Ride Height is the term that has always been an associated term with SUV’s. It was a time when the topic about small cars with best ground clearance was met with a burst of laughter. However, now we can find many small cars with high ground clearance as well.
Higher ground clearance in Small Cars
When you are searching the small cars with best ground clearance in India, do not forget to consider the wheelbase factor. In short, a longer wheelbase allows greater time between front and rear wheels hitting road bumps.
Uneven roads in India with high-speed breakers, sometimes, spoils your journey. In situations where roads are uneven and have potholes high ground clearance cars deliver more comfort and safety to the cars.
1 Ford Freestyle
Ground Clearance: 190 mm
Wheelbase : 2490 mm
Ford Freestyle is a cross-hatchback i.e hatchback with a raised suspension. The car is quite similar in specifications than Ford Figo but looks quite different. The car has received 1.2 L petrol engine (mileage: 19 kmpl) which outputs 87 bhp power and 112 Nm of peak torque.
On the other hand, the diesel version (1.5 L) Ford freestyle outputs 99 bhp of power at 215 Nm peak torque. It has a mileage of 24.4 kmpl in diesel engine variant.
The car price starts at 5.64 lakhs.
2 Datsun Redi-Go
Ground Clearance: 185 mm
Wheelbase : 2348 mm
With a sporty front profile and a stylish-modern side profile, Datsun Redi-Go has the maximum ground clearance in the small car segment. The best thing is that it is available in both 800 cc and powerful 1000 cc cars segment option.
The 800 cc of Redi-Go delivers 54 BHP while 1000 cc Datsun Redi-Go outputs 68 PS power. The mileage in 800 CC is around 25 kmpl while 1000cc has a mileage of around 22 kmpl. The car price starts at 2.68 lakhs.
3 Tata Tiago NRG
Ground Clearance: 180 mm
Wheelbase : 2400 mm
Tata Tiago NRG, the crossover hatchback version of Tiago, also has an impressive suspension height. With 180 mm ground clearance, this cross Tiago version is more rugged. There are two versions of Tiago NRG available – 1.1 L petrol and 1.2 L diesel.
Tata Tiago NRG petrol engine generates 84 bhp of power and 112 Nm of peak torque. Likewise, its diesel engine produces 69 bhp of power and 140 Nm of peak torque. The petrol Tiago NRG has 23 kmpl mileage while the diesel version delivers 27 kmpl.
The car price starts at 5.5 lakhs.
4 Funky Maruti Suzuki Ignis boasts nice ground clearance too!
Ground Clearance: 180 mm
Wheelbase : 2435 mm
Maruti Suzuki IGNIS is another nice option under this feature. The car with a ground clearance of 180 mm never disappoints you on uneven roads. With large seating space, powerful engine and good mileage IGNIS is a perfect car be it on a high way or inside city however the price seems little higher.
There are 2 engine variants in Ignis 1.2L K-Series Petrol Engine and 1.3 L DDIS diesel engine.
5 Affordable Tata Nano has excellent ground clearance
Ground Clearance: 180 mm
Wheelbase : 2230 mm
Tata Nano is not only the least expensive car in India but also has a very good ground clearance of 180 mm. The car has 624 cc engine delivering 33 PS power and 51 NM torque. It has an average mileage of around 21 kmpl and now it has been available in AMT version as well.
6 Baby Duster Renault Kwid is no less in ground clearance too!
Ground Clearance: 180 mm
Wheelbase : 2422 mm
Nicknamed ‘Baby Duster’, the Renault Kwid has garnered attention and robust sale in India. It has nice seats, ample space and higher ground clearance of 180 mm which helps the car to sail through bad roads. The city has 5-gear speed gearbox and is available in both 800 CC and 100 CC. The price starts at 2.71 Lakh.
7 Tata Tiago’s Ground Clearance is a bit less but not the worst either.
Ground Clearance: 170 mm
Wheelbase : 2400 mm
Tata Tiago has carved a niche in this segment very fast and its price starts from Rs 4.24 Lakhs. There are two engine options, 1.2 L petrol and 1.0 L diesel, available in this car. The quality of material and cabin space is an advantage of Tata Tiago. The car was updated with a new model Tiago XZ+ in the top variant.
The Ground Clearance of Tiago is 170 mm which seems less but its other features outsmart others in the small car segment.
8 Fiat Punto EVO
Ground Clearance: 185-195 mm
Wheelbase : 2510 mm
Fiat Punto EVO comes with two ground clearance option models. The petrol version has 185 mm ground clearance while diesel one has 195 mm ground clearance.
Fiat Punto Evo 1.2L petrol engine generates 68 ps power @ 6000 RPM and 96 Nm torque at 2500 RPM. The diesel version outputs 75 bhp power at 197 Nm of peak torque. The price starts at 6.40 Lakh.
9 Maruti Suzuki Celerio
Ground Clearance: 170 mm
Wheelbase : 2425 mm
Maruti Suzuki Celerio was the first small car in India to be equipped with auto gear shift technology. The car launched in 2014 continues to remain popular among the buyers. In terms of sale, its top variant ZXI sells the most.
It is available in 1.0 L petrol engine option which produces 67 bhp at 90 Nm of peak torque. The Maruti car also has a CNG version (MT) which delivers 31.76 km/kg mileage. Celario petrol has a mileage of 23.1 kmpl. The price starts at 4.31 Lakh.
What else matters against speed breakers/potholes ?
While higher ground clearance and raised suspension is perceived to be the most popular factor to evade potholes and bumpers. There are other things that matter too!
Technically, if the wheelbase of the car is longer, the ground clearance would have to be higher. The vehicle’s front/rear overhang i.e. length beyond the wheelbase at the front and rear is also important.
Above all, the drivers skill to slow down and not to land all tires simultaneously in the potholes is a key factor.
