The Best Mileage Car in Petrol: Our Top Picks
Highlights:
- Maruti Suzuki dominates the fuel efficiency regime.
- Honda is the only brand that made it to the list.
- Cars with higher fuel efficiency can decrease your overall ownership costs.
- Actual fuel efficiency figures may vary from the claimed figures revealed by the brand.
Fuel efficiency is an important factor among Indian buyers that influences their car-buying decisions. And with rising fuel prices, the demand for fuel-efficient cars has increased. It is not only about daily fuel expenses, but it also affects the overall ownership cost. And in the long run, it can save thousands of rupees, especially for those with regular city or highway commutes. It also translates to lower emissions and fewer refuelling stops. Here, we have compiled a list of the top 5 most fuel-efficient petrol cars, including strong-hybrid petrol, that offer the highest fuel efficiency.
Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid
- Price: Rs. 16.38 - 19.99 lakh
- Claimed Figure: 28.65 km/l
The Victoris, the flagship Maruti Suzuki offering sold through Arena dealerships, comes with three engine options – 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, N.A. petrol (with an optional CNG kit) and a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder, petrol with a self-charging strong hybrid technology. While the Victoris borrow these powertrain options from the Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder, it still has slightly higher fuel efficiency claims compared to its siblings. This is mainly due to the SUV’s more aerodynamically optimised design and low-resistance tyres. Having said that, the Victoris Petrol-Hybrid offers an ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency of 28.65 km/l (≈ .070km/l higher than Grand Vitara/Hyryder), making it the most fuel-efficient offering in the Indian market. It comes with an eCVT single-speed automatic gearbox.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| One of the most loaded Maruti Suzuki offerings. Spacious cabin, comfortable seats. Plush ride quality. 5-star safety rating from both Global NCAP and Bharat NCAP. | Lacks headroom in variants with panoramic sunroof. Material selection inside the cabin could have been better. Some of the rivals, like Creta, Seltos and Astor, feel more premium. |
Honda City e:HEV
- Price: Rs. 19.48 lakh
- Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 27.26 km/l
The Honda City e:HEV is the only non-Maruti Suzuki offering in our list. Under its hood lies a 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated, petrol engine with a strong-hybrid system that claims a combined output of 126PS/253Nm and a fuel efficiency of 27.26 km/l. Similar to the Victoris, the hybrid system can do most of the city runs in pure electric mode and only kicks in when you need more power. However, compared to the Victoris/Grand Vitara/Hyryder, the City e:HEV feels more refined and effortless.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great fuel efficiency. Highly refined powertrain. Spacious and very comfortable cabin. Well-equipped. | Low ground clearance. Requires a diverse variant lineup. Lacks amenities like panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats and a 360-degree camera, all are very common in this price range. |
Maruti Suzuki Celerio
- Price: Rs. 4.70 - 6.73 lakh
- Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 26.68 km/l (AMT), 25.2 km/l (MT)
The Maruti Suzuki Celerio is a compact hatchback and India’s most fuel-efficient, non-hybrid petrol model that is easy to drive and affordable to maintain. Based on a lightweight Heartech platform, the Celerio gets a 68PS 1-litre, 3-cylinder DualJet petrol engine. It can also come equipped with a factory-fitted CNG kit.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great city performance. Spacious, comfortable cabin. Gets all basic amenities. | Unstable ride at triple-digit speeds. Lacks feel-good features. |
Maruti Suzuki Swift and Dzire
- Price: Rs. 5.79 - 8.80 lakh (Swift), Rs. 6.26 - 9.31 lakh (Dzire)
- Swift Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 25.75 km/l (AMT), 24.80 km/l (MT)
- Dzire Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 25.71 km/l (AMT), 24.79 km/l (MT
Powered by a shared 83PS Z-series 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine, both the Swift and Dzire claim almost equal fuel efficiency figures. This also makes the Dzire the second-most fuel-efficient sedan in the country after the City Hybrid. And in our opinion, both of these offerings are a well-rounded package for family usage, that excellently balances space, comfort, practicality and features. And like every other Maruti Suzuki model, they also come with an optional factory-fitted CNG kit.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Peppy and frugal petrol engine. Spacious cabin; good for 4 adults. Engaging driving dynamics. | NVH levels are not as per Maruti’s standard. The quality of some parts could have been better. |
Maruti Suzuki S-Presso
- Price: Rs. 3.50 - 5.25 lakh
- Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 25.3 km/l (AMT), 24.76 km/l (MT)
The rugged-looking S-Presso is Maruti Suzuki’s most affordable offering in the Indian market that shares its 67hp 1-litre petrol engine with the Alto K10. However, it is marginally more fuel efficient than its sibling. Its tall stance, high ground clearance and blacked-out lower portion all over the body give it a tiny SUV-like appearance.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Generously spacious cabin that can even accommodate 6-footers back to back comfortably. Peppy performance in city drives. | Polarising design. Lacks some essential amenities like day/night IRVM and powered side mirrors. |
Note: The above-mentioned fuel efficiency figures are actually official ARAI-tested claims revealed by the manufacturers. However, their actual mileage may vary based on your driving style, vehicle health, AC usage, overall load, and road & climate conditions.
All prices, ex-showroom.
Bonus Section: Tips To Extract The Best Mileage
To extract more kilometres per litre from your car, one needs to adhere to the following protocols:
- Be gentle on the throttle pedal, don’t rev hard.
- Switch off the engine when idling for a longer duration, i.e., at traffic signals.
- Get your vehicle serviced regularly.
- Maintain optimum tyre pressure.
- Cruise on highways between 80 to 95 kmph.
FAQs
1. Which petrol-powered car offers the highest mileage in India?
The Maruti Suzuki Victoris petrol with strong-hybrid technology offers the highest claimed fuel efficiency of 28.65 km/l. However, in the non-hybrid petrol segment, the Celerio claims the highest mileage in India, offering a fuel efficiency of up to 26.68 km/l.
2. How to get the best mileage from your car?
To get the best mileage from your car, you should avoid revving hard, always maintain the required tyre pressure, follow the OEM recommended service schedule and turn off the engine when idling.
3. What is ARAI mileage and real-world mileage?
ARAI mileage figure refers to the fuel economy certified by ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) for vehicles sold in India. These figures are measured under controlled lab conditions simulating the Indian Driving Cycle (IDC). On the other hand, real-world mileage is something that a vehicle will deliver in actual driving scenarios. It may vary from the ARAI claimed figure depending on multiple factors, such as your driving style and driving area, road conditions, total load on the vehicle and vehicle health.