Top 10 Affordable Cars with the Best Interiors in India

In order to make a car affordable, a car maker has to cut costs across different areas of car design. One of the biggest casualties of this cost cutting is the interior experience of a car. Keeping this in mind, affordable cars aren’t always held to the highest standards of interior design by new car buyers. However, you will find this list useful if you are looking for an affordable car that offers the best interior experience among its peers.

1. Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

Hyundai’s Grand i10 Nios is known for its comfortable interior experience. The designers have used a mix of black and grey colours inside the cabin giving it a calm ambience. Being a hatchback, space was always a limiting factor for the Grand i10 Nios but it feels surprisingly roomy for its size. For a group of four adults, the cabin feels spacious and a fifth passenger can be added into the mix without too much of a squeeze.

When it comes to modern features, the Grand i10 Nios ticks all the necessary boxes such as a touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, USB charging ports and rear AC vents. It even gets wireless charging which is not a necessity, but it definitely makes the whole smartphone charging experience more convenient.

The seats of the Grand i10 Nios offer ample back and thigh support. The only major limiting factor is the knee room for taller passengers in the second row. If you want to customise the interior to better suit your needs, a used Hyundai Grand i10 Nios will prove to be a great starting point.

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Key Interior Features

2. Hyundai Aura

It only makes sense that if the Grand i10 Nios is on this list, then, the Aura makes it on here as well. The Hyundai sedan is largely based on its hatchback sibling, and for most parts, it follows the same interior design. However, to create a distinction between the two, Hyundai has tweaked the Aura’s cabin with a brown satin finish on the dashboard and around the transmission bezel.

On the features front, the Aura follows in the footsteps of the Grand i10 Nios with a similar set of features. Where it sets itself apart is the back seat experience. The Aura’s rear seat offers the right recline angle for a comfortable long journey. It also offers an armrest with two cup holders for rear seat passengers.

The seats offer moderate cushioning and they are comfortable over both short and long journeys. If you are looking to customise the interior with seat covers, then a used Hyundai Aura would also do the trick.

Hyundai Aura Key Interior Features

3. Maruti Suzuki Baleno

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno makes it onto our list because of its aggressive price tag. It features a dark interior with black being the predominant colour and blue trims accentuating it on the dashboard and doors. The seats feature a fabric finish and they too have been finished in a mix of black and blue.

The Baleno’s touchscreen is a 9 inch free-standing display with clear graphics and a good touch response. The hatchback also gets UV cut window glasses, a 360 degree camera and a head up display. These are premium features which make the Baleno more desirable. The UV cut window glasses are a great boon in the Indian summer as they help in reducing the overall cabin temperature.

The Baleno’s seats are comfortable for urban commutes. However, you should also consider buying a used Maruti Suzuki Baleno covering the seats with premium seat covers.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno Key Interior Features

4. Tata Altroz

The Tata Altroz interior is available in three different colour schemes. The regular variants of the hatchback are finished in a dual tone colour scheme of black and grey. Tata also offers a Dark edition variant which gets a blacked out interior.There is also the Altroz RACER with its blacked interior and orange accents. The seats feature orange and white stripes and orange contrast stitching as well.

The Altroz is known mostly for its safety rating, but the hatchback is well loaded with features as well. The RACER edition of the Altroz gets a 10.25 inch touchscreen that runs Tata’s latest OS for its infotainment screens and the user experience is quite premium. The sound quality is great too and front row passengers can enjoy a sunroof as well. The Altroz however misses out on offering charging ports for second row passengers, but there are Type A and Type C ports in the first row.

The seats of the Altroz are highly comfortable and the second row can take in three passengers without it feeling tight. A used Tata Altroz can turn out to be the perfect solution for anyone looking to buy a safe family hatchback with a good interior.

Tata Altroz Key Interior Features

5. Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Maruti offers the Dzire in a single interior colour theme and that is the tried and tested beige and black combination. The abundant use of beige means that the Dzire’s cabin tends to feel roomy, even at night when the ambient light levels are low. The steering wheel and the gear lever feature a leatherette finish. You will also find the use of chrome around the AC vents and on the inside door handles.

The Dzire offers an array of interior features that make it stand out. The electric sunroof is a great step by Maruti Suzuki as it gives the sedan an edge over its rivals. Charging ports are present in both first and second row seats, and for the first time, Maruti has given preference to back seat passengers. Wireless smartphone charging is also offered on the Dzire along with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The seats of the Dzire offer soft cushioning and they are great for city commutes. The beige interior has a propensity to get dirty at frequent intervals. For anyone on a strict budget, there are plenty of used Maruti Suzuki Dzire units available in the second hand market.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Key Interior Features

6. Hyundai i20

The Hyundai i20 offers one of the best interior experiences as far as hatchbacks are concerned, and its pricing allows it to make it on this list of affordable cars as well. The i20’s interior is available in two versions. The regular variants sport a dual tone black and grey interior. However, the N Line variants offer a blacked out interior with red accents.

There is a 10.25 inch touchscreen on offer and a sunroof as well, both of which are the highlights of the cabin. Hyundai has also used leatherette for the most common touch points such as the steering wheel and transmission lever. The seats also wear a leatherette finish.

The cabin experience of the i20 is sublime, as it is spacious for a hatchback, offers a premium feel, and is loaded with all modern amenities. While the experience is great, the price of the i20’s top end variant eclipses other hatchbacks. Therefore, a used Hyundai i20 is also a great option for those who want a premium experience at a lower cost.

Hyundai i20 Key Interior Features

7. Skoda Kylaq

The Kylaq marks Skoda’s entry into the sub 4 metre segment and while the SUV might be the smallest in the Czech car maker’s current line up, it manages to deliver a high quality interior experience similar to the Kushaq. The dashboard design is rather busy, with it sporting multiple trims in different colour options, but all of it put together looks premium.

While the design is good, what makes the Kylaq stand out against its rivals is its features list. It is the only SUV in the segment to offer a power adjustable driver and passenger seat. Not just that, it offers ventilated seats as well. Lastly, a sunroof makes the Kylaq highly desirable among budget conscious buyers. It is safe to say that the Kylaq offers a stellar first row experience. The touchscreen has also been borrowed from the Kushaq and feels great to use.

Rear seat comfort is a priority in the Kylaq, but the aggressive bolstering means that only two passengers can sit there comfortably. Alternatively, if the Kylaq’s overall space doesn’t align with your space preference, you can also check out used units of the Skoda Kushaq.

Skoda Kylaq Key Interior Features

8. Nissan Magnite

If you are looking for an affordable SUV with premium interiors, the Nissan Magnite makes a strong case for itself. The interior uses a combination of black and brown and it immediately stands out. The Magnite’s interior also uses modern design cues such as hexagonal air vents and contrast stitching to set it itself apart.

The Magnite also packs in modern features such as a digital instrument cluster, which features snappy graphics. The 9 inch touchscreen incorporates similar design cues. The 6 speaker setup tuned by ARKAMYS offers something for audiophiles as well. Wireless smartphone charging is also available and for those who prefer to use a wire, there are USB charging ports for front and rear passengers.

Apart from feeling modern, the Magnite’s cabin is comfortable as well. The seats offer good cushioning for longer drives and the seating position for rear passengers is quite comfortable as well. The SUV has been around since 2020 and that means there are quite a few used Nissan Magnite’s available in the second hand market as well.

Nissan Magnite Key Interior Features

9. Maruti Suzuki Brezza

The Maruti Suzuki Brezza’s interior uses black and blue as its main colours, with black being the only colour for monotone variants of the SUV. The Brezza also gets a single pane sunroof.

The feature list of the Brezza is highly competitive as well. The 9 inch touchscreen has been borrowed from Maruti’s parts bin and it offers a great user experience. The Brezza also gets a 360 degree camera and a head up display for the driver. Both of them don’t just aid in driver comfort, but are highly sought after features as well. Maruti offers 6 speakers on the Brezza, and the sound system has been tuned by ARKAMYS for a surround sound effect.

While the Brezza offers a good looking interior and a desirable feature list, its main highlight is the comfort of its seats. While they feature a fabric finish, the seats offer a comfortable experience for urban commutes. If you are looking for a similar experience at a lower price, then you should check these second hand Maruti Suzuki Brezza models.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza Key Interior Features

10. Kia Sonet

The Kia Sonet is one of the most sought after sub 4 metre SUVs in India today and with good reason. While it makes it onto this list of affordable cars by the skin of its teeth, its interior makes up for it with opulence and features. The Seltos uses a dual tone colour scheme for most variants. This is true for the X-Line variant as well, which has a blacked out interior, but the seats are finished in a dark shade of sage.

The Sonet offers the very best features which can also be compared to SUVs from one segment above. The 10.25 inch touchscreen is the same size that we are used to seeing on the Seltos and Creta and its user experience is great. There is a 7 speaker BOSE sound system on offer, and a single pane electric sunroof as well. Charging ports are present in both rows of the SUV.

Inside the cabin, the Sonet uses high quality materials when compared to other cars in its segment. Additionally, the seats are highly supportive and offer great comfort on highway journeys. The driver’s seat also gets a 4 way power adjustment feature. The Sonet’s top end variant stretches above the ₹ 15 lakh mark and if that feels too high, a similar interior experience can be had in a used Kia Sonet.

Kia Sonet Key Interior Features

List of 10 Affordable Cars with the Best Interiors in India

Conclusion

Putting together a good interior is an art form on its own and when you throw affordable cars into the mix, it becomes even more difficult to achieve a favourable result. The cars listed above have their own shortcomings, but despite that, when it comes to their interior experience, they manage to toe the line while managing to stay affordable.