In India, the buying decision, when it comes to cars, can be narrowed down to two factors, and they are fuel economy and resale value. While car buying decisions can be divided into several factors, the fuel economy remains almost a top priority for an average Indian car buyer. The Indian car buyers give importance to the fuel economy so much that certain car brands such as Maruti Suzuki have maintained a dominant position in the Indian market since forever. Now with the ever-rising fuel costs, that are changed almost every month, the importance given to fuel economy has again gone up. Even the carmakers have started giving more importance to alternate fuels such as CNG and LPG. Let us have a look at the top 5 car brands with best fuel economy-
1. Maruti Suzuki
This car brand surely knows the mood of the Indian car audience and as a result, they have always prioritized the fuel economy factor. Even in their ad campaigns, the term ‘Kitna deti hai’ has been prominent. They have produced brilliant fuel-economical cars such as the Maruti 800, Maruti Alto, Maruti Swift, etc. Currently the Alto 800, Baleno, and Wagon R are the mileage champions. They also have alternate fuel options such as CNG and semi Hybrid technology that has almost brought down the fuel costs compared to a two-wheeler. A decade back when the diesel engines were in trend, they gave some seriously frugal car models with the legendary Fiat 1.3 multijet engine. The main secret of the brand behind good fuel economy is reduced curb weight and narrow tire sizes in their cars.
2. Honda
World over, Honda is regarded as a global leader when it comes to engine technology. They produce some seriously frictionless and free-revving engines that they naturally reward with a good fuel economy. The current Honda City and Honda Amaze from their lineup provide some serious fuel economy numbers, especially in their diesel avatar, making Honda one of the car brands with best fuel economy. The Earth Dreams diesel engine from Honda can give a fuel economy number of over 27kmpl. The good thing about Honda is that they do not sacrifice the build quality to give maximum economy from the last drop of the fuel. Other than that, the maintenance cost of Honda cars is also very low and economical, bringing the average running cost per kilometer to low numbers.
3. Hyundai
Next is the second-largest car manufacturer in India, Hyundai. They have also successfully adopted the fuel economy mantra in the market, to have more sales numbers. Their models such as Grand i10 and Aura give some seriously good mileage figures. These models are getting popular in the taxi segment in the CNG version. When it comes to diesel fuel, the i20 and Venue have good fuel economy figures along with decent power figures to keep the commuter happy. They have recently adopted the BS6 engine lineup and their engines have become more economical, they have a petrol engine with direct injection technology. This brand too maintains a decent build quality and safety factor in their models.
4. Toyota
The utility king Toyota cannot be left behind when it comes to top fuel economy cars in India. The utility lineup from this brand such as Innova and Fortuner have some seriously good fuel economy figures when compared with similar models in the market. The brand is a favorite in the commercial segment only due to fuel economy and lower running costs. The passenger cars such as Etios and Corolla also have good fuel economy figures in their diesel versions. The great fuel economy and a strong resale value give this brand a deadly combination for our market. The good thing is that they also maintain good quality in their products and they generally last longer than the competition.
5. Ford
Last on the list is the surprise entry. The 1.5-liter diesel engine which is used in their line-ups such as Aspire, Ecosport, and Figo, provides some seriously good fuel economy figures, in the north of 25kmpl. The great thing about this engine is that it produces a good amount of power, without sacrificing fuel economy or drivability. The Figo diesel can reach the 100kph mark in just 9 seconds. The build quality of the Ford cars is again very strong and has good safety ratings. The service costs are also very low in their newer generation of cars. They have some good models for our economy-driven buyers.
Conclusion
So these were the car brands with best fuel economy. This also brings to a sad part that the buyers in our market are still giving importance to fuel economy over the safety of the cars. Brilliant cars and safer car brands such as VW, Tata, etc are left out just because they cannot match the fuel economy of the main competitors. With some serious road fatalities in the world, it is high time that our buyers become more aware of such things. The popular cars in India have time and again failed miserably in the safety crash tests conducted periodically. The car brand and the government share equal responsibility in making safety a number one priority.
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