Top 3 cars under Rs 5 lakhs: Performance figures revealed

The micro car segment in India may have shrunk in terms of competitors, but it has lost none of its steam in terms of volumes. It still remains the primary choice for those looking for a small car on a tight budget. The three cars that we have looked at use 0.8-litre engines with five-speed manual gearboxes sending power to the front wheels.
In the story we are looking at the following figures.

A. Acceleration

0-60kmph
0-100kmph

B. Roll on times

20-80kmph in third gear
40-100kmph in fourth gear 

Acceleration

0-60kmph
We have looked at this speed range as it covers all the speeds encountered during city driving conditions. In small cars like these with their 800cc engines, these kind of speeds would be encountered in fourth and fifth gear. Topping the list is the Alto with a time of 6.20 seconds, followed in second place by the Renault Kwid with a time of 6.78 seconds and the Datsun Redigo in third with 7.12 seconds.

0-100kmph
This acceleration figure is indicative of highway speeds and 100kmph is achieved in fifth gear. The Alto tops the list once again with a time of 17.09 seconds which is respectable considering the size of the car and the engine. In second place is the Renault Kwid with a time of 17.93 seconds while the Datsun Redigo which makes use of the same engine and gearbox combination is a distant third with a time of 19 seconds.

Roll on times 
0-60 or 0-100 kmph might be more intriguing, however, it's the roll-on acceleration figures that really tell the story when it comes to real world performance. Here, we look at the tractability of the engine and how responsive it is on throttle.
We have looked at two sets of roll-on times, 20-80kmph in third gear and 40-100kmph in fourth gear. 

In the fight of 20-80kmph in third gear, the Alto tops the list with a time of 13.3 seconds while the Kwid and Redigo are evenly matched at 17.08 seconds and 17.09 seconds. The 40-100kmph in fourth gear sees the Alto on top once again with a time of 22.5 seconds while the Kwid comes in second again with a time of 26.38 seconds. The Redigo is at a distant third with a time of 30 seconds.