Among the major reasons behind the shift from sedans and hatchbacks to SUVs in the Indian automotive market is the need for higher ground clearance. This makes SUVs better suited to Indian roads, which are often broken, uneven and riddled with inconsistently sized speed breakers. However, sedans continue to live on, albeit in dwindling numbers. To that end, we’ve ranked every mass-market sedan currently on sale in India by ground clearance, listed in ascending order.
9. Maruti Suzuki Dzire
Ground clearance: 163mm
At a respectable 163mm, the Dzire has sufficient ground clearance to deal with most road conditions. The Dzire’s short wheelbase further helps the compact sedan traverse most speedbreakers effortlessly, though larger-than-usual ones may need a bit of crabbing to avoid scraping the underside. Prices for the Dzire start at Rs 6.26 lakh and go up to Rs 9.31 lakh.
8. Hyundai Verna
Ground clearance: 165mm (estimated)
While it has been facelifted for 2026 and beyond, the Hyundai Verna sees no change on the ground clearance front, which measures an estimated 165mm, just 2mm more than the Dzire’s. The Verna has a longer wheelbase, too. Despite that, the Hyundai sedan is able to tackle most speedbreakers with no issues, with extra manoeuvring required only for unusually big ones. The Verna price ranges from Rs 10.98 lakh to Rs 18.25 lakh.
7. Honda City
Ground clearance: 165mm
Like the Verna, the Honda City also received a facelift in 2026. The changes are purely cosmetic and equipment-focused, so the 2026 City has the same 165mm ground clearance as the pre-facelift model. While its wheelbase is 70mm shorter than the Verna’s, the 2026 facelift brings longer bumpers, which could affect approach and departure angles. Still, the City is not expected to pose issues while crossing normally sized speedbreakers. Pricing for the City starts at Rs 12 lakh and extends to Rs 21 lakh.
6. Hyundai Aura
Ground clearance: 165mm (estimated)
The Aura, Hyundai's entry-level sedan, offers the same 165mm (estimated) ground clearance as its elder sibling, the Verna. Being a compact sedan, though, the Aura has a significantly shorter wheelbase than the Verna and should be just as adept as its direct rival, the Dzire, at clearing speedbreakers of nearly all sizes. The Aura’s prices start at Rs 6 lakh for the base variant and go up to Rs 8.54 lakh for the top-spec version.
5. Tata Tigor
Ground clearance: 170mm (petrol) / 165mm (CNG)
First launched in 2017 and still in its first generation, the Tata Tigor is easily the oldest sedan on this list. The Tigor is sold in petrol and CNG guises, with the former’s ground clearance rated at 170mm and the latter’s at 165mm due to the additional weight of the dual-cylinder setup. Regardless, at 2,450mm, the Tigor’s wheelbase is identical to that of the Dzire and Aura, so expect the Tata sedan to handle speedbreakers just as well. Prices for the Tigor range from Rs 5.54 lakh to Rs 8.84 lakh.
4. Tata Tigor EV
Ground clearance: 172mm
The Tigor EV is the only all-electric sedan on this list, and to cope with the extra weight of its 21.5kWh battery pack, Tata increased its ground clearance to 172mm – 2mm higher than that of the petrol Tigor. As a result, expect the Tigor EV to scale speedbreakers just as well as its ICE-powered counterpart. The Tigor EV is priced between Rs 12.49 lakh and Rs 13.75 lakh.
3. Honda Amaze
Ground clearance: 172mm
On sale since late 2024, the third-gen Amaze features one of the highest ground clearances in the compact sedan segment: 172mm. While the Amaze’s 2,470mm wheelbase is 20mm longer than those of its rivals, the increase is minor and should not affect the Honda sedan’s ability to tackle speedbreakers. Prices for the Amaze start at Rs 7.51 lakh and climb up to Rs 10 lakh.
2. Volkswagen Virtus
Ground clearance: 179mm
The Virtus addressed the most prominent complaint about sedans in India with a segment-best 179mm ground clearance. This allows the Virtus to easily gobble up speedbreakers of all sizes, with a slight amount of crabbing required only for the most extreme ones. Prices for the Virtus range between Rs 10.5 lakh and Rs 19 lakh.
1. Skoda Slavia
Ground clearance: 179mm
Since the Slavia is the platform sibling to the Virtus, the Skoda sedan also offers an identical 179mm ground clearance. However, the Slavia edges ahead of the Virtus on account of its slightly lower pricing, specifically Rs 10 lakh at the base level and Rs 17.99 lakh for the top-spec variant.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
Dipan Sur
Uday Singh
Saptarshi Mondal
