Cars under Rs 5 lakh in India: 2 Maruti models, 1 from Renault, thats it!

There was a time when you could get several cars under Rs 5 lakh (ex-showroom) in India. But now, things have changed. Cars have become expensive. The input costs have gone up and so have the prices of cars.Is there any car still left under Rs 5 lakh (ex-showroom) in India? Only three to be exact! These are the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10, Maruti Suzuki S-Presso and the Renault Kwid.

Even in these cars, not all variants are priced below Rs 5 lakh (ex-showroom). As we said, passenger vehicles (PVs) cost a lot more now. Let us find out more about these relatively affordable models.

The Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 is the most affordable car in India right now. With the discontinuation of the Alto 800, we are now left only with the Alto K10. Two variants -- Std and Lxi -- of the Alto K10 can be had for less than Rs 5 lakh (ex-showroom).

While the Std variant is priced at Rs 3.99 lakh (ex-showroom), the Lxi trim is available for Rs 4.83 lakh (ex-showroom). These two come with the 1.0-litre K10C petrol engine (67PS of max power and 89Nm of peak torque) mated to a 5-speed MT.

Only a single variant of the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso is priced below Rs 5 lakh (ex-showroom) and that is the Std variant at Rs 4.26 lakh (ex-showroom). It has the same engine as the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10, the 1.0-litre K10C petrol engine paired with a 5-speed MT.

The Renault Kwid was once available with a 0.8-litre petrol engine. But now, it only gets a 1.0-litre petrol mill. Two variants of the Kwid are priced below Rs 5 lakh (ex-showroom). There is RXE at Rs 4.69 lakh (ex-showroom) and RXL(O) at Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom).

Both variants employ the 1.0-litre SCe petrol engine (68PS of max power and 91Nm of peak torque) coupled with a 5-speed MT.Another important aspect that needs to be noted here is that no 800cc car is on sale in India right now. We had the Alto 800 and the Kwid 0.8-litre once. But both were axed by their respective brands when the BS6 phase 2 norms became effective from April 1, 2023.