5 Premium Sedans You Can Buy For Under Rs 20 Lakh

These compact sedans match the similarly priced SUVs in terms of size, performance, and features, while delivering the elegance of owning a sedan

In a budget of Rs 20 lakh, there are a plethora of upmarket SUV options available, but far less sedans to choose from. In fact, even if you increased your budget cap to Rs 30 lakh, you will not have any new choices for a sedan. While these cars are a dying shape in the mass market, they are still the primary choice of some due to their comfort, big boot, driving dynamics, and elegant styling. 

So, these are the five premium sedans priced below Rs 20 lakh that you can get instead of something with added seats or more ground clearance: 

Honda City

Honda City is the oldest running nameplate in this space and is well known for its reliability. Currently in its fifth-generation, the City is still the benchmark when it comes to in-cabin quality and comfort. 

It’s the only sedan in its segment to get the option of a strong-hybrid powertrain, which claims an efficiency of up to 27.13kmpl. The top-end hybrid option is costlier than the top-end variants of rivals by up to Rs 3 lakh, but the high mileage will keep the daily running costs significantly lower. 

Interestingly, the Honda City is equipped with basic ADAS features from the lower-level V variant, which is priced just at Rs 12.45 lakh (ex-showroom), and a lot more affordable than any ADAS-equipped rival. 

Volkswagen Virtus

The Volkswagen Virtus is a more feature-rich and larger successor to the Vento. The sedan is classy and sporty to look at, packs the punch for a spirited drive, and flaunts a premium in-cabin experience, delivering the expectations you would have from a German auto brand. 

Virtus offers the best-in-class safety with a 5-star crash test rating for both adult and child occupants. However, it does miss out on ADAS, which is available on the Honda City and Hyundai Verna. 

Skoda Slavia

The Skoda Slavia came in as a bigger and more powerful and premium replacement to the Rapid. It is a sibling offering to the Virtus with many commonalities under the different metal skin. The premium quotient here is much in line with the Octavia, which was positioned a segment-above. 

It shares the stage with the Virtus in being the safest car of India, securing high scores and five stars each for child and adult occupant protection as tested by Global NCAP. However, this sedan also lacks the option of ADAS on any variant.

Also Read: Hyundai Verna vs Honda City vs Volkswagen Virtus vs Skoda Slavia: Space & Practicality Comparison

Hyundai Verna

The new Hyundai Verna undercuts the German sedans for entry pricing but it is a more feature-rich and spacious offering. Its turbo-petrol option makes it the most powerful sedan in its class. 

While the safety features are at par with its rivals, Verna is the only car after the City to get the ADAS safety suite. 

Maruti Ciaz

The Maruti Ciaz is the most affordable compact sedan right now, but also the most outdated one. However, don’t let its affordability trick you into thinking of it as a sedan compromised by pricing. It gets a humble 1.5-litre petrol engine with the option of an age-old 4-speed torque converter automatic. This powertrain is not exactly punchy, but certainly quite economical.

Compared to its rivals, the Ciaz is slightly smaller in terms of length and width but still has a fairly spacious cabin. While being equipped with necessary features, it misses out on many feel-good elements like an electric sunroof, ventilated front seats, and a wireless charger. Safety is also low with the absence of six airbags and tyre pressure monitoring system. 

However, in terms of design, the Ciaz has aged gracefully without any major updates to the outside and it still offers a great value proposition as a comfy and accommodating sedan.

Earlier, there were a lot more premium sedans to choose from. Without having to enter the luxury space or spend north of Rs 30 lakh, you could go for the likes of Toyota Corolla Altis, Hyundai Elantra, Skoda Octavia, and Honda Civic. However, none of these monikers remain today and only one is expected to return (the Octy).

In today’s mid-size sedan segment, the compact sedans have filled in their shoes by offering a similar experience. The performance, dimensions, features, and the premium quotient of these compact sedans are now somewhat at par with sedans a segment above. 

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