Budget Diwali rockets: 5 quickest cars under Rs 15 lakh

Celebrating Diwali with rockets is about as traditional as you can get, which is why we’re celebrating with our list of affordable rockets on four wheels. Whether you’re in the market for one or just need to settle a bet, here are the five quickest cars to sprint to 100kph on a Rs 15 lakh budget. Do note that we've only included cars that have undergone Autocar India’s rigorous tests.

5. Honda Elevate MT: 10.82s

Honda’s midsize SUV for India is surprisingly quick on its feet. Powered by the high-revving 121hp, 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine, the Elevate manual is just 0.62 seconds shy of the Honda City to the ton mark. The difference can be attributed to the approximately 100kg extra weight the midsize SUV has to lug around. The Honda Elevate manual costs between Rs 11 lakh-14.9 lakh*.

4. Volkswagen Virtus 1.0 TSI MT: 10.8s

Priced between Rs 11.48 lakh-15.23 lakh, the VW Virtus 1.0 TSI with the manual gearbox shares its award-winning, torquey, 1.0-litre engine with the Skoda Slavia (which has a very similar 0-100kph time), and SUVs like the Taigun and Kushaq. As such, the Virtus 1.0 TSI with the 6-speed manual is one of the quickest cars in India thanks to the 115hp, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. The turbo on the three-cylinder unit spools up quickly and there’s more than a hint of the turbo whistle shrilling away as the thrummy engine approaches its redline.

3. Citroen C3 Turbo: 10.72s

The most affordable model on this list, and the only hatchback, the Citroen C3 gets a punchy 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that is paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Prices range between Rs 8.28 lakh-8.92 lakh, for which you get an excellent three-pot engine that is tuned for low and mid-range power. The C3 Turbo is also the quickest car on sale in India under Rs 10 lakh. So, on a strict budget, the Citroen is your best option.

2. Honda City MT: 10.2s

Honda’s brilliant naturally aspirated free-revving 121hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine makes a reappearance on this list in the City sedan. When specced with the slick 6-speed manual gearbox, the Honda City is priced between Rs 9.5 lakh-14.86 lakh* and can be a genuine joy to drive, especially when the engine is pushed into the higher parts of its rev-band.

1. Skoda Slavia 1.5 TSI MT: 8.63s

The Skoda Slavia with the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, and 6-speed manual gearbox, only makes it to this list by a hair’s breadth – considering the entry-level Ambition variant costs Rs 15.04 lakh, just Rs 4,000 more than our budget. However, the higher variants far exceed the Rs 15 lakh budget, with the top-spec variant’s price going up to Rs 17.72 lakh. The 8.63-second 0-100kph time comes courtesy the 150hp, four-cylinder unit, which does suffer from lag, but once the turbo spools up, the engine offers a broad spread of torque.

All prices, ex-showroom, India

*Prices, ex-showroom, Delhi

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