During the past few weeks, fuel prices in India are being constantly hiked owing to rising costs of international crude oil. Therefore, the ongoing Ukraine crisis has caused the petrol prices in Delhi to breach the INR 100 per litre mark. Additionally, in Mumbai, the prices of fuel per litre have skyrocketed to an unprecedented INR 115.88 on March 30th. Since it’s important in today’s time to own a fuel-efficient vehicle, here’s a list of the top-10 best fuel-efficient vehicles. Spoiler Alert, as half of the vehicles on the list, comprise Maruti Suzuki models along with Renault, Toyota, and Datsun making an appearance.
Taking the top spot on the list is the 2nd-generation, Maruti Suzuki Celerio which sports the best fuel-efficiency figure. In its VXi AMT guise, the Celerio sports an overall mileage figure of 26.68 kmpl, conquering all its rivals. Even in its ZXi and ZXi+ AMT variant, the Celerio still manages to achieve a mileage figure of 26 kmpl.
Lastly, its least fuel-efficient variant, the ZXi+ manual still manages to achieve a figure of 24.97 kmpl. These figures come courtesy of the 2nd-gen Celerio’s all-new 998cc, three-cylinder, DualJet K10 petrol motor, producing 67 PS and 89 Nm. Maruti Suzuki offers the Celerio with a choice of a 5-speed manual or 5-speed AMT transmissions across the country.
Being the country’s tall-boy eco hatchback, the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R has always sported fuel-efficient engines over the years. In 2022, the Wagon R received a significant update whereby it received 2 new petrol engine options and cosmetic highlights. The first engine is the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder motor that develops 67 PS and offers 25.19 kmpl in AMT guise.
The second engine is the updated 1.2-litre, four-cylinder motor, producing 90 PS and offering 24.43 kmpl with AMT. A major reason for the Wagon R’s success in India is its significant sales numbers along with its price and value. Maruti Suzuki also offers a CNG option on the Wagon R’s 1.0-litre motor with 34.05 km/kg of efficiency.
Maruti Suzuki’s Dzire compact sedan has been around in India for quite some time, witnessing quite the success amongst customers. Maruti Suzuki updated the Dzire back in 2021 with a facelift and by introducing the 1.2-litre K12M petrol motor. The automaker replaced the old 1.2-litre K12N motor and added the start/stop functionality in an effort to improve fuel economy. The current-gen Maruti Suzuki Dzire’s engine now produces 90 PS and 113 Nm whilst offering 24.12 kmpl in AMT.
In early 2022, Maruti Suzuki introduced a facelift for its beloved Swift and introduced an updated petrol engine with start/stop tech. Overall, the Swift’s 1.2-litre, four-cylinder motor produces 90 PS and 113 Nm whilst offering 23.76 kmpl in AMT. Meanwhile, in the 5-speed manual guise, the hatchback can deliver an ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency figure of 23.2 kmpl. In India, the Swift AMT starts from INR 7.24 lakh (ex-showroom) whereas the manual begins from INR 5.90 (ex-showroom).
Being the two sides of the same coin is the 2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno and its Toyota counterpart, Glanza. The two premium hatchback uses the same 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol motor that develops 90 PS and 113 Nm. In 5-speed AMT guises, both hatchbacks now showcase an ARAI-claimed fuel economy figure of 22.94 kmpl. Meanwhile, in a 5-speed manual transmission format, the Glanza and the Baleno share an ARAI-claimed fuel-economy figure of 22.35 kmpl.
Maruti Suzuki’s entry-level budget hatchback, the Alto, uses the smallest engine on offer by the brand throughout the country. The frugal 796cc, three-cylinder motor produces 48 PS of power and 69 Nm of torque via a 5-speed manual transmission. Despite being basic in every way and featuring a cramped cabin, the Alto sports 22.05 kmpl of fuel economy. Overall, the Maruti Suzuki Alto starts from INR 3.25 lakh (ex-showroom) and gets a CNG variant as well.
As the budget hatchback from French automaker Renault, the Kwid sports two petrol engine options in the Indian market. The first is the 799cc, three-cylinder motor with 54 PS and 72 Nm, offering 20.71 kmpl of fuel economy. Meanwhile, the Kwid’s 999cc, three-cylinder petrol motor produces 68 PS and 91 Nm via a 5-speed AMT/manual transmission. Overall, this motor offers an ARAI-claimed fuel economy figure of 22 kmpl in AMT and 21.74 kmpl in manual.
Being Renault’s counterpart of the Kwid, the Datsun Redigo received a significant update in 2020, making it significantly better. Along with exterior styling updates, the Redigo also received all-new equipment like an 8-inch, touchscreen infotainment system and adjustable IRVMs. Datsun offers the Redigo with the same petrol engines as the Kwid which are a 0.8-litre and 1.0-litre, respectively. The former offers 20.71 kmpl with a 5-speed manual whereas the latter offers 22 kmpl via the AMT.
Another Maruti Suzuki that joins the list is the S-Presso which weighs significantly less than its rivals on the list. The high-stance, tallboy SUV uses the same 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine found on the Celerio and the WagonR. Producing 68 PS and 90 Nm, the engine offers 21.7 kmpl of fuel economy with the 5-speed AMT. Meanwhile, the 5-speed manual version offers 21.4 kmpl which is comparatively less than the Renault Kwid and Datsun Redigo.
Rounding up the list is the Maruti Suzuki Ignis which isn’t necessarily the sales hit that the automaker had expected. However, the underrated hatchback sports the 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol motor that produces 83 PS and 113 Nm. In 5-speed AMT and 5-speed manual guises, the Ignis offers an ARAI-claimed, fuel-efficiency figure of 20.89 kmpl.
Also Read: BharatBenz expands in Central India; adds new dealership in Jabalpur