Top 10 Automatic Hatchbacks To Consider If You’re Looking For Ease Of Driving

Hatchbacks are built for convenience – easy to drive and easy on the wallet. In India, getting a hatchback generally meant you’re looking for a no-nonsense car to take you from point A to point B without fuss. Now, originally, an automatic gearbox in a hatchback was unheard of, but now each and every hatchback sold in India comes with the option of that convenient gearbox. Let’s take a look at some of the best automatic hatchbacks you can buy in India. Read till the end for some epic surprises. If you’re looking for affordable cars (other than hatchbacks) with an automatic gearbox, these are some great options. 

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10

Price: Rs 4.95 lakh to Rs 5.45 lakh 

Variants: VXi (O), VXi Plus (O)

• The Alto K10 is not just affordable to buy but also really affordable to own

• The AMT gearbox is only available on the top two trims

• Comes with 25 years of legacy and for very good reason (mentioned above)

• Comes with barebones tech and features like a touchscreen, digital speedometer, six airbags, parking sensors and more, that will be barely enough for everyday use

• Despite it only making 67 PS from the 1-litre petrol, the Alto K10 is surprisingly fun to drive and feels very peppy too

Tata Tiago/ Tiago EV

Price: Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8.55 lakh (Tiago)/ Rs 6.99 lakh to Rs 9.99 lakh (Tiago EV)

Variants: Pure, Pure Plus, Pure Plus A, Creative, Creative Plus (Tiago)/ Smart, Pure Plus, Creative Plus (Tiago EV)

• The Tiago is one of the very few cars in this list that offers the option of an automatic transmission, with all the powertrain options it has on offer

• It was also the first ever automatic to get a CNG kit from the factory, making it practical and quite frugal to drive

• Comes decently loaded with tech, as is the case with nearly every Tata Motors model on offer

• Tiago EV is one of the most affordable electric cars in India and has helped Tata Motors’ EV division become popular

Maruti  Swift

Price: Rs 7.08 lakh to 8.84 lakh

Variants: VXi, VXi (O), ZXi, ZXi Plus

• If you’ve never heard about the Swift, then you probably need to hurry up from Bedrock – it’s one of the most iconic hatchbacks that we’ve ever had in the country 

• The Swift is such a dependable nameplate that it shaped the fun hatchback culture in India, defining that a hatchback can be more than just efficient and practical

• Latest-gen Swift takes a departure from the nameplate’s tradition as it now comes with a brand new 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine

• Despite its 20-year legacy and four generations in India, the Swift is a car that you can still buy with your eyes closed

• Its crash test rating is yet to come, but since the new Dzire has a 5-star rating from BNCAP and GNCAP, the Swift should fare similarly

• Tech on board is at par, if not more, compared to its rivals, with features like a large touchscreen, wireless phone charger and more. 

Any hatchback you look at, you’re bound to get a maximum of five seats for everyone to sit. But if you’re on a tight budget and want a 7-seater car, check these out. 

Toyota Glanza/Maruti Baleno

Price: Rs 8.28 lakh to Rs 9.99 lakh (Glanza)/ Rs 7.35 lakh to Rs 9.17 lakh (Baleno)

Variants: S, G, V (Glanza)/ Delta, Zeta, Alpha (Baleno)

• If you thought the Tiago-Tiago EV siblings were an interesting pairing, wait till you experience the Glanza and Baleno.

• Despite the Glanza essentially being a rebadged Baleno, the Glanza is a better option because it has a longer warranty as standard.

• Both cars are identical in terms of features and powertrains, and the choice boils down to whose design you like better.

• The Glanza and Baleno offer good value for an automatic hatchback since mid-spec variants also have this convenient gearbox.

• The Baleno has been rated 4-stars in the Bharat NCAP crash tests, and both come with six airbags and other important safety features as standard.

• Being a Maruti Suzuki/Toyota product, both get enough features to help you live your driving life more easily.

Unfortunately, none of these affordable hatchbacks get Level 2 ADAS. However, if you’re looking for some affordable ones with this safety option, these should be on your radar (pun intended).

Hyundai i20/ i20 N Line

Price: Rs 8.13 lakh to Rs 10.48 lakh (i20)/ Rs 10.23 lakh to Rs 11.74 lakh (i20 N Line)

Variants: Magna, Sportz, Sportz (O), Asta, Asta (O) Knight, Asta DT, Asta (O) DT Knight (i20)/ N6, N6 DT, N8, N8 DT (i20 N Line)

• Hyundai is the only mass-market manufacturer that thinks about enthusiasts to some extent, as the N Line comes with more sporty credentials.

• If you’re looking for a no-nonsense Hyundai hatchback, then the standard i20 does the job quite adeptly.

• Since it’s a Hyundai, it has a ton of features on offer – a large touchscreen, digital cluster, sunroof and more.

• It needs a new crash test to get a better rating than what it has, which is currently at 3 stars.

• The i20 is a well-engineered product for the masses, while a decently fun machine for the enthusiasts.

Tata Altroz

Price: Rs 7.65 lakh to Rs 10.77 lakh

Variants: Pure, Pure S, Creative, Creative S, Accomplished S, Accomplished Plus S

• Tata Motors' bigger hatchback is the only remaining hatchback to get a diesel engine, but sadly, only with manual

• Recently got a facelift that gave it some much-needed features and a mid-life bump.

• The top-spec Accomplished Plus S with all bells and whistles is only available with the automatic

• One of two hatchbacks in India that come with a dual-clutch automatic (DCT), and the Altroz is the only one with a 6-speed unit.

• The turbo-petrol engine needs a bit more oomph to make the DCT more enjoyable to drive.

• It's one of the safest hatchbacks in India with a 5-star crash test rating from Bharat NCAP.

Citroen C3X

Price: Rs 9.60 lakh to Rs 10.21 lakh 

Variants: Shine Turbo, Shine Turbo DT, Shine Turbo Dark Edition, Shine Turbo Sport Edition

• The only French car on the list comes with a quirky design

• The automatic gearbox is only available on the turbo-petrol engine, and it is a smooth gearbox which also feels sporty

• The C3X is the closest to a French hot hatch India gets, as the 1.2-litre is quite peppy to drive, regardless of the gearbox it is with

• Comes loaded with decent features that will get the job done on a daily basis

• The USP of the car is how it rides because of the comfortable suspension that Citroen has given the C3X

• The C3X is one of two Citroen models left to get a crash test rating from BNCAP

The C3X may look like an SUV, but it’s really a hatchback. Here are 10 SUVs under Rs 15 lakh that you can check out instead. 

BONUS

We told you to keep on reading till the end for a bonus, and if you stuck around, this time we have not one, but two bonus cars for you! Both of them are iconic hatchbacks that, thankfully, are still on sale in India

MINI Cooper S

Price: Rs 44.45 lakh to Rs 58.90 lakh

Variants: Essential, Classic, Favoured, JCW, Victory Edition, GP Inspired Edition

• Can a hatchback be more iconic than a MINI Cooper?

• Comes with a 2-litre turbo-petrol engine, and unfortunately, the latest gen is only available with an automatic gearbox.

• The Cooper S is one of two three-door hatchbacks available in India (tell us the other one in the comments).

• Along with being iconic, the MINI is properly sporty too, with a balanced chassis that manages between sporty and comfort.

• MINI is all about rounded design, and now even the touchscreen has a round layout, very different from the rectangular screens in every other car.

• It’s only been tested by the Euro NCAP, and it got a commendable 5-star rating.

Volkswagen Golf GTI

Price: Rs 50.91 lakh 

• Another iconic hatchback, and it is finally available in India. And it only took nearly 50 years to do that. 

• Fights squarely with the MINI Cooper S but offers more value with its five-door layout and more space in the cabin

• Comes in limited numbers, so if you weren’t lucky with the first batch, hope that you are with the next one (if that happens)

• Also quite a safe vehicle with its 5-star rating from Euro NCAP.

• Once a car crosses a certain price point, do you guys really care about the features on offer? If so, then it comes with a large touchscreen, a large driver’s display and a single-pane sunroof, among others.

Which of these 10 automatic hatchbacks would you get? Let us know in the comments.