[John316_WRC]

Diesel manual lovers are truly a dying breed. But think about it, if you drive 15,000 kms a year or more, nothing beats the prudent diesel engine. Main positives being the punchy mid range and good economy.

As most of us are aware, today cars have become obnoxiously expensive. So here's a small list of cars which are Diesel, manuals and costing less than 10 lacs ex-showroom. (In no particular order)

Altroz XM+ Diesel(8.9L ex-show) and
Altroz XT Diesel(9.4L ex-show)
I would simply advise you to skip the XM+ and go for the XT because 50,000 rupees gives you Cruise control, auto climate control, Led Drls, fog lamps with cornering function, mood lighting, cooled glovebox, auto down driver window, smart key with start/stop button, vanity mirror, usb-c, antiglare IRVM, alarm system, reverse cam, voice command, 2 tweeters. This is probably the safest and most VFM car this side of 10 lacs. The car still looks great and has excellent european road manners.

XUV 3X0 MX2 Diesel (9.99L ex-show)
Bi-halogen projectors, Led Drls, 6 airbags, ESC, start/stop button, Adjustable Orvm, front armrest with storage, auto down driver mirror, rear AC vents, steering modes, 26cm infotainment with 4 speakers. In addition this is the only car here with all 4 disc brakes. Keep in mind this is basically a car from a higher segment chopped to meet the 4 meter length rule. Most spacious cabin and only true 3 seater back bench. The space in this car will put C-suvs to shame. Boot space is improved with the facelift and is better now. Avoid if you always travel with more luggage and your MIL

Kia Sonet (9.80L ex-show)
6 airbags, ESC, hill assist, fixed armrest, Adjustable Orvm, rear AC vents, Usb-c, front power window only. One major drawback will be the unstable body shell integrity, but the Kia/Hyundai diesel engine is probably the most refined out there. The car also looks good but the HTE is pretty bare bones.

Bolero Neo N4 (9.90L ex-show)
This is on the list only because of the price. I wouldn't suggest this because it doesn't even get basic features. For just 9,000/- rupees more it makes the 3XO look extremely VFM keeping in mind the 3XO is also a capable car on bad roads and hilly terrain.

Misses:
Sadly the Nexon diesel starts at 11.1 L (ex-show) and couldn't be on this list. Similarly the Venue 1.5 S+ starts at 10.7 L and is skipped.

Suggestions:
The Altroz XT is all the car you'll ever need (under 10 lacs) with a feature list that ensures you won't regret the purchase years down the line. For suv lovers the 3XO is the one to have. The Mahindra also makes more sense if you have to ferry 4 or more people in the car most of the time. Tata & Mahindra ASS is a hit/miss but the good thing is you will have to deal with them probably once a year during periodic service.

If I have missed out any Diesel MT cars under 10 lacs, please list them out with suggestions.
Cheers!

[dieselteen]

The Tata Nexon smart plus variant now starts at 9.99 lakhs ex-showroom and is equipped with all needed kit

Back in 2021 when we were looking for a new car, we almost finalized with the diesel altroz but unfortunately, we had to drop the plan

But I miss that era of diesel hatches growling and ruling the towns thus the name 'dieselteen'

[John316_WRC]

Update: Just realised the Nexon has a diesel manual Smart+ variant launched at 9.99L. Neither the official brochure or the website is clear on this model and the features it has. If someone has information on this, do share for the benefit of all.
Mods: please merge both posts.

[greenhorn]

Are any of these cars suitable for City use? I've heard plenty of dpf based small diesels throwing tantrums when they don't get to stretch their legs on the highway often

[GTO]

As a big fan of affordable fun-to-drive cars, I have to say that's a great list! Thanks for sharing. We have some truly fun diesels under 10-lakhs. Would be a tough choice between the mature Altroz, fun Sonet, funky XUV300 & Nexon Facelift.

These might be lower variants, yet they are offering a whole lot of car for the money.

[Altrozed]

All the cars mentioned are best in the list. There are no reasons not to skip unless you are looking for automatic.
If you arent in need for automatic and NOT in states like AP/TS where they fleece you in petrol/diesel prices, one can definitely enjoy the diesel cars.
Driving along HP,HR states where diesel price is so low and mileage is tremendous, these cars offer a huge lot of VFM quotient.

Enjoy before they are extinct.

[PrasannaDhana]

My vote goes for the altroz diesel. Being an owner and enjoying this little car for 2.5 years & 63000 km now, I can vouch for it. That potent 1.5 diesel engine is very efficient and not many have experienced it flat out on the highways. Anyone who has driven the altroz diesel on the highways will have a soft spot for the car for its excellent high speed dynamics and fast performance.



It isn't as refined as a XUV 3XO though, but it is definitely faster as I have driven both the cars(not 3XO but the XUV 3OO).

Nexon base and 3XO base diesels are very vfm at 9.99 lakhs ex showroom. Nexon has better rear bench than altroz. But when it comes to handling, altroz tops the list.

[arindambasu13]

While this thread is primarily on new cars, a fantastic option would be any of the Ford cars (pre-owned Ecosport, Freestyle or Figo) with that fantastic 1.5 TDCI. Super fun to drive, made for the open road and very reliable as well. Good examples can be found within INR 10 lakhs.

Whats more, a simple remap should make the driving experience shoot up several notches higher. Ford's after sales service has also been stellar in my personal experience and that of most other Ford users, so maintenance of this car is well taken care of.

[karan561]

Lack of Diesel Manual Fun cars are making people list out in this thread the "only" available Diesel Manuals and being tagged as fun.

Cars like the Figo 1.5 Diesel, Polo GT Diesel were the real fun Diesel cars available on a budget not so long ago.

Reality is that there are No "Fun To drive" Diesel M/T's available < 10L.

We are responsible for this scenario, unfortunate.

[Kris_risk]

I know it makes no sense in this context but buying a Vento Highline 1.6 TDI for 9.99 lakhs a decade back was fun. Despite the dieselgate and the subsequent updates, it continues to pull like a freight train and is so tractable in most gears - be it in the city or on the highway. The best part is how the passengers continue vouch for it's comfort while the driver continue to enjoy the turbo catapult.

Alas... they don't make them like that anymore.

[gaurav.kokra]

There is still time to get fun BS4 diesels in the second hand market.

VAG's - 1.5 TDI, 2.0 TDI,
Hyundai's - 1.5 CRDI, and 1.6 CRDI in the older ones.
and
Ford's - 1.5 TDCI

The above are still one can buy fresh examples (>4 year old) from the market without spending a million rupees and have the perfect blend of power and mileage.

This is the same reason why I am not able to let go my 2013 Vento 1.6 TDI which has already done 170000 kms but still pulls like a locomotive with 5 people on board and still give a mileage > 20.

[treyazaghtoth]

I’m not sure if my recently purchased car can be included in this list. I got the car for around 10 lakh mark. I recently purchased a (single owned) 2014 Audi Q3, diesel with manual gear box. 2 litre turbo, 140 Bhp with 380 Nm torque.

This machine is a hoot to drive. Overtaking is a breeze and so are highway drives. The grunt the engine makes when I downshift and rev match … heavenly. Stop and go traffic however is a pain.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by karan561

Cars like the Figo 1.5 Diesel, Polo GT Diesel were the real fun Diesel cars available on a budget not so long ago.

Reality is that there are No "Fun To drive" Diesel M/T's available < 10L.

Disagree that there are no fun to drive Diesel MTs available <10L.

If we measure by the same scale, the Figo tdci and Polo gt tdi were just overrated. Figo lacked the fun to drive quotient (steering feedback) of older Figo and fiesta. Polo had a lifeless steering. If we talk about engines and chassis, they were only slightly better than the current 1.5 turbodiesels and not vastly superior.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Disagree that there are no fun to drive Diesel MTs available <10L.

I can understand why you are disagreeing & it's ok. I too love all the cars I own & believe all are fun to drive good buys in their own way. Having reviewed and driven Altroz diesel it still is my pick in the entire Altroz offering / line up, however we both know that 1.5 Diesel deserved the Nexon tune & not just 90 hp

Originally Posted by treyazaghtoth

I recently purchased a (single owned) 2014 Audi Q3 , diesel with manual gear box.
2 litre turbo ,140 Bhp with 380 Nm torque.

Audi Q3 with a Manual Transmission in India? Interesting. Never knew this model / variant was available, but good to know that it existed. Please do share pictures and some review / experience if possible.

[kkSolo]

A few months ago I was in the same boat, looking for a cheap diesel car. (On road price less than 15 lakhs) I was coming from a 2022 Bolero and I needed something safer and bit more polished. Out of all the option above my perspective was -

1)The Bolero Neo is the only BOF in this group and the only RWD and those capabilities interested me to some extent but the looks were meh.

2) Next the altoz is the only diesel hatch available right now. Having experienced the early diesel Swifts, the kick and slight push into the seat feel of the turbodiesel, i thought this would be similar too, but the Tata service is not that great. I already have a Nexon in the family so that was that.

3) The 3XO is great vehicle. I would have gone for it had the facelift come earlier. The older version felt old in terms of look and feel.

The Korean twins offer a lot of value, have a lot of features but i never was a fan. I did test drive the Sonet and I believe it meets the needs of most drivers in this segment, fuel efficiency wise, service wise, performance wise.

I finally ended up getting the Thar RWD diesel. It went slightly over 15 on the road but it felt like the best upgrade possible. Ideally i would've wanted a 1.5 Thar 5 door. But who knows if that is even coming and not to mention the current wait for the 5 door.