- Turning radius is an important characteristic of a car to judge its maneuverability
- A lower turning radius makes parking & maneuvering a vehicle much easy
- Most of the cars with high ground clearance have a turning radius of more than 5 meters
- This list includes 5 cars with high ground clearance & a turning radius of less than 5-meter
As the size of cars is getting bigger and the consumer choice is moving toward SUVs, cars are becoming extremely hard to park or maneuver in city traffic or small congested areas. Moreover, with the growing size, cars now require more space for u-turns and parking. Also, as today's scenario requires cars with higher ground clearance to tackle the tough road conditions in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas; finding a car that has a respectable high ground clearance along with a lower turning radius has become tougher. Well, no worries. Here we have listed the top 5 cars in India that have a ground clearance of 180 mm or more and a turning radius of lower than 5 meters.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis:
Maruti Suzuki Ignis has been in the Indian market since 2016. The micro SUV from Maruti is one of the most city-friendly small cars that has a practical ground clearance of 180mm and one of the lowest turning radius of 4.7 meters. This makes Ignis a perfect micro SUV for city-traffic maneuvers, parking in small congested areas, shorter u-turns, etc. The Ignis comes with a peppy & refined 1.2 litre 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 82 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque. It comes with the option for a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT transmission. Maruti recently added ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and Hill Hold as standard features in the Ignis. Priced between Rs 5.82 lakh to Rs 8.14 lakh (ex-showroom), the micro SUV from Maruti is a perfect choice for those who want a small but spacious car with good ground clearance and easy maneuverability.
Maruti Suzuki Fronx:
The newly introduced Maruti Fronx is a uniquely designed compact crossover SUV. Based on Baleno's (Heartect) platform, the Fronx carries the spacious interiors from Baleno and combines it with a crossover SUV stance. This results in more headroom, a higher sitting height, and a higher ground clearance of 190mm. With a low turning radius of 4.9 meters, the Fronx is a good city car that can tackle bad roads & small congested parking with ease. It comes with two engine options i.e. a naturally aspirated 1.2 litre petrol engine and a 1 litre turbo petrol engine. The transmission options are a 5-speed manual, a 5-speed AMT automatic, and a 6-speed torque converter automatic. Maruti is also expected to launch the CNG version of Fronx in the months to come.
Tata Punch:
Tata Punch is the only car in its segment that has a 5-star safety rating from Global NCAP. The micro SUV from Tata comes with an SUV-inspired design and gets several SUV characteristics like an approach angle of 20.3 degrees, departure angle of 37.6 degrees, ramp over angle of 22.2 degrees, water wading capacity of 370 mm, and ground clearance of 187 to 190 mm. Also, it has a turning radius of lower than 5 meters. Due to its dimension and SUV characteristics, the Punch becomes a very capable vehicle that can take on all kinds of bad, broken, or tough roads, and still be very easy to park or maneuver in small or congested spaces. It is powered by a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that generates 87.8 PS of power and 115 Nm of torque. The transmission options are a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT automatic. Tata Punch is priced between Rs 5.99 lakh to Rs 9.46 lakh (ex-showroom). Tata is also expected to launch the CNG version of Punch in the coming months.
Tata Tiago NRG:
Tata Tiago NRG is the jacked-up variant of the Tiago hatchback with the higher 181mm ground clearance being the prominent difference between the two. Tata has also given an all-around cladding to the Tiago NRG to differentiate it from the regular Tiago and give it a rugged look. However, just like Tiago, the Tigao NRG too gets a low turning radius of 4.9 meters. Tiago NRG comes with a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 86 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque. The transmission options are a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT automatic. Tiago NRG is also available in the CNG option with Tata's innovative iCNG tech. The CNG variant of Tiago NRG gets the same engine as the petrol variant but it generates a bit less power and torque, i.e. 73 PS and 95 Nm respectively. The Tiago NRG CNG is available only with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Renault Kwid:
Renault Kwid is the most successful model from the french automaker in India. The small but spacious jacked-up hatchback is also the most affordable car on this list with prices starting at Rs 4.69 lakh & going up to Rs 6.32 lakh (ex-showroom). Kwid too gets a good 184mm of ground clearance and a low turning radius of 4.9 meters. This combined with a shorter length of 3731 mm makes this jacked-up hatchback a perfect small city car that can be easily maneuvered through narrow roads and small parking spaces. The Kwid is powered by a 1 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 68 PS of power and 91 Nm of torque. It comes with a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT transmission option.
Also Read: Maruti Fronx Boosterjet VS Mahindra XUV300 TurboSport: Comparison
Verdict: All these 5 cars are among the very rare cars that have a combination of 180mm or higher ground clearance and a turning radius of lower than 5 meters. This makes them perfect for use on bad, broken, or tough terrains, along with being very easy to maneuver, turn, take u-turns, and park in small and congested areas.
