What are some undervalued cars in India?

One car that comes to mind is the Ford Fiesta 1.6 S. It was a proper enthusiast car that ticked all the boxes.

BHPian V0rtex recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After watching Doug Demuro's video on 'Undervalued Cars that Should Be More Expensive,' I started thinking about undervalued cars in our country. His video focused on cars available in the US, soI’m curious about the situation here. One car that comes to mind is the Ford Fiesta 1.6 S. It was a proper enthusiast car that ticked all the boxes. Unfortunately, it didn't become a hit nor did it gain a cult following like the VW Polo. What are your thoughts on this?

Here's what BHPian Cresterk had to say on the matter:

I can’t really think of a single car that feels undervalued since the pandemic. Everything seems over valued and expensive.

Here's what BHPian SmartCat had to say on the matter:

• When new, there were/are/will be no undervalued cars. That's because manufacturers have single-digit margins and similar manufacturing/sourcing practices. They cannot afford to give you a great deal. If a particular model is priced lower than what YOU think it is worth, you might have missed the compromises made in interior quality, part quality, features, safety, or ride & handling.
• Ford Fiesta 1.6 or Suzuki S-Cross 1.6 are examples of "warm" performance cars. Not undervalued cars. If you go back and read S-cross review thread, you will notice many comments about how the 1.6 variant is overpriced (I think it had a premium of Rs. 1.5L over the 1.3 variant). Meanwhile, Fiesta 1.6 appealed to only a small section of buyers, especially compared to similarly priced practical & spacious 3rd gen Honda City. Remember Honda City was no slouch either (0 to 100 kmph in 10 point-something seconds).
• Pre-owned German luxury cars seem undervalued. But you have to contend with high maintenance costs and iffy reliability. So if it is priced low compared to new, there is a reason behind it. The prices are hence 'fair'.
• Pre-owned mainstream cars are reasonably priced. Not undervalued. The gap between new and pre-owned cars is just right.

According to me, there are only a handful of undervalued cars:

• Has to be pre-owned.
• Older than 5 years (preferably 10 years
• Because of the above, reliability is key. So has to be either Toyota or Hond
• Has to be expensive when new (Eg: Rs. 30L or Rs. 35L on-road price), so that it is featured packed & still feels luxurious
• Powered by a large petrol engine (so that resale value is low)

With these filters, we are left with cars like the Honda Accord, Honda CRV & Toyota Camry, all pre-owned. You basically get Rs. 30L/35L car (on-road price when new) for Rs. 5L to Rs. 10L. In my opinion, these are truly undervalued cars. After all, it still maintains 80% to 90% functionality of a new car at 20% to 30% of its original on-road price.

Here's what BHPian Happyrev had to say on the matter:

A S-Cross 1.6 is right up that alley. Its a hoot to drive.

It made a car enthusiast out of my wife who is generally not too nerdy about cars.

Here's what BHPian madhukarmohan had to say on the matter:

Here are some of the contenders:

• Ford 1.5D cars (Ecosport, Freestyle, Figo)
• Honda Jazz
• Skoda Yeti (and Fabia to an extent)
• Fiat Punto/Avventura
• Chevrolet Beat
• Maruti Suzuki SX4 (and S Cross)

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.