Hyundai EON

Features: The ‘Fluidic’ design language of the Eon makes the little hatchback stand out from the crowd. Although Hyundai’s older design language made the second-gen Verna a best-seller in its segment, it has failed to do the same for the hatchback. However, its compact dimensions make it a practical city runabout. The Hyundai Eon is best suited for four adults. The interior, although a bit pasticky, is one of the best is the segment. While it may not offer a touchscreen infotainment system like the Renault Kwid, the quality and fit-finish is exemplary and hard to find fault with. It may not be the most spacious cabin in its segment, but it does make up for it with a 215-litre boot space, which is just 10 litres short of the boot on the Alto 800.

Engine: Hyundai offers the Eon with a choice of two petrol engines - 0.8-litre and 1.0-litre. The smaller engine makes 55PS while the larger one produces 68PS. The 0.8-litre engine gets the options of a LPG kit straight from the factory too. The Eon returns an ARAI-claimed mileage of 21.1kmpl and 20.3kmpl with the 0.8-litre and 1.0-litre engines, respectively. The top-end Magna (O) variant powered by the 1.0-litre Kappa engine gets features such as driver and side airbags, engine immobilizer, child safety lock, remote central locking, power sockets, tilt-adjustable steering and a 2-DIN integrated music system with USB and Aux-In connectivity options. It also gets manual heating and air conditioning along with front power windows.

Rivals: Maruti Suzuki Alto: This hatchback from Maruti Suzuki comes with similar engine options as the Renault Kwid. On the design front, the Alto feels dated but then it has its strong points as well. It offers bulletproof reliability, wide dealer network and affordable running costs. Datsun redi-GO: The redi-GO brings the tallboy design to the entry-level hatchback game. Despite its limited length, it offers usable cabin space. It makes up for the length too with good headroom. A high seating position offers a good view of the road ahead, and the healthy ground clearance of 185mm allows you to overcome larger speed bumps without scraping the belly. It's only the Datsun badge that's holding it back. Renault Kwid: The Kwid has made budget hatchbacks cool, but not at the expense of practicality. It is surprisingly spacious, very well equipped and handles bad roads very well. The only critical miss is the lack of ABS, but the competition doesn't offer that either.

Variants: The Hyundai Eon was offered in two engine options and 16 variants - 12 for the 800cc version and four for the 1.0-litre version. The 800cc motor was also available with an LPG kit, making it ideal for daily commute. The variants were named D Lite, D Lite Plus and D Lite Option, which were limited to the 800cc version, along with Era Plus, Era Plus Option, Magna Plus, Magna Plus Option, Sports, Magna Plus and Magna Plus Option.