7 most spacious small cars in India

Indian roads are littered with a veritable range of hatchbacks today. Their size makes them ideal for manoeuvring through crowded streets and squeezing into tiny parking spaces. Affordable prices have also played a large part in making this type of car the staple of the urban middle-class family. Because size is the most distinctive characteristic of the hatchback, we’ve examined the vital statistics and deduced the seven Indian hatchbacks that are the most spacious. 

To better judge which cars can be considered the roomiest, we’ve assessed their height, length, breadth, wheelbase, boot space, legroom, seat width and head room. So whether you’re looking for a small car that will comfortably fit your family of five, or will be able to accommodate the entire luggage for your weekend getaway, this is where you’ll find all the answers. So, in no particular order, these are the seven most spacious hatchbacks that can be procured in the Indian market.

Tata Indica Vista:

The Indica Vista, priced in the Rs 4.12 – 6.43 lakh range, is available with both diesel and petrol engines and while it’s one of the smallest cars on the outside, it’s among the biggest from within. Despite being the shortest in this pack in terms of overall length at 3,795mm, it still has the most legroom. It’s not the greatest choice if you’re tall with the head room being the lowest in our comparison. With an above average overall width of 1,695mm, the Vista also manages to maximise lateral seat width, which means three average sized people should comfortably fit in the back seat. However, if you’re considering hauling loads of luggage into the Vista for a weekend trip, you’d be disappointed as its boot space is at the bottom of this table.

Chevrolet Sail U-VA:

Chevy’s Sail U-VA is another hatch that doesn’t fall short of space, coming in petrol and diesel variants, the Sail’s prices range from Rs 4.44 - 6.62 lakh. The car isn't the tallest in this category at 1,503mm but still scores pretty highly in the headroom area which is the joint second highest on this list. The Sail isn’t the longest hatchback out there either, something that is made quite obvious by the legroom and boot space on offer, which are acceptable but not path-breaking. The Sail has average external width figures,but the interior design doesn't reflect upon this, as it is the second lowest in the lateral seat width category.

Ford Figo:

Another car that comes with either petrol or diesel engines is the Ford Figo. It is priced between Rs 3.85 and Rs 6 lakh.  The Figo lags behind its competitors when it comes to external dimensions, but thanks to some clever interior packaging from the American car maker, it’s deceptively roomy on the inside. The Figo fares fairly well in terms of legroom as well, which may come as a surprise as it has the lowest wheelbase among all the cars at 2,465mm.  However, the trunk space, while adequate, doesn’t feature very high on this list.

Hyundai Eon:

While the Eon obviously isn’t as big and roomy as any of the other cars on this list, priced from Rs 2.77 to 3.79 lakh it is by far the most spacious car in the entry-level hatchback segment, and as such is the perfect option for those who want a comfortable ride for a really low price. In fact, judging by the statistics for head-room and leg-room you’d never think the Eon has far and away the smallest external dimensions on this list.

Skoda Fabia:

Czech car maker Skoda’s Fabia is also available in petrol and diesel engines, and costs Rs 4.96-7.42 lakh, and it is the longest car on this list. The extra length though hasn’t benefited the legroom that much, as it stands in the lower region of this list. The headroom falls in middle ground, and the same can be said for the lateral seat width. The extra length though does add to the boot space which stands at second highest on this list. 

Honda Jazz:

The Jazz is the only car in the premium hatchback segment that comes exclusively with a petrol engine and the three variants of this car cost anywhere between Rs 6-6.48 lakh. The Jazz has exterior dimensions which are basically mid table. Despite this, the Honda comes up trumps on two counts, namely boot space and head room. The leg room also features near the top of the table, but the only factor where the Jazz loses out is lateral seat width, which is the lowest among these seven cars. 

Hyundai i20:

The last car to feature on this list is Hyundai’s flagship i20 hatchback. Its price ranges between Rs 4.76 and Rs 7.79 lakh, and comes in petrol and diesel. Quite absurdly, despite having the greatest wheelbase among all the cars that feature on this list at 2,525mm, the i20 also has the least legroom at a minimum of 560mm and a maximum of 780mm. It has a sizeable boot space and head room, joint second highest in terms of the latter. It also has the second highest lateral seat width a fact that is reflected in its exterior width statistic (1,710mm) which is the highest among the list. 

Clearly, each car comes with its share of pros and cons, but all seven cars listed above have proven to be the relative best among the hatchbacks in the market. So if you’re a professional basketball player or pack heavy for your holidays, the Jazz might be a suitable purchase, or if you’re generously built, then the Vista may just be the ideal car for you. Regardless of your preference though, one thing is apparent – when it comes to cars, size really does matter!