Ground clearance seems like a very basic yet a prominent aspect for the Indian roads. In simple terms, it can be understood as the minimum distance between the lower end of the chassis (body) and the flat bottom surface or we can say the base of the tire. Generally, around 150 mm of ground clearance is considered as a decent number, but when it comes to Indian terrains, the average figure starts from 165 mm.

Driving a car in India is like a hard nut to crack as the roads are highly damaged as well as flooded with potholes and badly designed speed breakers. Sometimes, they not only frustrate the driver but also kill the thought of driving. Well, this is not going to bother you anymore as we are mentioning here the list of high ground clearance cars in the country, within a budget-amiable price range.

Have a look at best ground clearance cars in India

Tata Nano:-

Price Range: INR 2.2 Lakhs to INR 3.1 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Tata Nano

When Tata Motors had first revealed its idea about the Nano, it was like an unimaginable truth. But, the Nano had finally got shaped and made its appearance in the market at just INR 1 Lakh. Though, it was having less features in comparison to other entry level cars, still, it wasn’t bad at all to buy this compact vehicle within such an affordable amount in that period. Over the time, it has brought out some new updates and of course the price has also been increased. As of now, it is being offered in three different variants and all of them are powered by a 624 cc displacement of engine. Well, Tata Motors is also working at an electric mill of the same unit that would be launched soon in the Indian auto segment. Besides the aforetmentioned, the car has a ground clearance of 190 mm that is its plus factor.

Hyundai Eon:-

Price Range: INR 3.4 Lakhs to INR 4.6 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Hyundai Eon

Based on the Fluidic design philosophy, the entry level hatchback is basically designed for the Indian car market. Along with an amazing design, it is also being offered with an enough ground clearance of 170 mm to answer the potholes and speed brakers efficiently. Mechanically, it is powered by an 800 cc, three cylinder petrol engine that generates 55 Bhp of power and 75 Nm of torque and mated with a 5-speed manual gearbox. A LPG trim is also available with this unit.

Datsun Redi-Go:-

Price Range:  INR 2.5 Lakhs to INR 3.4 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Datsun Redi Go

Since its introduction in the car market, the model has been a talk of the town for its design, features and of course the ground clearance. It comes out with 185 mm of ride height and is best-in-class. Following the details, it is the third unit from the automaker in the country after Go and Go+ which was built on the same Renault-Nissan Alliance platform as the Renault Kwid. Moreover, it also shares the powertrain with Kwid and claims to return a great fuel mileage of 25.17 kmpl, again same as the Kwid.

Tata Tiago:-

Price Range: INR 3.3 Lakhs to INR 5.7 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Tata Tiago

The latest iteration of the native manufacturer, Tata Tiago is basically introduced as a replacement for the company’s most renowned and long survived car, Indigo. Although, an average ground clearance of 165 mm is good on the Indian roads owing to their better suspension set up as well as safety features within the most cost effective range. Furthermore, it has also been offered with both petrol and diesel engine options where the former is 84Bhp 1.2-litre three cylinder Revotron unit, while the latter is 70 Bhp 1.05-litre turbocharged unit.

Honda Jazz:-

Price Range:- INR 5.7 to INR 9.2 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Honda Jazz

It had started breathing as a second generation model in the Indian car family in 2009 and received a terrific response from the car lovers. The good looking hatchback was entered in the country with a huge discount and that was because the automaker wanted to clear all its inventory. At the present time, it has been enjoying its third generation avatar and flaunts a range of basic as well as advanced features. The company has built this unit with an average ground clearance of 165 mm. Beneath the hood, it has two powertrain – 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel, where the former is mated with a 5-speed manual or CVT gearbox, the latter is only equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Fiat Punto Evo:-

Price Range: INR 6.0 lakhs to INR 8.1 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Fiat Punto Evo

Fiat seems to be losing its grip from the Indian auto segment, yet it has never stopped making the effort. Recently, an updated version of the Punto Evo has also been introduced in the market with a more powerful engine. Despite having the best ground clearance of 185 mm, it is a less effective model in comparison to the other hatchbacks. The reason behind poor sales is due to its high cost of after service spare parts and its low fuel economy against the other similar hatchbacks.

Ford Figo:-

Price Range: INR 4.6 Lakhs to INR 7.8 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Ford Figo

Among the best selling hatchbacks like Maruti Suzuki Swift, Volkswagen Polo, and Hyundai Grand i10, the Ford Figo has the higher ground clearance of 174 mm, although not perfect, but it is good enough to beat the bumpy roads. The latest generation model of the Figo has also come up with more powerful engine, additional safety features, as well as other contemporary attributes. On the mechanical front, it is available with a 1.2-litre petrol, which belts out 86 Bhp of power, while the other 1.5-litre petrol unit can pull the car with 110 bhp of power. On the other hand, it also has a 1.5-litre diesel unit on their specs list that can deliver 99 Bhp of power and 215 Nm of torque.

Hyundai i20 Active:-

Price Range: INR 6.8 Lakhs to INR 9.2 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Hyundai i20 Active

It is surely unfair to miss this model from the list of best ground clearance cars as the unit is being offered with finest ride hide of 190 mm in the hatchback segment. Based on the second generation Elite i20 platform, it is the best one to drive under own nameplate. Available in 1.2L Kappa dual VTVT petrol and 1.4L CRDi diesel motor, it is packed with 5-speed manual and 6-speed manual units respectively. Airbags are standard across all the trims.

Ford EcoSports:-

Price Range: INR 6.8 Lakhs to INR 10.2 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Ford Ecosport

It was a great hit when launched back in 2013 in the Indian four wheeler segment and still dominating its segment because of its eye-fascinating looks as well as parsimonious price. Along with the better suspension and braking system, the 200 mm of ground clearance is also well enough to avoid all the unwished potholes and speed breakers on the roads. Recently, the carmaker has also introduced some updates under the moniker of 2016 version as well as a special Black Edition of the same unit has also been introduced in the Indian auto segment. Currently, it is being sold with a choice of three mechanical options – a 1.5-litre TiVCT petrol engine, a 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine and 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol motor.

Maruti Ertiga:-

Price Range: INR 6.6 Lakhs to INR 9.0 Lakhs (Ex-showroom)

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Maruti Suzuki has first taken the wraps off from the Ertiga in 2012 with a view to competing directly with Toyota Innova (dubbed as Innova Crysta in 2016), which is one of the best selling MPVs in the country. In terms of the dimensions, the Ertiga is almost similar to Innova, however, the ground clearance is slightly higher measured as 185 mm. Due to the current diesel ban issue, Maruti has also reduced the price of its diesel variant that is packed with a 1.3-litre Fiat MultiJet unit and produces 89 Bhp of power with 200 Nm of torque. Another petrol mill is also available with a displacement of 1373 cc and makes out 91.1 Bhp of power and 130 Nm of torque.