9 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars in India
‘Kitna deti hain?’ is such a cliché with car buyers in the Indian market, it even got spun off into a memorable ad campaign for the country’s largest car manufacturer. However, with the recent spike in fuel prices, this has become quite a serious question asked by new car buyers. Which cars, then, are the most fuel-efficient cars in India? Let’s find out.
We’ve set ourselves a few rules while making this list 🤓
- One, we won’t consider simply the top ten most fuel-efficient cars in the market because that will simply be a list of the lightest cars with the smallest engines and the least number of cylinders. We will have those, yes, but we thought it better to go segment by segment and look at both petrol and diesel options in the segment.
- We’re largely not considering CNG vehicles for the purposes of this article because they have an unfair cost advantage – India does not have to import CNG, so it doesn’t have several taxes like the ones imposed on crude oil imports. As a result, a CNG car will be the cheapest to run by a fair margin.
- We will also consider automatic transmission if it is available. Automatic transmissions are a boon if you use your car primarily to commute, so they deserve acknowledgement.
- Finally, since the real-world fuel efficiency depends upon a number of factors, such as the city (wide roads that allow flowing traffic will always offer better efficiency figures than start-stop traffic), the time of day and season in which the commute is happening (no, really - a summer afternoon drive in Delhi will have the AC working extra hard, which consumes more fuel), the driving style of the driver (a smooth driver will always eke out better efficiency than an aggressive one), and whether or not your car was delivered on an auspicious day or not (okay, we’re kidding 😛).
So, to keep things as standard as possible, we will be using the government’s ARAI fuel efficiency figures as a yardstick. These are ideal figures that aren’t achievable in the real world. Still, since all cars undergo the same cycle under the same conditions in a laboratory while being tested, they give you a good idea of what to expect in terms of relative fuel efficiency between more than one vehicle. Without further ado, let us begin.
1. Renault Kwid
Renault isn’t the manufacturer you’d think of first when you think ‘small, efficient car’, but surprise, surprise, the Kwid and its 800cc engine offer a staggering ARAI fuel efficiency figure of 25 kmpl. The Kwid first made waves when it launched because it followed the SUV format, while in reality, it was a small city runabout. This made it very popular, and it remains one of the better selling models for the French automaker.
2. Maruti Suzuki S-Presso
The S-Presso isn’t as fuel-efficient as the Alto because of its bigger 998cc engine, but it is on this list because it is offered with a five-speed AMT automatic gearbox that offers an ARAI-rated 21.7 kmpl. What is hugely interesting about the S-Presso is that the manual gearbox is rated at 21.4 kmpl, one of the few times in budget vehicles that the automatic gearbox is more efficient than the manual. The Alto just about edges it out in the CNG sweepstakes by less than a single km per kg of gas.
3. Renault Triber
The Triber is a three-row car that sits at under 4 metres long, which brings it under the MUV cars tax. This makes it unique because it is the first sub-4m three-row that has a usable third row. It has a 999cc three-cylinder petrol engine rated at 19 kmpl for the manual and 18.29 kmpl for the AMT automatic version. The small engine means that it might struggle a little for performance when fully loaded, but in all other situations, it is a remarkably capable vehicle.
4. Maruti Suzuki Dzire
If it is a small sedan that you want, powered by petrol, you need to look no further than the Maruti Suzuki Dzire. Its petrol engine’s efficiency blows all the other sub-4m sedans out of the water with an ARAI figure of 23.26 kmpl. The AMT version betters even that, with 24.12 kmpl. For perspective, the next-best automatic is the Honda Amaze’s petrol CVT’s 18.3 kmpl.
5. Hyundai Aura
If you’re looking for diesel efficiency, the Hyundai Aura - a sub-4m sedan, has top trumps, with 25 kmpl. However, the race for diesel supremacy isn’t as clear-cut as the Dzire’s, as two more models from the same segment and powered by the same fuel run the Aura quite close – the Honda Amaze (24.7 kmpl) and the Ford Aspire (24.4 kmpl).
6. Kia Sonet
The Sonet is one of the newest entrants to the compact SUV segment, and it offers the best fuel efficiency if you’re looking for a diesel engine and a manual gearbox, with an ARAI figure of 24.1 kmpl from its turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine. However, since all the other compact SUVs follow a similar size, weight, and driveline configuration, there are quite a few within striking distance of the Sonet’s figure. The Honda WR-V is rated at 23.7 kmpl, and the Hyundai Venue, the Sonet’s cousin, is rated at 23.4 kmpl.
7. Tata Nexon
Things get far more interesting if you’re looking for a diesel automatic SUV because you’re limited to two options, the Sonet or the Nexon, and the Nexon’s AMT outclasses the Sonet’s torque converter by a handy 3.4 kmpl, at 22.4 kmpl. Another interesting fact is that the Nexon’s diesel manual engine is rated at the same ARAI figure as the automatic.
8. Nissan Magnite
The Magnite’s turbo-petrol engine and manual gearbox is a potent combination, offering 20 kmpl. The next nearest petrol manual at 18.75 kmpl is… the Magnite. Nissan has this particular race in the bag!
9. Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza
We’re back to the status quo, with a Suzuki at the top of the fuel efficiency standings. The Brezza’s petrol automatic offers a staggering 18.76 kmpl, which, if you think about it, is a smidgen more than the Magnite’s petrol manual figure of 18.75 kmpl. The Toyota Urban Cruiser matches the Brezza’s amazing fuel efficiency figure because it is the same car. The Kia Sonet’s turbo-petrol engine mated to a dual-clutch automatic gearbox comes close, however, at 18.3 kmpl.
Now that you have a list of the most fuel-efficient cars available in the country, you are equipped to cut your fuel bills! If you’re planning to get a new car, you might want to consider subscribing to a car on Quiklyz rather than buying one – unless you like spending more than you need to. 🙄 Just make sure you follow the best driving practices to increase fuel efficiency as well. Happy hunting!
