new generation Honda Amaze is among the best sub-4 meter sedans in the market now and is the second best selling car in its segment. The stylish compact sedan’s base E petrol variant retails for Rs. 5.86 lakhs while the top end VX CVT diesel variant retails for Rs. 9.56 lakhs, creating a difference worth Rs. 3.70 lakh in both the variants. The base variant is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that outputs 89 Bhp and 110 Nm along with an ARAI certified fuel efficiency figure of 19.5 km/l.

It looks quite good due to the big chrome slab at the front and the good body design, though black door handles and ORVMs take down some of its appeal. However, that can be easily taken care of by aftermarket fitments. It comes equipped decently for its asking price and features two airbags at the front, ABS and EBD, rear parking sensors along with front and rear power windows. Honda also offers a 3 year/unlimited km warranty on the Amaze which adds to the peace of mind factor.

Mahindra XUV300

Mahindra’s latest vehicle in its lineup is the XUV300 which is also the most feature-rich vehicle in the sib-4 meter SUVs segment. The base 1.2 W4 variant is priced at Rs. 7.9 lakh while the top of the line 1.8 W8 (O) variant is priced at Rs. 11.99 lakh, which makes the base variant around Rs. 4 lakhs cheaper than the top variant. The base variant is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that puts out 110 Bhp power and 200 Nm of torque while returning an ARAI certified mileage of 17 km/l. It looks pretty good too thanks to the new modern design, body coloured door handles and ORVMs, and LED tail lamps.

It comes with 16-inch steel rims, multi-mode steering, gear shift indicator, powered tailgate release, an integrated monochrome infotainment system with 4 speakers, power windows for all four doors, electrically adjustable ORVMs, ABS and EBD, twin airbags, central locking, and front seat armrest among others.

Toyota Yaris

The Toyota Yaris might not have turned out to be a big seller but it is a good car in its segment. Moreover, the base J MT variant gets discounts more than Rs. 1 lakh which makes it even value for money vehicle. The typical rugged Toyota built quality is an added bonus. The price difference between the base J MT variant (Rs. 9.29 lakh) and the top of the line VX CVT variant (Rs. 14.07lakh) stands nearly at Rs. 4.80 lakhs which grows even more when you take into account the discounts on the base variant.

The base Variant is fairly equipped too and comes with 7 airbags (a first in segment), ABS and EBD, remote central locking, tilt adjustable steering, height adjustable driver’s seat (manual), cooled glove box,  power windows on all four doors, electrically adjustable ORVMs, Body coloured door handles and ORVMs, projector headlamps and armrests for both front and rear seats. The best part is that it gets factory fitted double din audio system which is quite rare in base variants. The car looks pretty good on the outside too and does not feel cheap or like a base variant/

Hyundai Creta

The Hyundai Creta has been the best selling compact SUV ever since its launch. The base E Plus 1.6 variant of the compact SUV retails for Rs. 9.99 lakhs while the top of the line SX 1.6 (O) Executive variant retails for Rs. 15.65 lakhs. The price difference of nearly Rs. 5.65 lakhs brings much more features and equipment on the top variant but the savings made by buying the base variant are quite good.

The base variant’s petrol engine is a pretty powerful unit churning out 122 Bhp and an ARAI certified mileage of 15.29 km/l. It is decently loaded too and comes with dual front airbag, ABS and EBD, remote locking, rear AC vents, tilt steering adjust, height adjustable driver’s seat (manual), body coloured door handles, power windows on all four doors and electrically adjustable ORVMs among others. A lot of people are going for the base variant Creta these days and then upgrading the car using aftermarket accessories and fitments.

Tata Harrier

The recently launched Tata Harrier is available in four variants with the base variant being the XE.  The price difference between the top end XZ variant (Rs. 16.25 lakh) and the base XE variant (Rs. 12.69 lakhs) is around Rs. 3.5 lakhs. If you want a proper big SUV like vehicle with a great road presence and good interiors without spending a fortune, the Harrier XE is perfect for you. The 2.0-litre KRYOTEC engine is the same on all the variants and so is the transmission, which is a 6-speed manual.

The base variant is decently equipped with features like dual front airbags, ABS and EBD, rake and reach adjustable steering, rear AC vents, power windows all over, height adjustable driver’s seat (manual), electrically adjustable ORVMs, projector headlamps and DRLs. On the outside, it looks pretty good even in the base variant due to Tata’s new IMPACT 2.0 design. The on-road prices of both variants will show even bigger savings to be made.

All prices mentioned are ex-showroom, Delhi