Small But Popular Cars Of 2008

Small cars dominate the Indian car market and it is also true that Indians go for small cars because of its compact size and easy to handle. Though small in size, these cars do not compromise on power, style, features, or even safety. Small car perfectly suits small family as well as the crowded Indian streets. With the growing demand for small cars, there seems that they are slowly taking away the attention from the big players.

The global car manufacturers are also focusing on rolling out small cars to India analysing the potential and their demand in the country. In the year 2008, though there were not many launches of small car but the cars that entered the Indian roads clearly indicates that every car manufacturer wants to top the segment by owning large volumes of sales.

Here is the list of small cars that entered the Indian car industry in 2008

Hyundai i10

Hyundai launched its popular model Hyundai i10 in 2007 November. The project name was christened as PA. The i10 gives an choice of two of two engines.1.1L iRDE and 1.2L Kappa (Kappa was added in 2008) and the powerful engine is equipped with a 4-speed manual and 5-speed automatic transmission.

It is the perfect blend of latest technology, spacious cabin and stylish features. After Hyundai Santro, i10 takes the position of the most popular car in its segment. It flaunts with beautifully designed bulged headlights, low slung grille. The interior offers quality materials with comfort and convenient features. The safety of the occupants is taken care with child safety door locks, seatbelts, front air bags, ABS, and crumple zones.

Supported with four variants- D-lite, Era, Magna, and Magna O, i10 competes with Chevrolet Spark, Maruti Suzuki Zen Estilo, Maruti Suzuki WagonR, and Tata Indica Xeta. The i10 has also won the 'the car of the year' award in such a short time. Offered with vibrant colours, i10 starts with the price Rs 3.4 lakh.

Skoda Fabia
Skoda from the house of Volkswagen rolled out Fabia from the premium hatchback segment in 2008 January . This is the first small car from Skoda in India which received impressive response from the people at the 2008 Auto Expo held at New Delhi.

Fabia is developed on new the PQ25 platform offers three choice of engine-1.4 litre diesel, 1.4 litre and 1.2 litre petrol engine which is supported by a 5-speed manual transmission. The engine is smooth and powerful with appreciated fuel economy.

Both the interior and the exterior styling is breathtaking. The design is elegant with sharp features and wonderful design which makes it higher in standard in its class. The Fabia gives aa royal look a tight-fitting roof, stylish headlamps, and a big chrome bar with a classy look. The alloy wheels with bigger tyres give this premium hatchback a sporty look.
The interiors offer comfort, luxury, convenience as well as safety. The cabin pampers you with impressive and high quality material. The multi-textured fabric wrapped upholstery adds class to the car.
Fabia safety comprises of anti-lock braking system (ABS), Motor Speed Regulator (MSR) and dual brake assist system and dual front air bags for maximum safety.

This five seater with attractive design is available in four variant- Active, Classic, Ambiente and Elegance and price range starts from Rs 4 Lakh.

Fiat 500

Fiat re-entered India with full strength and amazing models. Fiat 500 a two door coupe was launched in India in 2008 July. This lifestyle model is imported to India as a completely built unit. Designed by Fiat Style Centre Fiat 500 also carries another name called Cinquecento in Italy.
Fiat 500 created a sensation in the Indian car industry with its scintillating design and sharp features. It is the perfect blend of conventional design, luxurious features, and performance.

Powered by 1.3L turbo-charged engine is mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. It is available in two variants Fiat Sport and Fiat Lounge.
The sporty exterior is enhanced with circular shaped trendy headlamps and the trademark chrome whisker. The rear is adorned with chrome finish large tailgate, large tail lamps, and an integrated roof spoiler. The 15 inch alloy wheel steels the attention from the other cars of its class.

The interior flaunts of its latest technology with conservative designs. The leather seating and the chrome plated gear shift which is housed on the dash is unique and gives a royal touch to the car. Fiat 500 offers active safety features like ABS with electronic brake distribution, air bags, dual stage driver and passenger airbags and fire prevention system and is the first car in its segment to come out with 7 airbags. It is one of the most expensive small cars that carries the price tag of Rs 15 Lakh.

Maruti Suzuki A-star

The first global car from the leader of Maruti Suzuki is the latest addition to the stable. Launched in 2008, this global star shines on the Indian roads with its wonderful design, higher engineering, and excellent performance. The highlight of the car is its fuel efficiency which the company boasts of delivering 19 kmpl. It is also eco friendly in nature and offers meets the 'end of life vehicle' (ELV) specifications. According to this concept, 85 percent of the car can be recycled.

A-star is equipped with the latest KB series engine and is powered by 1.0 litre and a 5-speed manual transmission. The car is designed in such a way that it meets the future emission norms of Indian as well as overseas.
The exterior creatively designed keeping in mind the Indian customers. It is the blend of European design and the Japanese technology. The interior is spacious with convenient and comfort features.
Supported with three variants, LXi, VXi, and the top-end version Zxi, A-star starts with the price of Rs 3.4 Lakh.

The list does not end here. These are the few popular models that created a rave in the Indian car industry.