Best Budget Hatchbacks With Automatic Transmission Under Rs 8 Lakh (2026)

Nine hatchbacks have an automatic variant priced under Rs 8 lakh ex-showroom, and every one of them is an AMT. The cheapest is the Maruti S-Presso VXi (O) AGS at Rs 4,77,400, but it has two airbags. The cheapest with six is the Maruti Alto K10 VXi (O) AGS at Rs 4,97,400. The most efficient petrol automatic is the Maruti Swift VXi AMT at a certified 26.25 km/l for Rs 7,12,900, just ahead of the Celerio VXi AGS at 26.00 km/l for Rs 5,63,400. The only one with a Bharat NCAP 5-star result is the Tata Altroz Pure AMT at Rs 7,71,990.

This list is built on a narrower test than most: the price of the cheapest automatic variant of each car, not the starting price of the range. That test changes the field. The Toyota Glanza starts well under Rs 8 lakh, but its cheapest AMT does not. The Swift and the Tata Tiago both get a CNG automatic in under the ceiling, which most lists miss.

Cheapest automatic variant of each hatchback

Hatchback	Cheapest automatic variant	Price, ex-showroom	Certified mileage	Airbags
Maruti S-Presso	VXi (O) AGS	Rs 4,77,400	25.30 km/l	2
Maruti Alto K10	VXi (O) AGS	Rs 4,97,400	24.90 km/l	6
Maruti Celerio	VXi AGS	Rs 5,63,400	26.00 km/l	6
Maruti WagonR	VXi AGS (1.0 litre)	Rs 5,99,400	25.19 km/l	6
Tata Tiago	Pure AMT	Rs 6,09,990	Not published by Tata	6
Maruti Swift	VXi AMT	Rs 7,12,900	26.25 km/l	6
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios	Corporate AMT	Rs 7,21,400	Not published by Hyundai	6
Maruti Baleno	Delta AGS	Rs 7,49,900	24.77 km/l	6
Tata Altroz	Pure AMT	Rs 7,71,990	Not published by Tata	6

Prices are ex-showroom Delhi, read from each manufacturer's own price list on 13 October 2026. Mileage figures are the certified numbers printed in each brochure. AGS is Maruti's name for an AMT; the hardware is the same type.

How many automatic variants each car has under Rs 8 lakh

The cheapest variant gets a car onto the list. How far up the range you can go before hitting Rs 8 lakh decides what you actually drive home.

Hatchback	Automatic variants under Rs 8 lakh	First automatic above the ceiling
Maruti S-Presso	2: VXi (O) AGS Rs 4,77,400, VXi+ (O) AGS Rs 5,27,400	None, whole range qualifies
Maruti Alto K10	2: VXi (O) AGS Rs 4,97,400, VXi+ (O) AGS Rs 5,44,900	None, whole range qualifies
Maruti Celerio	3: VXi Rs 5,63,400, ZXi Rs 6,18,400, ZXi+ Rs 6,75,400	None, whole range qualifies
Maruti WagonR	3: VXi 1.0 Rs 5,99,400, ZXi 1.2 Rs 6,43,400, ZXi+ 1.2 Rs 6,97,400	None, whole range qualifies
Tata Tiago	7: five petrol AMTs from Rs 6,09,990 to Rs 7,90,990, plus Pure CNG AMT Rs 7,12,990 and Pure+ CNG AMT Rs 7,64,990	Pure+ A CNG AMT, Rs 8,11,990
Maruti Swift	3: VXi AMT Rs 7,12,900, VXi (O) AMT Rs 7,38,900, VXi CNG AGS Rs 7,92,400	ZXi AMT, Rs 8,06,900
Hyundai Grand i10 Nios	5: Corporate Rs 7,21,400 up to Sportz (O) Vibe Rs 7,79,800	Asta AMT, Rs 8,09,000
Maruti Baleno	1: Delta AGS Rs 7,49,900	Delta CNG AGS, Rs 8,32,400
Tata Altroz	1: Pure AMT Rs 7,71,990	Pure S AMT, Rs 8,01,990

Two near misses are worth knowing about. The Swift ZXi AMT, the first Swift automatic with alloy wheels, a 60:40 split rear seat and rear AC vents, is Rs 6,900 over. The Altroz Pure S AMT is Rs 1,990 over.

The cars, cheapest automatic first

Maruti S-Presso

The lowest price of entry for two pedals, at Rs 4,77,400. Its 998 cc K10C engine makes 50.4 kW (68.52 PS) and 91.1 Nm, and the AGS is the most efficient S-Presso at 25.30 km/l. Hill hold comes only with the AGS, which is the right way round for an AMT on a slope.

The weakness is plain in Maruti's own brochure: the safety list reads "Dual Airbag" on all four grades. Electronic stability program and ABS with EBD are standard, but there are no side or curtain airbags at any price. The touchscreen arrives only on the VXi+ (O) AGS at Rs 5,27,400.

Maruti Alto K10

For Rs 20,000 more than the S-Presso, the Alto K10 VXi (O) AGS has six airbags, and that gap is the cheapest safety upgrade on this page. The brochure ticks side and curtain airbags, ESP, ABS with EBD and reverse parking sensors on every grade. The engine is the same K10C with 50.4 kW and 91.1 Nm, and the AGS is certified at 24.90 km/l.

It is a small car and feels like one: 3,530 mm long, 13-inch wheels, a 27-litre fuel tank. The brochure's feature list has no hill hold row, so check that on a test drive if you live somewhere hilly. The 17.78 cm SmartPlay Studio touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is on the VXi+ (O) only.

Maruti Celerio

The Celerio is the value pick here. The VXi AGS costs Rs 5,63,400, returns a certified 26.00 km/l, and has six airbags, ESP and hill hold assist (the last on AGS variants only). All three AGS variants sit under Rs 7 lakh, so you can buy the fully loaded ZXi+ AGS at Rs 6,75,400 with the SmartPlay Studio touchscreen, push-button start and 15-inch alloys and still have money left under the ceiling.

Its crash record is modest. Global NCAP tested the six-airbag Celerio in 2025 and scored it 18.04 out of 34 for adult protection and 18.57 out of 49 for child protection. Bharat NCAP has not published a Celerio result.

Maruti WagonR

The WagonR splits its automatics across two engines. The VXi AGS at Rs 5,99,400 uses the 1.0-litre K10C (68.5 PS, 91.1 Nm, 25.19 km/l). The ZXi AGS at Rs 6,43,400 and ZXi+ AGS at Rs 6,97,400 use the 1.2-litre K12N with 66.9 kW (90.9 PS) and 113.7 Nm, certified at 24.43 km/l. That 1.2 is the most powerful engine among the sub-Rs 7 lakh automatics, and the 335-litre boot is the biggest of the Maruti hatchbacks.

Six airbags, ESP and ABS are standard, and hill hold assist is fitted to the AGS variants. The touchscreen and alloy wheels are ZXi+ only. Global NCAP's 2023 test, run before six airbags became standard, scored the WagonR 19.69 out of 34 for adults and 3.40 out of 49 for children. The six-airbag car has not been retested.

Tata Tiago

The Tiago has more automatic variants under Rs 8 lakh than any rival: five petrol AMTs and two CNG AMTs. The 1.2-litre Revotron makes 86 PS and 113 Nm on petrol and 75.5 PS and 96.5 Nm on CNG, and six airbags are standard from the base Smart.

Read the variant sheet before settling on the cheapest one. Tata's brochure lists electronic stability program with traction control and hill hold control from the Pure+ upward, so the Rs 6,09,990 Pure AMT goes without them. The Pure+ AMT at Rs 6,64,990 adds those plus a 20.32 cm touchscreen with wireless phone projection, a reverse camera and tyre pressure monitoring, and it is the Tiago automatic we would shortlist. Tata publishes no certified mileage for the Tiago, and Bharat NCAP has not rated it.

Maruti Swift

The Swift VXi AMT is the most efficient petrol automatic on this list, and the VXi grade is better equipped than its position in the range suggests. The 1,197 cc Z12E makes 61 kW (82.93 PS) and 112.4 Nm, and the brochure certifies 26.25 km/l on the AMT. Even the VXi gets six airbags, ESP, hill hold assist, ISOFIX mounts, the 17.78 cm SmartPlay Pro touchscreen and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The Swift is also the only Maruti with a CNG automatic under Rs 8 lakh. The VXi CNG AGS is listed at Rs 7,92,400 and the brochure certifies 35.34 km/kg for the CNG AMT, with 69.75 PS and 101.8 Nm on gas. One caution: Maruti's price page labels the variant "CNG AGS" but shows "Manual" in the transmission field beside it, while the brochure lists "VXi CNG 5MT/5AMT". Confirm the gearbox on the booking form.

What you give up at VXi level: steel wheels, no split rear seat, no rear wiper, and a 265-litre boot against the Baleno's 318 litres. No Bharat NCAP result exists for the Swift.

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

Five Nios AMTs fit under the ceiling, starting with the Corporate AMT at Rs 7,21,400. The 1.2-litre Kappa makes 61 kW (83 PS) and 113.8 Nm. Hyundai's brochure marks electronic stability control, vehicle stability management and hill start assist as "AMT only" on the Corporate grade, so the automatic is better equipped for safety than the same grade's manual. Six airbags are standard on every variant.

Hyundai prints no certified mileage in the brochure, so the Nios cannot be compared with the Marutis on fuel economy from manufacturer data. It has no Bharat NCAP rating either.

Maruti Baleno

Only one Baleno automatic makes the cut, the Delta AGS at Rs 7,49,900, and it has the longest wheelbase of the Marutis here (2,520 mm) with a 318-litre boot. It shares the Swift's Z12E engine at 82.93 PS and 112.4 Nm, certified at 24.77 km/l with the AMT. Delta equipment includes six airbags, ESP with hill hold assist, tyre pressure monitoring, a 17.78 cm SmartPlay Pro touchscreen with wireless phone projection, rear AC vents and rear USB charging.

The Baleno is one of only two cars on this list with a Bharat NCAP result, and the detail is less tidy than the headline. Bharat NCAP published two Baleno reports in 2025. The one whose applicability table lists the Delta AGS is the two-airbag report: 24.04 out of 32 for adults and 34.81 out of 49 for children. The higher 26.52 out of 32 score applies to Zeta and Alpha variants. Both reports cover petrol variants only, and the facelifted Baleno now on sale has not been retested. Level 2+ ADAS exists on the Baleno, but only on the Alpha (O), far above this budget.

Tata Altroz

One Altroz automatic qualifies, the Pure AMT at Rs 7,71,990, and it is the crash-safety pick. Bharat NCAP gave the Altroz 5 stars with 29.65 out of 32 for adults and 44.90 out of 49 for children, and the applicability table includes the petrol AMT family. The 1.2-litre Revotron makes 88 PS and 115 Nm, and the 345-litre boot is the largest on this list.

The 6-speed dual-clutch automatic, the only non-AMT gearbox among these nameplates, starts at Rs 9,64,990 on the Creative S. As with the Tiago, Tata publishes no certified mileage.

Which one to buy

On a tight budget with six airbags as a fixed requirement, the Alto K10 VXi (O) AGS at Rs 4,97,400 is the floor. Spend Rs 66,000 more and the Celerio VXi AGS is a larger car with hill hold and the second-best mileage here.

Between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 8 lakh the choice is harder. The Swift VXi AMT wins on efficiency and standard kit. The Baleno Delta AGS wins on space. The Altroz Pure AMT wins on crash rating. We would pick the Swift for a single driver or a couple, the Baleno for a family that uses the back seat, and the Altroz if the 5-star result matters more to you than the fuel bill.

An AMT is not a torque converter or a CVT. All nine cars pause between gears under hard acceleration, and none of them hides it completely. Drive one in traffic before you commit.

How this list was built and what was not verified

Prices come from the manufacturers' own channels on 13 October 2026: Maruti's Arena and NEXA price pages, and the price services behind Tata's and Hyundai's price pages, all set to Delhi. Power, torque, mileage and feature availability come from each model's current brochure. Crash scores come from the Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP reports linked in the text.

Four cars were left out, each for a stated reason.

• Toyota Glanza. Toyota's online Delhi price list shows the cheapest automatic, the S AMT, at Rs 8.28 lakh. That is over the ceiling. Its brochure figure is 22.94 km/l for the AMT.
• Renault Kwid. Renault's brochure offers the Easy-R AMT on both trims, and its site lists the Evolution from Rs 4,52,900 and the Climber from Rs 5,14,900. The site does not show a separate price for the AMT, so we could not test the exact variant. It almost certainly qualifies; we have not ranked it. The brochure also limits six airbags to the Climber.
• Citroen C3. The brochure pairs the 6-speed torque converter automatic with the 110 PS turbo petrol only. Citroen's site did not give us a per-variant price for it, so it is unverified against the ceiling.
• Tata Tiago.ev. It is a single-speed electric car and belongs in a different comparison.

Real-world mileage was not tested. Certified figures come from a standard test cycle and will be lower in traffic.

For a wider budget, see our list of automatic hatchbacks under Rs 10 lakh, and for the technology itself, the guide to hatchbacks with an AMT.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the cheapest automatic hatchback in India under Rs 8 lakh?

The Maruti S-Presso VXi (O) AGS at Rs 4,77,400 ex-showroom, though it has only two airbags. The cheapest automatic hatchback with six airbags is the Maruti Alto K10 VXi (O) AGS at Rs 4,97,400.

Which automatic hatchback under Rs 8 lakh has the best mileage?

On petrol, the Maruti Swift AMT at a certified 26.25 km/l, followed by the Celerio AGS at 26.00 km/l, the S-Presso AGS at 25.30 km/l and the WagonR 1.0 AGS at 25.19 km/l. On CNG, the Swift VXi CNG AGS at 35.34 km/kg. Tata and Hyundai publish no certified figures, so the Tiago, Altroz and Grand i10 Nios cannot be placed in that order.

Is there a CNG automatic hatchback under Rs 8 lakh?

Yes, three variants across two cars. The Tata Tiago Pure CNG AMT costs Rs 7,12,990 and the Pure+ CNG AMT Rs 7,64,990. The Maruti Swift VXi CNG AGS is listed at Rs 7,92,400. The Baleno's CNG automatic starts at Rs 8,32,400.

Does any hatchback under Rs 8 lakh have a CVT or dual-clutch automatic?

No. Every automatic variant under Rs 8 lakh on this list is an AMT. The Tata Altroz dual-clutch starts at Rs 9,64,990.

Which of these automatics has a Bharat NCAP rating?

Two. The Tata Altroz has 5 stars (29.65 out of 32 adult, 44.90 out of 49 child) and the rating covers the petrol AMT. The Maruti Baleno Delta AGS falls under the Baleno's two-airbag report, which scored 24.04 out of 32 and 34.81 out of 49. The other seven have no Bharat NCAP result.

Do all of them have six airbags?

Eight of the nine do, on every variant. The Maruti S-Presso has two front airbags on every variant.

Is AGS different from AMT?

No. AGS, or Auto Gear Shift, is Maruti's brand name for an automated manual transmission. Tata, Hyundai and Renault call the same type of gearbox AMT, Smart Auto AMT and Easy-R.

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Prices are ex-showroom Delhi as listed by each manufacturer on 13 October 2026 and vary by city and date. Confirm the price, gearbox and equipment of the exact variant with your dealer before booking.