India's Fuel Efficiency Champion Cars

Snapshot – Diesel cars are synonymous with high fuel efficiency numbers. Half a decade ago, 20 Kmpl was a hallowed figure, even by diesel car standards. Now though, the mileage envelope has been pushed and there are more than half a dozen diesel cars sold in India that deliver mileage numbers of over 25 Kmpl. CarToq rounds up 8 cars in the the 25 Kmpl club.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Facelift

Maruti Suzuki sells its cars under the “Kitna Deti Hai” premise. So it comes as no surprise that India’s best selling sedan, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, tops the mileage stakes. With an ARAI certified 26.59 Kmpl fuel efficiency number, Maruti Suzuki has managed to squeeze out the best mileage ever from the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet turbo diesel engine that powers a big list of cars sold in India. On the compact sedan, this diesel engine outputs 75 Bhp-190 Nm and uses a fixed geometry turbocharger. A 5 speed manual transmission is standard fare. The Dzire is also available with a 1.2 liter K-Series petrol engine.

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

Launched last year, the Ciaz C-Segment sedan was instrumental in Maruti Suzuki taking back the title of producing the country’s most fuel efficient car from Honda, whose City and Amaze Diesels offer fantastic fuel economy as well. With an ARIA rated mileage figure of 26.2 Kmpl, the Ciaz is the country’s most fuel efficient C-Segment sedan. The car uses the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet turbo diesel engine in 90 Bhp-200 Nm state of tune. A variable geometry turbocharger pushes up the power and torque outputs. The engine is mated to a five speed manual gearbox. the car is also sold with a 1.4 liter K-Series petrol engine option.

Honda City

The Honda City got a diesel engine last year, becoming the first iteration of this car sold in India to receive such an engine option. The 1.5 liter i-DTEC all aluminium diesel engine outputs 98.6 Bhp-200 Nm, and uses a fixed geometry turbocharger. The engine is mated to a six speed manual gearbox, whose overdrive option helps mileage in a big way. The engine gives the City an ARAI rated mileage figure of 26 Kmpl. The City is India’s best selling C-Segment sedan and its highly fuel efficient diesel engine is a major reason for the car’s sales success. The car is also available with a 1.5 liter i-VTEC petrol engine.

Honda Amaze

The Amaze debuted Honda’s 1.5 liter i-DTEC turbo diesel engine in India and charted the Japanese automaker’s comeback. With a 25.8 Kmpl fuel efficiency number for its diesel variants, the Amaze had a winner written all over right from the outset. On the Amaze, the i-DTEC engine features the same state of tune as that on the City Diesel. However, the gearbox is a five speeder. The Amaze finishes second in its category’s mileage stakes, behind the Maruti Dzire compact sedan. Low running costs are not just the purview of the diesel powered version as Honda offers this compact sedan with a CNG-Petrol option too. The 1.2 liter i-VTEC petrol motor is also offered.

Chevrolet Beat

The Chevrolet Beat Diesel was the first car in India to breach the 25 Kmpl mileage figure, with a 25.44 Kmpl fuel efficiency number. The car features a triple cylinder turbo diesel motor, derived from the 1.3 liter Multijet unit that Fiat and General Motors co-developed. Displacing 936cc, this motor makes 57 Bhp of peak power and 140 Nm of peak torque. With minimal turbo lag, this engine suits city streets best. A five speed manual gearbox handles torque transfer to the front wheels of the car. The car is also sold with a 1.2 liter petrol motor, whose variant includes an LPG-Petrol dual fuel option.

Ford Fiesta Facelift

The Fiesta Diesel, in facelifted guise gained a big improvement in terms of aerodynamics. The improved aerodynamics, along with a remapped ECU, saw the fuel efficiency figure of the car getting a boost to 25.01 Kmpl. The Fiesta is Ford’s most fuel efficient car sold in India. The car uses a 1.5 liter TDCI turbo diesel engine, which is old school of sorts, with 8 valves, fixed geometry turbocharger and a SOHC layout. The engine makes 89 Bhp-204 Nm, and comes mated to a five speed manual transmission. The Fiesta Facelift is available only with a diesel engine and is aimed at driving enthusiasts.

Tata Indica eV2 and Indigo eCS

The diesel variants Tata Indica eV2 and its compact sedan sibling, both manage stellar fuel efficiency numbers of 25 Kmpl. These cars are also available with petrol and CNG-Petrol engine options. Talking diesel, the turbocharged engine is a 1.4 liter CR4 unit, Tata speak for common rail direct injection. This engine outputs 65 Bhp-140 Nm and it’s biggest strength is the excellent fuel efficiency it offers. At a starting price of 4.6 lakh rupees, the Indica eV2 is also the least expensive diesel car in the 25 Kmpl club. The Indigo eCS, priced at 5.23 lakh rupees, is the least expensive sedan in the 25 Kmpl list. Both cars are bought chiefly by cab operators.