With the rising demand and prices of cars, small hatchbacks seem to be the only reasonable option for most buyers. Fortunately, the hatchback segment of Pakistan has witnessed the arrival of several interesting options over the past few years.
A majority of buyers in Pakistan seek strong value for money in a car, and a major part of that is determined by a car’s performance.
In a recent article, we discussed the importance of the Power-to-Weight Ratio (PWR), where we established that it is not just important for fun, but in terms of utility as well.
To recap, a car’s PWR is the amount of power a vehicle has relative to its weight. Simply put, if there are two cars with the same engine power, say 100 horsepower (hp), then the lighter car will be faster while the heavier car will be slower despite having the same amount of power.
It bears mentioning that PWR is not the only factor that determines a car’s performance. Factors such as engine and gearbox tuning can also impact a car’s acceleration and feel. However, out of all these factors, PWR is the most effective.
With that said, the following is a list of all popular hatchbacks of Pakistan ranked from top to bottom by PWR:
The list below includes the heaviest variants of all hatchbacks. Here’s how they all rank:
Overall Ranking | Model | Engine Displacement (Cubic Capacity) | Power Output (hp) | Unladen Weight (kg) | PWR (hp per kg) |
9 | Prince Pearl | 796 | 40 | 735 | 0.054 |
8 | United Bravo | 796 | 40 | 700 | 0.057 |
7 | Suzuki Alto | 650 | 39 | 650 | 0.06 |
6 | Zotye Z100 | 998 | 68 | 898 | 0.075 |
5 | United Alpha | 993 | 68 | 890 | 0.076 |
4 | Suzuki WagonR AGS | 998 | 67 | 830 | 0.08 |
3 | Kia Picanto A/T | 998 | 68 | 840 | 0.081 |
2 | Suzuki Cultus AGS | 998 | 67 | 795 | 0.084 |
1 | Suzuki Swift GLX CVT | 1,198 | 81 | 895 | 0.090 |
In the supermini segment, Suzuki Alto has the best PWR of 0.06 hp/kg. United Bravo ranks second with a PWR of 0.057 hp/kg, while Prince Pearl is dead-last with a PWR of 0.054 hp/kg. Keep in mind that these differences are minor and won’t translate into dramatic power differences between these cars.
In the mini hatchback segment, Suzuki Cultus ranks first with a PWR of 0.084 hp/kg, whereas Kia Picanto is a close second with a PWR of 0.081 hp/kg. WagonR takes third place with a PWR of 0.08 hp/kg, while United Alpha takes the fourth spot with a PWR of 0.076. Zotye Z100 stands last in this segment, with a PWR of 0.075 due to its heft.
The Suzuki Swift has the best PWR out of all hatchbacks in this table. But it is priced much higher and is a category above all hatchbacks. Although these factors make the Swift an outlier, it is the most capable and exciting car out of all Pakistani hatchbacks.