Top 6 Hatchbacks with Best Interiors in India

Hatchbacks have been the bread and butter models for Indian car makers. The advancements in interior comfort, space and technology from larger and premium cars have trickled down to hatchbacks, because some new car buyers are looking for the best interior experience while maintaining a smaller footprint compared to other body types. However, we have put together a list of hatchbacks that manage to offer the most pleasant interior experience.

List of 6 Hatchbacks with the Best Interiors in India

6. Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

Hyundai has a good reputation when it comes to the interior experience of cars and that applies to their smallest and least expensive car, the Grand i10 Nios, as well.The Korean carmaker has used black and grey colours inside the cabin. However, unlike most other cars, the shade of grey is quite light and the dark/light combination creates a soothing ambience inside the cabin. The Grand i10 Nios has a layered dashboard like most of its competitors. However, it uses a unique honeycomb texture pattern to set it apart from the rest. The Nios’ cabin also ages well and units of used Grand i10 Nios continue to feel modern.

The 8 inch touchscreen is smaller than most of the competition, but the user experience is great because of the well laid out graphics and great touch response. In terms of premium features, you only get wireless charging. However, the charm of the Grand i10 Nios lies in its simplicity as all touch points are executed well and offer a satisfying user experience. While it might miss out on premium features, the Grand i10 Nios gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay which uplift the user experience. Lastly, the Grand i10 Nios offers comfortable seats for both front and rear passengers, although the light shade does mean they get dirtier than darker seats.

Ultimately, the Grand i10 Nios’s interior won’t appeal to those who love the most modern amenities in their cars. However, it does do all the simple things well and the cabin feels surprisingly roomy.

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Key Interior Features

5. Maruti Suzuki Swift

The Maruti Suzuki Swift is close to being a household name in India, mostly because it is peppy to drive, reliable, and does not cost a lot to maintain. With the launch of the new generation model, the Swift’s interior has seen an upgrade. Its cabin mostly features dark colours with black being predominant. There are a few silver and grey trims on the dashboard and doors as well. For the first time, the Swift has a driver-centric dashboard as most controls and even the touchscreen are tilted towards the driver's seat. If you want to compare the new Swift’s cabin, here are some units of the used Maruti Suzuki Swift.

The 9 inch touchscreen is similar to other Maruti Suzuki models like the Baleno. The graphics are crisp and the touch interface experience is good too. The sound output is taken care of by 4 speakers and two tweeters tuned by ARKAMYS. The front footwell is illuminated as well and it's great for night time driving. The rear passengers get their own AC vents too. The steering wheel is wrapped in leatherette, and offers a good grip on the steering wheel.

Being an all around workhorse, the Swift was never known for its interior before. However, with this new generation update, Maruti Suzuki has amended that.

Maruti Suzuki Swift Key Interior Features

4. Tata Altroz

Tata’s Altroz is highly regarded for how it performs in a crash test but it shines on more than one front. The Altroz has a good interior too. For starters, the doors are capable of opening at a 90 degree angle which helps ingress and egress from the cabin. As for the cabin appearance, you get different colour combinations depending on the model you choose. The regular Altroz comes with a dual tone interior of black and grey as standard. The Dark edition variant, true to its name, offers a full blacked out cabin. Another special model is the Tata Altroz Racer which too has a blacked out cabin, but with orange accents on the dash and seats with ‘RACER’ badges.

The Altroz is well loaded with features as well. There is an electric sunroof, a 10.25 inch touchscreen and different types of charging options in both rows. The sound system offers high levels of clarity with Harman tuning, and there is ambient lighting as well. Tata also offers a 360 degree camera for driver convenience and passengers can make use of a 15 litre cooled glove box as well. Lastly, the Altroz also gets an air purifier which is a great feature in most urban areas.

Being a 5 star car when it comes to crash testing, the Altroz offers a safe as well as a great experience inside the cabin. Even used Tata Altroz models conform to this safety rating.

Tata Altroz Key Interior Features

3. Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Maruti Suzuki is India’s largest car maker and it is known for its reliability, ease of use and low cost of maintenance. In the Baleno’s case, one can add a good interior to the list. The Baleno’s interior uses elements that are shared among Maruti Suzuki cars, but the Indian car maker has differentiated it by making some smart choices. The interior makes use of black and blue colour tones to set it itself apart. The dashboard features a highly layered design with different colour tones (black, blue and silver) used for each individual layer.

The seats of the Baleno are wrapped in fabric, which helps keep the seat from feeling excessively hot or cold in summers and winters, respectively. The 9 inch touchscreen is arranged in a floating configuration, and the HD display is clearly visible from all seats without obstructing the view of the road. The Baleno features UV cut glass windows which helps reduce the cabin temperature when a vehicle is parked in the sun. Maruti’s premium hatchback also offers a head-up display for the driver along with a 360 degree camera. To fit the Baleno into your budget, you can check some used Maruti Suzuki Baleno’s with these features.

Being a premium hatchback from Maruti Suzuki, the Baleno offers a good interior design along with a great cluster of features that set it apart from its peers.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno Key Interior Features

2. Hyundai i20

When it comes to mass market hatchbacks, the Hyundai i20 offers the best interior. The i20’s interior is well carved out to maximize interior space and best among hatchbacks. The black and grey interior of the regular i20 brings together a cohesively designed interior, especially the dashboard. Hyundai has used a line pattern which encompasses the A/C vents and runs across the width of the dashboard, making the cabin feel wider. This design has existed for a couple of years now. You can check out some used Hyundai i20’s to better accommodate your budget.

Along with the seats, Hyundai has wrapped the most used touch points in the i20 such as the steering wheel and gear lever in leatherette. The seats are comfortable, and rear passengers also have access to their own AC vents. The 10.25 inch infotainment touchscreen offers a highly sophisticated experience due to its clearly designed graphics and great touch response. Furthermore, the i20 also packs a 7 speaker BOSE sound system and a single pane electric sunroof.

Hyundai also sells the i20 N Line. The N Line’s interior design remains the same, although it does get a new three-spoke steering wheel. The interior has been blacked out and red accents are present across the cabin for a sportier vibe. Lastly, the i20 N Line variant also adds ‘N’ badges on the steering wheel and the front seats.

The i20 scores well on its interior across key areas which makes it the best among mass market hatchbacks and the N Line variants adds some sportiness for those who love a blacked out interior.

Hyundai i20 Key Interior Features

1. Mini Cooper

The Mini Cooper is unlike other hatchbacks on this list, as it is a luxury car and is priced accordingly. However, as far as a cohesive interior experience is concerned, there are few cars that do it like the Mini Cooper. The interior space (a key criteria) on offer is relatively less than other hatchbacks on sale in India, but the Mini makes up for it with its interior design, features and quality of materials used inside the cabin. The Mini Cooper is also a two-door vehicle and is strictly a 4 seater.

The biggest highlight of the cabin is a round 9.4 inch infotainment touchscreen that is centrally positioned on the dashboard. It also acts as the instrument cluster, which has been removed from its usual position to offer a more clean interior design. There are five major control buttons on the centre console which take care of selecting the right gear, switching the engine on and off, and the audio controls. They are well designed and offer a high quality experience. For those who spend extra and opt for the Favoured Pack, the dashboard gets a high quality knitted fabric in beige and grey trim.

Overall, the Mini Cooper offers a cosy cabin experience, but the rear seats are best suited for children.

Mini Cooper Key Interior Features

Conclusion

Hatchbacks are small cars by definition. Therefore, designing a great and spacious interior for a hatchback is one of the toughest jobs faced by car designers. Keeping that in mind, the cars we listed above offer the best interior experience in their respective segments, with each car having its own strengths (and weaknesses).