Hyundai Motors, the South Korean auto giant is the only brand that has managed to come closer to the heels of India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki. Although the sales difference is huge, every Hyundai car launched since its arrival in India in 1998 with the Santro hatchback has created a strong buzz in the market as well as among other players like Maruti itself. Models like the Santro, Creta and the Elite i20 have been ever-so-popular in their respective segments. Hyundai is also known to innovate with new technology and products that pave way for other manufacturers to match. Hence, we decided to list down the top 5 Hyundai under INR 8 Lakh* that you can buy.
Hyundai Santro
The Hyundai Santro is the entry-level hatchback in the Hyundai’s portfolio and also the oldest moniker from the brand to be on sale. Launched back in 1998, Santro can easily be credited with establishing Hyundai’s name in India. It was not easy for Santo to create an identity for itself when Maruti was offering Wagon R as its competitor in the same tall-boy hatch category. However, Santro has over the years, carved a niche for itself.
Hyundai went on to sell the Santro for 16 long years before discontinuing it and later resurrecting it four years later with a rather impressive package. In line with its stablemates, the new Hyundai Santro comes with a few segment-first features like a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The multi-media unit has Android Auto, Apple Carplay and Mirror Link, along with voice recognition function and a rear parking camera. It is powered by a 1.0-litre petrol engine which produces 69 ps at 5,500 pm. Prices for the new Santro start at INR 4.57 lakh*.
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios
The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios was launched as a new-gen model replacing the Grand i10, a popular hatchback competing against the likes of Maruti Suzuki Swift and Ford Figo. Within no time of its launch in India, the Grand i10 Nios created a name for itself constantly featuring in top 10 most sold cars of India thanks to features like a wireless charger, 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Car Play; along with an Arkamys premium sound system and much more.
Design-wise, the Grand i10 Nios looks radically new and sporty. The car gets a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that has an output of 100 hp and 172 Nm of torque, paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. Also on offer is a 1.2-litre Kappa engine that puts out 82 bhp and 114 Nm of torque; along with a 1.2-litre diesel engine that delivers 74 hp and 190 Nm of torque. Prices for the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios start at INR 5 lakh*.
Hyundai Aura
Hyundai launched the Aura compact sedan as a successor to the Xcent in a hope to give a strong fight to Maruti-Suzuki Dzire and Honda Amaze. The compact sedan is based on the Grand i10 Nios platform and derives the same set of features and powertrain options. In terms of design, the car gets a new twin-boomerang DRL, projector-type, coupe-like styling, 15-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and LED tail lamps with a 3-dimensional outer lens.
Features on the inside include a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The car also boasts an Arkamys Premium Sound, a 5.3-inch digital multi-information display and wireless charging. In terms of powertrain options, there's the same set of 1.0-litre turbo and 1.2-litre petrol engines; along with a 1.2-litre diesel engine option. You also get the same set of manual and AMT gearbox options as the Grand i10 Nios. Prices for the Hyundai Aura starts at INR 5.79 Lakh*.
Hyundai Venue
The Hyundai Venue was launched as the brand’s first compact SUV and was the first SUV in India to get connected car technology called BlueLink and also the first one to get the iMT (intelligent manual transmission) in India, beating the Kia Sonet to the punch. Since its launch, the Venue has garnered an impressive response in the domestic market and a major chunk of its sales comes from the popular 1.0-litre turbo-petrol variant.
The 1.0-litre engine, similar to the Kia Sonet, produces 120 hp and 172 Nm of torque. Gearbox options with this engine include a 7-speed DCT and a 6-speed iMT. There’s also a 1.2-litre petrol engine that puts out 82 bhp and 114 Nm of torque. The 1.5-litre diesel engine, on the other hand, delivers 99 hp and 240 Nm of torque. The gearbox options include a 6-speed manual unit and a 6-speed iMT for both these engines. Prices for the Hyundai Venue starts at INR 6.75 lakh*.
Hyundai i20
Hyundai has just launched the all-new i20 in India as the third-gen model, replacing the earlier Elite i20 on sale. The i20 has been one of the best performing premium hatchbacks in the country and competes against the likes of Maruti-Suzuki Baleno, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo. The new model promise even better package, unheard for in the hatchback segment like wireless charger, sunroof, BlueLink connected technology, cruise control among others. Design-wise the new Hyundai i20 is based on the new Elantra, Verna and has a new fluidic language
In terms of powertrain options, the new i20 gets for the first time a turbo engine as seen in the Grand i10 Nios producing 100 bhp and 172 Nm of output and gets a 7-speed DCT gearbox along with the newly introduced iMT gearbox. The other two engines are the same petrol and diesel unit from the outgoing version. The petrol model is powered by a 1.2-litre Kappa engine producing 83 bhp and 113 Nm of torque, paired to either a five-speed manual gearbox or a CVT unit. The diesel model, on the other hand, is powered by the 1.5-litre CRDi mill churning out 100 bhp and 240 Nm of torque. It comes mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Prices for new i20 starts at INR 6.79 Lakh*.
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*Ex-showroom price
