The Indian market has been long stuck onto hatches and while we predictably want our first cars to be hatches for the ease of maneuvering them around, there are many buyers who go in for hatches thinking that they have a hot runaround. The Maruti Swift as also the Palio GTX were some of the hot hatches which were considered as the best. One of them was also the Hyundai Getz CRDI. However, in this list, we have got to add some more cars, which probably should make it to the Indian car scene by 2020 atleast. The odd Polo does come by but then 105 Bhp ain’t enough to satisfy the purists or does it?
Mini Coupe :
This is actually the first ever 3 door Mini that the manufacturer has ever made. It is just about to reach production stage. This car looks like how Mini cars usually look like, but only a bit more mean. Mini calls the roof at the back as “Helmet roof”. There is a BMW GT inspired rear end which this so called Helmet covers. An Active Spoiler completes the whole package. This one, however gets activated only past the 80 kmph mark. Minis are known to have a go karting feel to them and this is what this new car would also emphasize on. Dynamic traction control, Electronic differential locks as also handling optimization tools would obviously be a part of the package. There is 200 Bhp to contend with in this car and with twin turbochargers at work, it means 0-100 kmph times of 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 230 kmph.
Vauxhall Astra GTC :
We hope that Astra wouldn’t be as mad as Renault to let go off its winning champion. Well, if you didn’t understand this sentence, then you need to skip reading and hope onto the next car details. Vauxhall have got their HiPerStrut front suspension setup in place and also the rear axle is from Watt’s. This setup is similar to the ones that Vauxhall uses for its VXR range. All this translates into better handling without losing on the ride quality front. Driver feedback is said to be immense and also the torque steer is predicted to be on the lower side as well. Moreover, grip is also enhanced manifold. One thing which deserves a place of mention here is the adaptive dampers. One more new addition to hatches. There is a diesel as also a petrol option. While the petrol motor makes close to 178 Bhp from its 1.6 liter heart, the diesel motor makes 163 Bhp. Vauxhall also claims that the Astra GTC is also a very practical thingy. It has more than 50 percent of storage space than its nearest competition, the VW Scirocco.
Renault Megane Trophy :
This one has got the looks to die for and looks best in flanky colors like yellow and stuff. It has got over 191 Bhp to boot for. Its tyres are straight off an F1 track and they are Bridgestone Potenzas. The 0-100 kmph comes up in only 6.1 seconds in this one and the top speed is an unrestricted 255 kmph. Renault has been a known name in Formula One racing and its Cup Sport setup chassis is also present on this car. Moreover, there is the on-board Renault Sport display and also an on-board computer to contend with. Also, some very good styling bits make this car stand out, just like its namesake actress Megan Fox. The best part is that this is a limited edition thing and Renault would be making only 500 of these cars. Moreover, one buying this hatch would have free access to all of the Renault track events.
BMW 328 Hommage :
As the name suggest, this one is a homage to the first BMW 328. The first 328, when it was first launched, was a cult car and had many followers for it. This new car tries to go one better on all this. However it definitely doesn’t look like anything that its predecessor once was. Infact, this car will have an all new cult following for it. The head lamps are a crossed element thing and while design is always a subjective thing, we particularly didn’t like this cult thing. We are sure that even its grandfather, the 1930s car wouldn’t be too pleased to see its flashy 2011 grandson.
Tesla S Alpha :
Probably the only electric car in this list, the Tesla S Alpha is one of the most promising cars that was ever built. It boasts of a design language which is a ground-up thing. This car, while being a sedan, can carry 5 well fed people and also their cargo without even flinching. On a single charge, this car can go upto 480 kms. Now, we definitely shouldn’t be talking about the fuel economy of a car as most of the buyers would be rather happy talking about performance than the fuel efficiency. But with such stellar figures, one wouldn’t mind discussing it. This car easily beats the others in here with a 0-100 kmph timing of 5.6 seconds. Top speed, however, is lesser at 193 kmph. The entertainment system in this car would ensure that the 5 people sitting inside wouldn’t be bored either. The best thing is that it has got a big feature list which none of the other cars mentioned here can even think of. The only thing that would be a dampener is that this is still a concept vehicle. The reason why it is called as Alpha is because any concept car by Tesla is always named as Alpha and then it goes on to become Beta and then Gamma. Gamma is the production stage. If at all, this car goes into production, then it would definitely be a new chapter in the history of electric cars.
While most of these cars are already sold in the international market, it is the Indian market which sees a slack in introduction of such products. Not only that, the Indian auto market is mostly averse to getting models which are more on the costlier side and don’t have a boot. The trend does suggest a change in the consumer’s mind and if at all these hatches or even sedan make it to India, they would definitely be priced upwards of what the base BMW X1 costs.
