Honda City Diesel gave me 45 KMPL mileage: This is how I did it! [Video]

There is no doubt about the fact that fuel economy remains a priority for most car buyers today across various segments. The recent spike in fuel prices further strengthens this factor and also gave us a reason for this article. With the efficient Honda City diesel in our long-term fleet, we decided to see how much could it deliver when driven with a light right foot. The efficient run left us surprised; check it out for yourself in the video below.

Of course we are not suggesting that you drive the way we did. But it is an indication of how frugal a car can get. The Honda City diesel has a certified economy of 26 kmpl as per ARAI standards and we ended up bettering it by over 70%. We were also lucky enough to get the best driving conditions possible with the empty and smooth Yamuna Expressway at our disposal. In fact, when we drove the City at 90 km/h with the air-con running full time, it still delivered over 30 kmpl, about 20% over the certified economy.

The City makes use of Honda’s smallest capacity diesel engine for passenger cars. This 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine is also used in the Amaze and the B-RV. For the City, it comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox which also gives the City long legs for highway usage. With the ‘box slotted in 6th, engine revs at a lower rpm vis-a-vis, say the Maruti Ciaz. Even with a relatively small fuel tank of 40 litres, we could have driven the City for over 1700km before requiring a re-fill!

This video also shows how changes in driving habits can go a long way in squeezing out that extra bit from every litre of fuel. Remember, every drop saved is a penny earned. For a typical 1500km city usage for a petrol vehicle, a bump in economy by 20% can help you save as much as Rs 23,000 for a petrol hatchback / sedan annually. Similarly, if you have a diesel vehicle and use it for about 2000km every month, you can easily save about Rs 20,000 annually. Makes sense? You can thank us later!