Car manufacturers are working on cars keeping both the mileage-conscious consumer and the environment in mind.
We all know that the planet's fossil fuel reserves are fast depleting. Environmentalists have frequently stressed on the need to conserve natural resources. Motor vehicles are one of the largest consumers of fossil energy and with the number of cars always on a rise worldwide, the fuel consumption graph will only keep soaring.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, we bring you a list of the 10 most fuel-efficient cars in
India to help you choose better, if you wish to do your bit for the environment. The list mostly
comprises hatchbacks and compact sedans, and unsurprisingly all of them are diesel cars. Maruti clinches the top three spots and easily dominates the list with four entries — a clear indication of India's largest carmaker's efforts to develop cars that offer the best fuel efficiency to the mileage-conscious Indian buyer.
The figures mentioned here are manufacturer-claimed fuel-efficiency figures (as per ARAI testing conditions). They represent the fuel consumption a car could possibly achieve in perfect conditions. But the figures are calculated in a controlled environment, and the real conditions that our cars endure on Indian roads are quite different. Hence, actual fuel efficiency figures could be lower.
1. Maruti Celerio diesel
Maruti Suzuki recently launched its Celerio diesel hatchback in the country, following the success of the petrol model. The car is powered by Suzuki’s homegrown 793cc two-cylinder diesel, developing 47bhp at 3,500rpm and 12.7kgm of torque. It is the lightest in its segment weighing around 880-900kg. The lightweight and small engine gives the Celerio an ARAI-tested fuel-economy figure of 27.62kpl; making it the most fuel-efficient car in the country.
2. Maruti Swift Dzire Diesel
Maruti launched the updated Swift Dzire this February. The Dzire received updates on the outside, along with more equipment. But the big news was that the fuel efficiency had gone up significantly. The refreshed Swift Dzire’s diesel motor now delivered 26.59kpl instead of the previous 23.4kpl, thanks to a tweaked ECU.
3. Maruti Ciaz Diesel
The Maruti Ciaz Diesel features a 1.3-litre Fiat-sourced diesel engine that churns out 89bhp. The power outputs may not be impressive, but Maruti has worked up the engines considerably with the view to lower frictional losses and improve efficiency. The car returns a fuel efficiency of 26.3kpl.
4. Honda City Diesel
The City has been a bestselling car for the Japanese carmaker. The car features a 1498cc 4-cyl DOHC diesel engine producing 98.6bhp at 3,600rpm and 20.39kgm of torque at 1,750rpm. The City i-DTEC comes close behind the Ciaz with a claimed fuel-efficiency figure of 26kpl.
5. Honda Amaze Diesel
The Honda Amaze Diesel was the first car to carry the company’s new 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine under the hood. It was Honda’s first diesel engine in India. The engine makes 98.6 bhp
at 3,600 rpm with 11.1 kgm of torque at 4,500 rpm. The car has an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency of 25.8kpl and bags the fifth place in our list.
6. Chevrolet Beat Diesel
The Chevrolet Beat Diesel is powered by a 1.0XSDE Smartechdiesel three-cylinder motor. The small car carries an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency of 25.44kpl. Chevrolet achieved this feat by removing one cylinder from the Fiat 1.3 Multijet engine that powers a lot of cars in the country.
The 936cc motor makes 57bhp of power and 15.3kgm of torque. While driving the Beat we found that despite the small motor, its short gear ratios helped the hatch cope with city traffic smoothly.
7. Maruti Swift Diesel
Maruti launched the updated Swift Diesel in October 2014. The 1.3-litre diesel motor, making 74bhp and 19.37kgm of torque, remained unchanged, but a tweaked ECU and reduced friction resulted in an ARAI fuel-efficiency figure of 25.2kpl as compared to 22.9kpl — a significant 10 percent improvement.
8. Ford Fiesta Diesel
The Ford Fiesta facelift was introduced in 2014, but only in a diesel avatar. This was an attempt to simplify its line-up, as diesels account for 70 percent of the mid-size premium sedan segment. The Fiesta carries a 1.5-litre DuraTorq motor churning out 90bhp, but with improvements in drivetrain and aero efficiency, the company-claimed fuel efficiency has increased to 25.01kpl.
9. Tata Indigo eCS
The Indigo eCS was always known to be a very fuel-efficient car. The Indigo eCS is powered by the same 1396cc, four-cylinder diesel engine as the company's Indica, and produces 69bhp and 14.2kgm of torque. The eCS comes 9th with an ARAI-mileage figure of 25kpl.
10. Tata Indica CR4
The Tata Indica has been a favourite of private-vehicle owners and fleet operators due to its impressive fuel efficiency. The car set a very high benchmark for high mileage diesel cars, from the time it was introduced. Powering the hatch is a 1405cc CR4 Common Rail diesel, developing a healthy 70bhp and 14.28kgm of max torque. The Indica has an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency of 25kpl.
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