Fuel efficient cars in India are high in demand, especially considering ever-increasing fuel prices
In a country where “Kitna deti hai?” is a deciding factor when buying cars, it is not a surprise that fuel-efficient cars sell like hot cakes. This is the reason why most Maruti Suzuki cars basically live inside sales charts. It’s like home for them. New car buyers in India view mileage of the vehicle as a major deciding factor while automakers are making a concerted effort to bring in newer vehicles that promise better efficiency. Nobody wants their new car to make a hole in their wallet.
Here we have top 10 cars delivering highest mileage – from petrol, petrol-electric hybrid, diesel, and even CNG arena. The figures indicated are based on what has been officially revealed by each manufacturer and may vary in real-time driving conditions. All prices mentioned are ex-sh.
1. Maruti Suzuki Celerio – 35.60 km/kg & 26.68 km/l (CNG+Petrol)
Topping the list in terms of fuel efficiency is a Maruti Suzuki small hatchback, obviously. It is the Celerio. It is powered by a DualJet K10, 3-cylinders 1.0L petrol+CNG engine making 56 bhp and 82 Nm with 35.60 km/kg. Celerio is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. When run on petrol, Celerio gives out 26.68 kmpl. CNG variant of Celerio starts from Rs. 6.68 lakh.
2. Maruti Suzuki WagonR – 34.05 km/kg To 25.19 km/l (CNG+Petrol)
Another Maruti on the list, is the current highest-selling car in India, WagonR. It gets the same powertrain as Celerio in the same state of tune as well. But, it gets 34.05 km/kg. When run on petrol, it gives out 25.19 km/l. CNG variants of WagonR start from Rs. 6.42 lakh.
3. Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 – 31.59 km/kg To 22 km/l (CNG+Petrol)
Third on this list is currently the smallest and cheapest car in the country, Maruti Alto. Which is set to get a new generation with more space and comes with an SUV-ish appeal. It gets a 0.8L engine making 40 bhp and 60 Nm. It will give 31.59 km/kg of claimed efficiency on CNG and 22 km/l when run on petrol. CNG variant for Alto is priced at Rs. 5.02 lakh.
4. Maruti Suzuki Dzire – 31.12 km/kg To 24.1 km/l (CNG+Petrol)
Since Maruti Suzuki S-Presso CNG is currently not on sale, Dzire takes this spot. Dzire is currently the third highest-selling car as seen in our top 25 cars list. It is a sub 4m compact sedan and offers 31.12 km/kg. It is powered by a 1.2L K12C DualJet engine making 76 bhp and 98.5 Nm. CNG variant prices start from Rs. 8.22 lakh.
5. Hyundai Aura / Grand i10 Nios – 28 km/kg To 21 km/l (CNG+Petrol)
Hyundai Aura and Grand i10 Nios claim the same 28 km/kg fuel efficiency on CNG and 21 km/l on petrol, as both the cars are basically the same. Both of them get a 1.2L 4-cylinder petrol+CNG engine 68 bhp and 95 Nm. CNG variants for both these vehicles were only available in lower to middle variants. But recently, Hyundai also gave CNG in top-spec Asta variants too. CNG variants for Nios start from Rs. 7.16 lakh and Aura start from Rs. 7.87 lakh.
6. Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara / Toyota HyRyder – 27.97 km/l (Strong Hybrid)
Maruti’s flagship, a large compact SUV, also makes it high on this list. This is because of Toyota’s strong hybrid tech that powers both Grand Vitara and HyRyder. It is a 1.5L powertrain and gets an electric motor too. Together, this system makes 114 bhp in harmony and gets an e-CVT gearbox eeking out up to 27.97 km/l. Both will be launched soon.
7. Honda All New City e:HEV – 26.5 km/l (Strong Hybrid)
City Hybrid is another strong hybrid to make this list. It draws power from a 0.734 KWh, 172.8 Volt Lithium-ion Battery. When the battery loses charge, the engine kicks-in and charges the battery. Two electric motors rated at 98 PS between 5,600 RPM and 6,400 RPM do the heavy lifting. They produce 253 Nm from halt to 3,000 RPM. It is priced at Rs. 19.53 lakh.
8. Tata Tigor / Tiago – 26.4 km/kg To 20 km/l (CNG+Petrol)
From Tata’s stables, both their entry-level models, Tiago hatchback and Tigor sedan claim 26.4 km/kg on CNG and 20 km/l on petrol. Tata is still new to CNG tech, but the company seems to have received good reception. Both are powered by a 1.2L 3-cylinder engine making 72 bhp and 95 Nm. CNG variants start from Rs. 6.30 lakh for Tiago and Rs. 7.90 lakh for Tigor.
9. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga – 26.1 km/kg To 20.5 km/l (CNG+Petrol)
The highest-selling MPV in India, Ertiga, also makes it to this list as it gets the S-CNG variants. The 1.5L engine makes 87 bhp and 121.5 Nm with CNG and is capable of 26 km/kg. When run on petrol, Ertiga will give 20.5 km/l. Ertiga CNG prices start from Rs. 10.44 lakh.
10. Maruti Suzuki S-Presso – 25.3 km/l (Petrol)
Since S-Presso CNG is currently not on sale, we only take into account its petrol engine efficiency. The recently launched 2022 S-Presso gets a 1.0L engine making 66 bhp and 89 Nm. The MT variants are rated at 24.12 km/l, while AMT variants are rated at 25.3 km/l. AMT variants prices start from Rs. 5.65 lakh while MT variants price starts from Rs. 4.25 lakh.
Not to sound like a boomer, but back in the days, diesel used to rule fuel efficient cars list like this. But due to petrol engine’s lightness and the frugality of CNG, diesel has been pushed off this list. Even advancements in hybrid tech have catapulted strong hybrid vehicles ahead of diesel.
