2020 was a year of low sales for the Indian automobile industry because of BS6 emission norms that came into effect in April 2020 and then the outbreak of COVID-19. Because of these reasons, most carmakers refrained from launching new products owing to a slump in demand. However, 2021 showed signs of recovery and that became the green signal for carmakers to start a product blitz to stimulate the market. The cars launched in India included a raft of products, ranging from high-performance sedans to feature-rich SUVs. But as always, it was the budget-friendly segment that witnessed most launches in various segments. And as we approach the end of 2021, it is time to take a look at the top five budget-friendly cars that were launched in India this year. 
Renault entered the competitive sub-compact SUV segment in India in February 2021 with Kiger. Based on the same platform as Nissan Magnite, the Kiger was the cheapest sub-four metre SUV in India at the time of launch. And while it no more retains that title, the Kiger is still a very good value for money proposition and has been racking up substantial sales for the French brand. It offers a spacious cabin, segment-best boot capacity (405-litres), and comes equipped with features such as an eight-inch touchscreen, fully digital instrument panel, automatic AC, rear AC vents, wireless smartphone charger, three driving modes, etc.
Renault Kiger is available with a choice between a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated (Energy) engine and 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The naturally aspirated engine puts out 71 bhp, 96 Nm of peak torque, and is available with a choice between five-speed manual gearbox and AMT automatic transmission. The turbocharged engine, on the other hand, puts out 99 bhp with 160 Nm and is available with a choice between manual gearbox and CVT. 
Launched in February 2021, the Swift facelift received a handful of crucial upgrades, including a new engine. The company replaced the previously available 1.2-litre engine with the Dualjet VVT petrol powerplant that is available on Baleno and Dzire. This powerplant delivers 88 bhp and 113 Nm as opposed to 82 bhp and 113 Nm on the previous model. The new engine gets Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system and idle stop-start system for increased fuel efficiency. Besides a new engine, the Swift facelift also received cruise control, electronic stability programme with hill-hold (AMT only), auto-folding outside rearview mirrors and a revised semi-digital instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch multi-information display. These changes were, of course, in addition to a handful of cosmetic tweaks such as a new mesh-grille with a horizontal chrome slat. 
Launched in September this year, the 2021 Renault Kwid gets dual front airbags as standard, new dual-tone colour scheme for the Climber variant, electric outside rearview mirror, and night IRVM (inside rearview mirror), and driver-side pretensioner. All these changes have made the entry-level hatchback a better package than before. 2021 Kwid is available with a choice between two petrol engines. Renault Kwid with Kwid with a 0.8-litre unit makes 53 bhp, 72 Nm, and is available with a five-speed gearbox only. There’s also a more powerful1.0-litre engine on offer that has 67 bhp and 91 Nm on tap. This powerplant comes with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard but customers also get the option of Easy-R AMT unit. 
Tata Punch is the brand’s entry-level SUV and was launched here in October 2021. The Punch is quite aggressively priced and has a lot of things going for it, including a five-star global NCAP rating with more score than any other car in India. Tata Punch draws power from the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that makes 85 bhp and 113 Nm of peak torque. This engine is available with a choice between a five-speed manual gearbox and AMT. It has provisions such as a seven-inch touchscreen system, semi-digital instrument panel with seven-inch TFT, Harman Kardon sound system, iRA connectivity suite, automatic AC, rain-sensing wipers, automatic LED headlamps, etc.
The new-generation Maruti Suzuki Celerio was launched in India in November. In its new avatar, the hatchback gets an all-new styling, increased cabin space, more spacious boot, and an all-new engine. Powering the second-gen Celerio is the new K10C 1.0-litre, three-cylinder dual-jet engine with dual VVT (variable valve timing). This powerplant puts out 66 bhp with 89 Nm. The new Celerio comes with features such as idle stop-start technology, a seven-inch touchscreen, push-button start-stop, keyless entry, steering-mounted controls, electrically-foldable ORVMs, driver seat height adjustment, etc.
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