Five Affordable Automatic Hatchbacks

There is no denying the fact that cars with an automatic transmission is the way forward. The traffic congestion in metro cities isn’t going to get any better, considering the rate at which cars are being sold and the lack of viable alternative transport options. Automatic cars are definitely a better way to deal with the chaotic stop and go traffic conditions of the daily commute. Also, modern day cars come with new-age automatic transmissions which hardly compromise their fuel efficiency and they are fairly easy to maintain.

Here is a list of the five most inexpensive automatic cars you can buy for less than Rs. 6 lakh:

Tata Nano GenX AMT

The Tata Nano GenX AMT was launched in 2015. It is the cheapest automatic car you can currently buy in the Indian market. It is powered by a 624cc twin-cylinder petrol motor mated to a 5-speed (automated manual transmission) AMT gearbox that produces 38PS of power and has an ARAI rated mileage of 23.6 kmpl.  

Read our road test of the Nano GenX AMT here.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 AMT

India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki launched the automatic variant of its popular hatchback, Alto K10 in November 2014. It is powered by the same 1-litre, 3-cylinder K-Series petrol motor as its manual variant which produces 68PS of power and has an ARAI certified mileage of 24.07 kmpl. Maruti has now also equipped the WagonR with an AMT gearbox.

Maruti Celerio AMT

Maruti Suzuki should be credited with popularising automatics. It launched the Celerio AMT in February 2014. It was the first car in Maruti’s stable that featured an automated manual transmission gearbox. Powered by a 1-litre 3-cylinder K-Series petrol engine it produces 68PS of power and returns an ARAI approved mileage of 23.1 kmpl.

Hyundai Grand i10

The Hyundai i10 was amongst the first successful automatic hatchbacks in India. The Grand i10 is powered by a 1.2-litre Kappa engine mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox that produces 82PS of power and returns close to 17 kmpl of fuel efficiency. 

Renault Kwid AMT

French carmaker, Renault launched its entry-level hatchback, Kwid last year in the Indian market at a very competitive price tag. Ever since then, there has been demand for an automatic variant and Renault finally showcased it at the Indian Auto Expo in February. Called the ‘Kwid Easy R’, it will be powered by a 1-litre petrol engine mated to a 5-speed AMT (automated manual transmission) gearbox which produces about 78PS of power and will return close to 25 kmpl of mileage. Renault will most likely launch the same by the end of June this year.