The Indian Automotive industry has come a long way. Today, we have a diverse and varied choice of cars available in the Indian car market. As is the case with every automotive industry over the world, India too has seen some cars that have been ultra-successful and earned the country's respect over time. So let's have a quick look at the top 10 cars that deserve to be in the Indian Hall of Fame !
Although this list has no particular order, number one without doubt shall be occupied by the Maruti 800. Until the happy little 800 came along, Indians had to deal with underequipped age old cars with obsolete technology , namely the Hindustan Ambassador and Premier Padmini for decades. The launch of the 800 in 1983 as a result of a Indo-Jap collaboration liberated the Indian automotive world forever. India got a car that was modern by the 80s India standards, fairly quick, compact, reliable and built to last. It became an instant success and changed the way we Indians drive and commute. Soon after, it became India's best selling car until 2004, when the Maruti Alto took over. The 800 saw few major changes throughout its life and was discontinued in 2014, after 31 long years. Its legacy lives on and it is rightly called, ‘The car that put India on Wheels' and ‘The car that made Maruti Suzuki'.
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800s are still a common sight on Indian roads and the first model 800 (the ss80) is now regarded as a Youngtimer Classic Car commanding a handsome value in the used car market.
Also Read: Nostalgia Alert: Looking Back Fondly At The Maruti Suzuki Esteem
Maruti Suzuki Zen
Maruti Suzuki's second hatchback in India was the Zen. The Zen was introduced in 1993 and came as stroke of good luck for the enthusiasts. Unlike the 800, the Zen withheld a 1.0 litre 4 cylinder all aluminium engine called the G10B which was zippy and smooth. It also had a butter smooth 5 speed gearbox and made about 50 horsepower , which in 1993 was phenomenal power for a small car in India.
Those who could afford the buzzy jellybean Zen loved their cars to bits. Thanks to its light weight and low-slung driving position, it became a favourite among the motorsport drivers. The Zen's mod friendly nature made it even more popular among those who liked to spruce up their cars. The Zen can indeed be called ‘India's first Hot Hatch' for the very reason.Maruti Suzuki discontinued the Zen in 2006 and then used the Zen moniker on their new tall-boy car called the Estilo which, unfortunately, ruined the Zen brand.
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Maruti Zens too are a common sight on Indian roads and are ideal cars to learn driving in or perhaps learn about car mechanicals and modifications due to their simplicity and reliability. A used Zen can be found in the used car market for less than an iPhone today, provided you're looking for a regular Zen and not the two door Zen Carbon or Zen Steel which command insane prices nowadays.
Also Read: Why The Maruti Zen Remains The Most Sought After Car In The Pre-Owned Business
Mahindra Thar
Mahindra and Mahindra is an Indian car manufacturer that has been around since the 1940s. Till the 1990s they were known to produce crude and utilitarian vehicles such as the CJ Jeep, MM540 and the likes. Things changed for them in 2002 when they introduced the Scorpio which was their first modern SUV. However, the purity and true essence of a Mahindra was felt in the cabin of a rugged 4x4 vehicle. The MM540 jeep had left a massive void after its discontinuation, which was filled in October 2010 by the Thar. The Thar was introduced to carry on the legacy and hence it retained the original MM540's looks. It had 4x2 and 4x4 options, as for under the bonnet it sported two modern diesel engine options namely the 2.6 DI and the 2.5 CRDe . Although rugged, it was fitted with a few features in order to blend in with the modernity and had the choice of a hard-top and soft-top. It found its audience in no time and became a success.
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Also Read: These Amazing Modified Versions of Mahindra Thar Sell Like Hot Cakes!
In August 2020, after a decade, Mahindra introduced the second generation Thar which is currently on sale and has a 2.0 litre petrol and 2.2 litre diesel engine option with manual and automatic choices respectively.
The Thar is hence the car that proudly carries and exhibits Mahindra's and India's heritage on its shoulders.
The 90s are said to be the best decade in Indian Automotive History. This phase saw several new entrants in the Indian car market along with the transition from the old school carburetted technology to the then futuristic ‘Fuel Injected' technology. Honda was one of the manufacturers that firmly made its mark in India with the Honda City back in 1998. The first generation Honda City (OHC) was indeed a loveable car and firmly established Honda in India. It was a mix of Honda's reliability, durability, and the 1.5 litre petrol engine was an absolute banger which loved to rev. There also existed a 1.3 litre petrol engine which was for the less enthusiastic buyer. Furthermore, it looked simple and had a lovely low slung driving position. The introduction of the City gave the popular Maruti Esteem a run for its money.
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Things went ballistic in 2000 after Honda introduced the 1.5 VTEC engine with the bold facelift which made about 100 horses. The VTEC made every enthusiast wet their pants with envy and became a favourite of the tuners and those who enjoyed going fast.It was truly a period when Honda made the best engines !The OHC was discontinued in 2003 and replaced by the second generation which was sadly nothing like its predecessor. The OHC is still however, an enthusiast's favourite and can be found for a decent price in today's used car market (provided you are lucky).
The year 1998 saw Korean car giant Hyundai make its way into India with help from Shahrukh Khan to advertise their car-the Santro. The Santro was massively criticised with regard to its bizarre looks. Some said it resembled a frog , while others laughed at its slanted rear end. These comments however didn't stop the Santro from succeeding.
As a tall-boy hatchback, it was rather spacious, well equipped, modern and could comfortably seat 5 people without any of them getting claustrophobic. Under the bonnet it sported a 1.0 litre 4 cylinder fuel injected Epsilon Petrol engine which later got upgraded to a 1.1 litre version. It was no driver's car, but sure as hell was practical and offered decent ride quality too making it a potential car for the average Indian family. The success of the Santro threatened Maruti causing them to launch the WagonR a year later. The Santro single handedly helped Hyundai set base in India.
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Also Read: The Real Hyundai N Line That Is Not Launched In India
Tata Indica
In 1998, Tata Motors launched their ‘small car' called the Indica which also happened to be India's first Indigenously developed car. The Indica had smooth design language and was a comfortable car to be driven around in (a yawn to drive) owing to its good ride quality and space. It was also India's first diesel engine hatchback, sporting a 1.4 NA Peugeot Diesel engine initially mated to a 4 speed transmission. There also existed a 1.4 litre Petrol engine which was not a very popular option.
The original Indica was a modern tractor and its smoke belching diesel engine ensured it didn't go anywhere in a hurry. So Tata, introduced an improved version of the car called the v2 in 2001, which also saw an improvement in sales. Thanks to the economical diesel motor and comfort, it became very popular among the cabbies and fleet operators who used their Indicas for lakhs of kilometres.
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Maruti Suzuki brought the Red Hot Spicy Swift to India in the summer of 2005 after showcasing it at the auto expo in 2004 and what a looker it was ! Around the time ,fun to drive hatchbacks like the Zen had become dated and the youth didn't show much interest in a 12 year product, while others like the Fiat Palio were caught in a mess. Hyundai and Ford tried to revamp the hatchback segment by launching the Getz and Fusion respectively , but people didn't really want to pay that big money for a hatchback. It was the Swift that firmly established the premium hatchback segment. India welcomed the Swift with open arms and Maruti had reason to become ecstatic once again.
Under the hood the Swift had the rev happy G13B 1.3 litre 4 cylinder petrol engine, inspired by the one in the Esteem and it was an absolute joy to drive and throw around. In 2007, Maruti launched the 1.3 DDis Multijet Diesel engine Swift which too was a rocket and economical too ! The Swift has, ever since, been one of India's best selling cars and is available today in its third generation avatar.
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Also Read: Ratan Tata's Preferred Cars For Commute Over The Years
Tata Sierra
The Tata Sierra was Tata Motors' first vehicle in the car market back in 1991, prior to which they only made heavy vehicles. The Sierra was a two door SUV with an uber cool design thanks to the massive wrap around rear glasses. For that time, it had some revolutionary features such as power windows, power steering, factory fitted air conditioning and a dog-leg gearbox pattern.
The Sierra had amazing road presence and made its occupants feel a level above everyone else on the road. Under the bonnet it originally had a 2.0 litre NA diesel engine combined with a five speed manual transmission and real wheel drive, which was later upgraded to a turbodiesel version called as the Sierra Turbo in 1998. Its rugged yet calm composure were rightly described in an advertisement that said, ‘Tata Sierra- It takes the rough with the smooth'. The Sierra can be regarded as India's first contemporary SUV.
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Initially, this article did not show the Padmini in a very good light and described it as dated and underequipped. Well, facts are facts. However, despite all the negatives the Padmini still won hearts and continues to win them to this day. Initially sold as the original 1964 Fiat 1100 Delite and then the Premier President , before being rechristened to Padmini , this car was indeed India's darling.
Under the bonnet it withheld a 1.1 litre carburetted 4 cylinder petrol engine with the old pushrod technology mated to a 4 speed manual transmission which was usually in the form of a column shift gearbox , while a floorshift option too was available. It made 42 horsepower. A 1.3 litre Diesel engine was also introduced in the 1990s. The Padmini had a sporty charisma and indeed felt delightful to drive and was mod friendly as compared to its only rival, the huge Hindustan Ambassador. Besides that, it could take plenty of abuse and continue running. Before Maruti came along, it was the weapon of choice for rally drivers who did some phenomenal modifications to their cars . While on the other hand, it became the iconic Mumbai Kaali Peeli Taxi. PAL discontinued the Padmini in 2000 and today it is a sought after young classic car like the ss80 and can be a great start for someone who wishes to enter the world of classic cars.
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That finally brings us to the Ambassador. The Ambassador was introduced in India in 1957 and was based on the British Morris Oxford. Unlike its rival, the Fiat 1100(premier padmini) it was huge and cumbersome to drive and handled like a boat. It however, was the more comfortable car of the two and was the car a family man would buy. Hindustan Motors released a new model every year under the ‘Mark' chronology . Nothing really changed in the new models except for the front grill and some minor things. Under the bonnet it still had the lacklustre 1.5 litre carburetted petrol pushrod engine from the Morris Oxford mated to a 4 speed transmission which was tiresome.
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A big change came in 1984, when HM plonked the powerful 1.8 litre Isuzu engine from the Contessa into the Amby(MARK IV), giving it some added strength. A Diesel engine too was introduced in the 90s. The Ambassador stayed the car of choice for politicians and bureaucrats for ages and HM sold it forever. Finally, in 2014 it was discontinued. By then it had modern features such bucket seats, floorshift gearbox, fuel injection and Air conditioning making it a restomod of sorts. The Ambassador is India's longest running car model which stayed on sale for 57 years !
