Sedans that duck under the 4-metre length mark are popularly called 'compact sedans'. This breed of cars came into existence purely because manufacturers get a break in taxes if the vehicle is under 4-metres in length. The same rule also states that these cars cannot have petrol engines exceeding 1,200cc, and diesel motors exceeding 1,500cc. The Tata Indigo CS kicked off the segment nearly a decade ago. Now, the segment has as many as 5 different cars. We pick the top three of this pack.
1. Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire
Engine: 1.2-litre petrol / 1.3-litre diesel | Power: 84.30PS (petrol) / 75PS (diesel) | Torque: 115Nm / 190Nm | Gearbox: 5-speed manual / 4-speed automatic option in Petrol / 5-speed AMT option in Diesel | ARAI Efficiency: 20.85kmpl / 26.59kmpl | Price: Rs 5.50 lakh to Rs 8.89 lakh
2. Hyundai Xcent
Engine: 1.2-litre petrol / 1.1-litre diesel | Power: 83PS (petrol) / 72PS (diesel) | Torque: 114Nm / 180Nm | Gearbox: 5-speed manual / 4-speed automatic option in Petrol | ARAI Efficiency: 19.1kmpl / 24.4 kmpl | Price: Rs 5.07 lakh to Rs 7.35 lakh
3. Ford Figo Aspire
Engine: 1.2-litre petrol / 1.5-litre diesel | Power: 88PS (petrol) / 100PS (diesel) | Torque: 112Nm / 215Nm | Gearbox: 5-speed manual / 6-speed DCT automatic in Petrol | ARAI Efficiency: 18.16kmpl / 25.83kmpl | Price: Rs 5.21 lakh to Rs 8.47 lakh
