A lot of car makers in India right now are moving towards offering a petrol-only line-up, especially in the entry and compact/subcompact space. While the country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, only sells petrol vehicles now, Tata Motors has already converted its entry models into a petrol-only fleet. So, if you were to look for a diesel hatchback, the options are fairly limited in the new car segment. However, you can find a tonne of options in the used car space, and here are 5 diesel hatchbacks which we think you should consider buying from the pre-owned car market.
Depending on the model year and condition of the car you can get one for around Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 7.5 lakh.
The Baleno is one of the top-selling cars from Maruti Suzuki India, and a very popular option in the used car market as well. While the current version only gets a 1.2-litre petrol engine with a manual and an AMT unit, before the BS6 transition, the premium hatchback came with a very capable 1.3-litre diesel engine. The oil burner was tuned to offer 74 bhp and 200 Nm of peak torque and came mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Depending on the model year and condition of the car you can get one for around Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 7.5 lakh.
Depending on the model year and the condition of the car you can get a used Figo diesel for anywhere between Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 6.5 lakh.
The Ford Figo has been discontinued now, but it came with one of the nicest diesel engines in this segment. The newer-gen Figo was powered by a 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine that was tuned to offer 99 bhp and 215 Nm of peak torque. While the first-gen Figo came with a 1.4-litre diesel unit tuned to offer 68 bhp and 160 Nm of torque. Both were mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Depending on the model year and the condition of the car you can get a used Figo diesel for anywhere between Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 6.5 lakh.
Depending on the model year and condition of the car you can get a used i20 diesel for anywhere between Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh.
The Hyundai i20 is yet another popular choice in the premium hatchback space, and one would say it was the car that popularised this segment in India. Now, the current-gen model does come with a powerful 1.5-litre diesel engine, the older-gen model came with a 1.4-litre oil burner that was mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The previous-gen i20 with the 1.4-litre engine, which you are likely to find in larger numbers, was tuned to make 89 bhp and 220 Nm of peak torque. Depending on the model year and condition of the car you can get a used i20 diesel for anywhere between Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh.
Depending on the model year and the condition of the car, you can get a used Honda Jazz diesel for anywhere between Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh.
Honda too right now offered the Jazz only in the petrol guise, however, until early last year it used to come with the capable and fun-to-drive 1.5-litre diesel engine. The engine was tuned to churn out a healthy 99 bhp and 200 Nm of peak torque, while mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Depending on the model year and the condition of the car, you can get a used Honda Jazz diesel for anywhere between Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh.
Depending on the model year and its condition, you can get a used Volkswagen Polo diesel for anywhere between Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh.
The Volkswagen Polo was one of the most fun-to-drive hatchbacks in its segment, however, it's no longer on sale in India. In fact, like some of the other models in this line-up, with the transition to the BS6 emission norms, VW discontinued the diesel engine as well. The Polo diesel was powered by a 1.5-litre TDI diesel engine that was tuned to offer 89 bhp and 230 Nm of peak torque, while mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Depending on the model year and its condition, you can get a used Volkswagen Polo diesel for anywhere between Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh.
