The entry-level segment is the heart of the Indian car market, and a large number of sales continue to come from this space, encouraging more manufacturers to join the race
Upgrading to the BS6 emission norms has not only resulted in a host of cars being discontinued, it has also led to the prices of the cars being hiked, and in some cases, the increase in price is substantial. However, the most difficult transition was for the mass-market manufacturers that retail entry-level cars.
Despite the transition from BS4 to BS6, a few manufacturers have managed to retain their products in the BS6 era, and still manage to offer them at a competitive price. Here is a list of such BS6-compliant cars currently available in the Indian market under Rs 4 lakh, take a look –
1. Maruti Suzuki Alto
The Alto is not only one of the highest-selling Maruti Suzuki cars, but the entry-level hatch is also one of the best-selling cars in the entire Indian market. The Alto has been on sale since 2000, and even after two decades, its popularity doesn’t seem to lessen.
The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is currently priced between Rs 2.94 lakh, going all the way up to Rs 3.89 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom), which means that you buy any variant of the car under Rs 4 lakh. The hatch is offered with a BS6-compliant 796 cc 3-cylinder petrol engine rated at 48 PS/69 Nm.
2. Maruti Suzuki S-Presso
The S-Presso started a new segment altogether when it was launched last year, and the mini SUV quickly gained a lot of popularity in the market. The car gets a sole 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that puts out 59 PS of max power and 78 Nm of peak torque.
Under Rs 4 lakh, you can go for either the STD or STD (O) trim of the S-Presso – both of which can only be had with a 5-speed manual transmission, while an automatic gearbox is optional on the higher variants.
3. Renault Kwid
The Renault Kwid received a mid-life refresh last year, which brought along a range of new features and a slightly updated design to the table. The Kwid comes with BS6-compliant 0.8-litre and 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engines, but you can only opt for the former if you’re on a budget of Rs 4 lakh.
The 799 cc NA petrol engine belts out 54 PS of power and 72 Nm of torque, and comes mated to a 5-speed MT as standard. Renault offers three variants of the Kwid under Rs 4 lakh, i.e. STD, RXE and RXL, priced at Rs 2.92 lakh, Rs 3.62 lakh and Rs 3.92 lakh (ex-showroom) respectively.
4. Datsun redi-GO
Datsun recently launched the BS6-compliant facelifted redi-GO in the Indian market, and the updated entry-level hatch is currently priced between Rs 2.86 lakh to Rs 4.8 lakh (ex-showroom). The D, A and T variants of the redi-GO are the three variants that can be purchased under Rs 4 lakh, since they are offered at Rs 2.86 lakh, Rs 3.61 lakh and Rs 3.83 lakh (ex-showroom) respectively.
The car gets the same 799 cc 3-cylinder petrol engine (54 PS/72 Nm) as the Renault Kwid, and the three aforementioned trims can only be had with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
| Model | Engine | Price* |
| Maruti Suzuki Alto STD | 796 cc | 48 PS | 69 Nm | Rs 2.94 lakh |
| Maruti Suzuki Alto STD (O) | 796 cc | 48 PS | 69 Nm | Rs 2.99 lakh |
| Maruti Suzuki Alto LXi | 796 cc | 48 PS | 69 Nm | Rs 3.52 lakh |
| Maruti Suzuki Alto LXi (O) | 796 cc | 48 PS | 69 Nm | Rs 3.57 lakh |
| Maruti Suzuki Alto VXi | 796 cc | 48 PS | 69 Nm | Rs 3.76 lakh |
| Maruti Suzuki Alto VXi Plus | 796 cc | 48 PS | 69 Nm | Rs 3.89 lakh |
| Maruti Suzuki S-Presso STD | 998 cc | 59 PS | 78 Nm | Rs 3.7 lakh |
| Maruti Suzuki S-Presso STD (O) | 998 cc | 59 PS | 78 Nm | Rs 3.76 lakh |
| Renault Kwid STD | 799 cc | 54 PS | 72 Nm | Rs 2.92 lakh |
| Renault Kwid RXE | 799 cc | 54 PS | 72 Nm | Rs 3.62 lakh |
| Renault Kwid RXL | 799 cc | 54 PS | 72 Nm | Rs 3.92 lakh |
| Datsun redi-GO D | 799 cc | 54 PS | 72 Nm | Rs 2.86 lakh |
| Datsun redi-GO A | 799 cc | 54 PS | 72 Nm | Rs 3.61 lakh |
| Datsun redi-GO T | 799 cc | 54 PS | 72 Nm | Rs 3.83 lakh |
| Datsun GO D | 1198 cc | 68 PS | 104 Nm | Rs 3.99 lakh |
*All prices are ex-showroom
5. Datsun GO
The Datsun GO is the most premium car in this list, since you only get one variant under Rs 4 lakh, i.e. the D trim which is priced at Rs 3.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The GO justifies its premium price tag with a larger cabin than rest of the cars in the segment, as well as a bigger 1.2-litre petrol engine that belts out 68 PS of power, 104 Nm of torque. The D trim gets a 5-speed MT as standard.