Car maintenance cost comparison Part 7: Premium hatchbacks

We move on with our maintenance cost comparison and shift focus to the volume-driven premium hatchback segment. In case you’ve missed it, do check out Part 1 (premium and executive SUVs), Part 2 (premium and executive sedans), Part 3 (mid-size SUVs), Part 4 (compact SUVs), Part 5 (mid-size sedans), and Part 6 (compact sedans) of this study.

• Maintenance costs calculated over 60,000km
• Premium hatchbacks’ maintenance costs compared
• Factors in service life as well as cost of parts and labour (ex-Delhi, inclusive of taxes)

Once a segment with a fair share of diesel offerings, the premium hatchback segment is now largely a petrol-only space, due to the advent of the strict BS6 emission norms. Hyundai, Maruti, Honda and Volkswagen have all been familiar players in this segment and have offered diesels in the past, but they now only have petrol models. For Hyundai, though, this is only a temporary case, the company decided to skip the BS6 upgrade of the i20’s diesel engine, as the new-generation i20 model is launching this year. The new car will offer a diesel engine option, just like in the pre-BS6 era. Until then, though it’s the newest entrant, the Tata Altroz, which gets a diesel engine option.

Unfortunately, Maruti didn’t wish to participate in this study. However, we did manage to source the costs for the Baleno from various dealer sources. Thus, the prices for the Baleno should be treated as estimates.

Premium hatchbacks maintenance cost comparison

• The Japanese and Korean models in this segment have a one year or 10,000km service interval, while Volkswagen and Tata require a service every 15,000km. The Tata Altroz, however, requires a routine check-up every 7,500km, chargeable at Rs 1,000 from 22,500km onwards.
• Hyundai charges for labour only from the 30,000km service onwards, at a flat Rs 2,873, and with low cost of replacement parts, the i20 is the most pocket-friendly model to run.
• The Maruti Baleno’s twin from the Toyota stable, the Glanza, is the second most affordable car to maintain, followed by the non-turbo version of the Volkswagen Polo petrol. 
• The mild-hybrid version of the Glanza is a bit more expensive to run than the standard version, and the maintenance cost per kilometre is at par with the Honda Jazz and Tata Altroz petrol.
• Interestingly the Baleno is pricier to maintain than the similar engined Glanza, with the bigger difference coming from the higher labour rates. 
• The Polo presents a very interesting case. While the 1.0L TSI engine tops the sheet with the highest cost of maintenance, the regular 1.0L engine is very competitive and comes in below the Baleno, Jazz, Glanza (dualjet) and the Altroz.

Did you find this maintenance cost comparison helpful? Tell us what you think in the comments section and stay tuned for more maintenance cost comparison surveys of other segments that are coming soon.