Best Cars For Indian Roads: Here Are Our Top 5

There’s no doubt that the Kwid is the benchmark to beat while designing a small car. It started this trend of micro-SUVs by mimicking the shapes and lines of larger SUVs and boasting a high ground clearance. And while the engine, transmission and handling may still be up for criticism, the ride quality that this small city car offers is simply best in class. Be it speed breakers, broken patches of road or simply no road at all, the Kwid cushions you brilliantly and barely makes you feel the harshness of the surface underneath you. The suspension can be heard inside the cabin but that's about the only thing you could complain about in terms of comfort. Available with either an 800cc or a 1.0-litre engine, the Kwid delivers this comfort cost effectively as well.

Key Info

Claimed Mileage: 22.7kmpl(0.8 MT)/ 21.7kmpl (1.0 MT), 22.5kmpl (1.0 AMT)

Boot Space: 279 litres

When it comes to ride comfort, Renault seems to have understood the right setup for Indian roads. The Triber is a fine example of that. While it might be as far from sporty as a Rolls-Royce Phantom is from affordability, it offers seven seats, a good blend of features like proximity door unlock, push button start, rear AC vents and a cooled central glovebox, and a properly comfortable ride in a compact size. This makes it a good match for families who are looking for versatility from their cars. Plus, Renault will soon bestow the Triber with a turbocharged 1.0-litre engine and an AMT transmission, which should further enhance its versatility.

Key Info

Claimed Mileage: 20kmpl(MT)/20.5kmpl(AMT)

Boot space: 84 litres (7-seats), 320 litres(6-seats), 625 litres (5-seats)

The undisputed king of sub-4 metre sedans, the Dzire makes it to the list not only for the comfort levels it offers but also the balance its suspension provides. It cushions you from all sorts of bad roads and also remains stable at higher speeds or down a windy road. The suspension is tuned to perfection. So much so that you will appreciate its stability and settled ride even at higher speeds out on the highway. Combine this setup with the space, practicality and features on offer, and you have more than enough reason to consider parking one in your garage.

Key Info

Claimed Mileage: 23.26kmpl (MT), 24.12kmpl (AMT)

Boot Space: 378 litres

We will go out on a limb and say that the Duster offers the best ride quality among cars priced under Rs 10 lakh. It absolutely nails the suspension setup for Indian road conditions. And while all of us at CarDekho would happily sprint to get our hands on the keys to a Duster 4x4 for its independent rear setup, it's not in production anymore. Still, this SUV can make easy work of all speed breakers and potholes you encounter on Indian roads. It can even go over small rocks or bushes if you decide to get adventurous. If it wasn't for that dated cabin and ergonomic issues, the Duster would still be making modern-day SUVs sweat.

Key Info

Claimed Mileage: 14.26kmpl

Suspension sophistication doesn't get better than this. The Honda Civic laughs in the face of cars that try and justify a stiff suspension setup for sporty handling. If you want the very best of both worlds, buy a Civic. The handling on offer is testament to the fact that the Civic Type R, back in April 2017, became the fastest FWD car at the Nurburgring circuit. The steering feedback is telepathic and you know exactly how the car will behave while out on twisty roads. And all of this comes with a ride quality that won't wake up the baby in the back seat even if you go over a speedbreaker a little enthusiastically. It absorbs pretty much any road surface you can point its nose at and settles back in an instant. And in this generation, even the ground clearance troubles have been washed away. How? Well, only Honda knows the answer to that question. We are just glad the carmaker figured it out.

Key Info

Claimed Mileage: 16.5kmpl

Boot Space: 430 litres