Best Cars Of 2017 In India: Our Top Rated Car Launches Of The Year

Jeep Compass

Despite being an American brand, the Compass' launch was significant to India because the right-hand driven SUV is manufactured only in India for other global markets. Also, with the Compass, Jeep entered a highly competitive segment and surprised many with its competitive pricing.

Also Read: First Drive Review Of Jeep Compass

The Jeep Compass is currently one of the best SUV with off-road capabilities and stylish design. The SUV has an excellent road presence and stands tall among its immediate competitors. The Jeep Compass will continue to offer stiff competition to its rivals.

Maruti Suzuki DZire

Brand fatigue comes quite fast in cars, especially in India. That was the expectation of the Maruti Dzire subcompact sedan with almost all carmakers in India entering the segment with their versions.

But that was not to be with the new Maruti Dzire. The new compact sedan went on to challenge the market leader Maruti Alto and threatens to dismantle the leader from its position. The new Dzire looks a lot more proportional compared to the previous model and is loaded with features.

Tata Nexon

With the subcompact SUV segment's popularity gaining momentum in the Indian market and with Maruti dominating it with the Vitara Brezza, we need an equal rival to offer the best to car buyers. Tata Motors' in the backdrop of its popularity of its IMPACT design philosophy through its Tiago hatchback, the company launched the Nexon.

Also Read: First Drive Review Of Tata Nexon

Our review read that the Nexon is a stylish SUV in the world of boxy designed SUVs, read Brezza and TUV300. The Nexon is powered by the company's capable 1.5-litre diesel and petrol unit. The Nexon also comes loaded with excellent and modern technology and features to set it apart from its competitors.

Hyundai Verna

The previous Hyundai Verna model witnessed product fatigue and lost out to its feature-rich rivals such as the Honda City and the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz in the Indian market. But with the new-gen Verna, the Korean carmaker seems to have an edge over competitors.

The new Hyundai Verna even went on to become the Indian Car of The Year (ICOTY) award for its dynamic makeover. The new Verna boasts of segment-first features such as hands-free boot release, projector fog lamps, cooled seats and eco coating. With new and modern features, the new Verna has reclaimed top spot among its rivals.

Renault Captur

Renault is quite aggressive in its marketing campaign in India. While the Renault Kwid disrupted the entry-level hatchback segment, the Duster SUV offered car buyers an affordable yet capable compact SUV. But the premium feel was missing in company's SUV offering.

That's when they decided to launch the Renault Captur SUV in India, a global model with Indian elements. The Captur is roomier, classy and is loaded with features. Additionally, the Renault Captur has an excellent road presence, and that led to an enormous excitement in the industry.

Tata Hexa

Much ahead of the launch of the Tata Nexon, the home-grown carmaker launched the Hexa, a crossover which boasts of SUV capabilities. While the Hexa is a revised or redesigned version of the Aria, the Hexa looked a lot more proportional.

Also Read: First Drive Review Of The Tata Hexa

The Hexa can be considered as a stepping stone for Tata Motors in its turnaround regarding sales and its future in the passenger vehicles segment. Along with an affordable price tag and the Hexa is a capable SUV with electronically controlled adaptive All Wheel Drive (AWD) by Borg Warner with torque on demand feature.

Ford EcoSport Facelift

Ford was the first to introduce a sub-four meter SUV in India with the EcoSport. The SUV captivated most of the Indian car buyers for its agility, ride and handling. But with Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors joining the segment with the Brezza and Nexon respectively, the EcoSport lost out to the two.

Also Read: First Drive Report Of The Ford EcoSport Facelift

The reason was attributed to its smaller stature and premium features. However, Ford launched the facelifted EcoSport and addressed all the drawbacks, not that its sorely missed, and it has gained momentum in the segment. The new Ford EcoSport features a new 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine from the company's Dragon series claiming to offer better performance and efficiency.

Honda WR-V

The Honda WR-V is the crossover version of the Jazz premium hatchback. While the WR-V was expected to be the sporty version of the hatchback, Honda equipped the crossover with new and exciting features, including sunroof, fully foldable rear seats, automatic AC, cruise control, power folding and adjustable ORVMs which set it apart from the Jazz.

Honda also offers dual airbags at the front along with ABS with EBD as a standard fitment across variants on the WR-V. With a fully loaded WR-V, car buyers where treated with loads of goodies. The crossover went to become one of the best-selling cars for the company and even bettered the sales of the Honda City.

Maruti Suzuki Ignis

The Maruti Ignis is a niche product from the company targetting millennials with a modern and stylish design. The Ignis also boasts of excellent features, but what makes the Ignis significant in the Indian market is that the hatchback is a breath of fresh air in the crowded segment.

The Maruti Ignis features LED daytime running lights, dual tone dashboard, tablet-like touchscreen infotainment system, separate control panel for the climate control/HVAC system add style to the interior of the Ignis.

Skoda Kodiaq

The Skoda Kodiaq was launched in India immediately after its global debut signifying India's penchant for SUVs. Skoda understood that its flagship vehicle is a prominent product for India. The Kodiaq looks stunning with its massive proportions and comes with a 7-seater layout.

Also Read: First Drive Review Of The Skoda Kodiaq

The Skoda Kodiaq is equipped with smart and futuristic technology such as handsfree parking, comfort assist, headlamp washers, panoramic sunroof, sensors to open the boot door, and a whole lot more. The Kodiaq is a full-size SUV and certainly creates a benchmark in the segment in India.

Skoda Octavia RS

The Skoda Octavia is a popular model in India and continues to be even today, and the Czech carmaker decided to add a sporty variant to the sedan. The Octavia RS is the fastest and most powerful car from the automaker currently on sale in India. Within three months of its launch, the entire 250 units were sold out in India reflecting its popularity in the country.

With a price tag of Rs 24.62 lakh ex-showroom (Delhi), the Skoda Octavia RS features a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine churning out 227bhp @ 5,500rpm - 6,200rpm and a peak torque of 350Nm @ 1,500rpm - 4,500rpm which is sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The sedan can sprint to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds with a top speed of 250km/h.

Other Mentions

While the above list of best cars of 2017 is our top-rated cars for the year, there were other cars and SUVs which stood out in the crowded market as well.

Honda revised the City sedan with a minor facelift adding LED DRLs, touchscreen infotainment system as well. Maruti launched the S-Cross with a facelift, and the crossover does look a lot more proportional compared to the previous version.

Tata Motors launched the Tigor sub-four-metre compact sedan Tigor in the market but with a stylish and sloping roof which does make the Tigor stand out from its rivals.

DriveSpark Thinks!

The year 2017 has been a turning point for the Indian auto industry with every carmaker boasting of a segment leader. However, Maruti Suzuki continues to hold a tight grip over the market, and this is attributed to its explicit knowledge of Indian car buyers' requirement and continues to offer a product that well-suits the market.

The year 2018 is expected to be exciting as well. Stay tuned to DriveSpark as we bring you the most trending auto news, reviews, comparisons and offbeat stories of the Indian auto industry.