CNG cars are a viable option today, with many carmakers like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Hyundai offering mass-market models with a factory-fit CNG kit. Cars that run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) have lower running costs compared to the equivalent petrol and diesel cars, and produce lower emissions as well. Here, we list every CNG car that has been through Autocar India’s exhaustive and accurate fuel efficiency tests.
Tata Nexon CNG
Real world mileage: 18.55km/kg
The only CNG car in India with a turbocharged engine, the Tata Nexon CNG’s unit makes 100hp and 170Nm of peak torque, and is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. Tata claims an ARAI-rated efficiency figure of 24km/kg, but our tests showed, the Nexon CNG goes 13.4km (city) and 23.7km (highway) on a kilogram of gas, averaging 18.55km/kg. Nexon CNG prices start at Rs 9 lakh and go up to Rs 14.50 lakh for the well-equipped top-spec Fearless + PS Dark variant.
| Tata Nexon CNG factfile | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre, 3 cyls, turbocharged |
| Power (hp) | 100 |
| Torque (Nm) | 170 |
| Gearbox | 6-speed MT |
| ARAI mileage (km/kg) | 24 |
| Tested mileage (km/kg) | 18.55 |
| CNG tank capacity (litres) | 60 |
| Number of variants* | 9 |
| Price range^ (Rs, lakh) | 9.00-14.50 |
^Pre-GST 2.0
*Dark Editions available on Creative + S, Creative + PS and Fearless + PS cost up to Rs 20,000 more
Maruti Brezza CNG
Real world mileage: 22.95km/kg
Maruti’s compact SUV that is sold via the Arena outlets has an ARAI-rated 25.5km/kg mileage, thanks to the frugal 1.5-litre engine that produces 88hp and 122Nm on CNG, and paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. Our Brezza CNG real world mileage tests showed that thanks to its 1,255kg kerb weight, the Maruti was more efficient than the Nexon CNG, recording an average efficiency of 22.95km/kg; just 2.55km/kg short of the claimed figure. The Maruti Brezza CNG is currently priced between Rs 9.17 lakh-11.31 lakh.
| Maruti Brezza CNG factfile | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5-litre, 4 cyls |
| Power (hp) | 88 |
| Torque (Nm) | 122 |
| Gearbox | 5-speed MT |
| ARAI mileage (km/kg) | 25.5 |
| Tested mileage (km/kg) | 22.95 |
| CNG tank capacity (litres) | 55 |
| Number of variants | 3 |
| Price range (Rs, lakh) | 9.17-11.31 |
Tata Altroz CNG
Real world mileage: 25.11km/kg
Tata’s answer to the Maruti Swift and Baleno comes with a 1.2-litre engine that makes 74hp and 104Nm on CNG, and a 5-speed manual gearbox. The Tata Altroz CNG has a claimed mileage of 27.8km/kg, and our real world efficiency tests showed that it posted an average mileage that was just 2.69km/kg short of the ARAI one, at 25.11km/kg. The Altroz comes with Tata’s twin-cylinder CNG kit, which helps liberate some room in the boot – luggage space is down 135 litres compared to the standard Altroz’s 345 litres – and currently costs between Rs 7.89 lakh and Rs 11.09 lakh.
| Tata Altroz CNG factfile | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre, 3 cyls |
| Power (hp) | 74 |
| Torque (Nm) | 104 |
| Gearbox | 5-speed MT |
| ARAI mileage (km/kg) | 27.8 |
| Tested mileage (km/kg) | 25.11 |
| CNG tank capacity (litres) | 60 |
| No. of variants | 6 |
| Price range^ (Rs, lakh) | 7.22-10.15 |
^Pre-GST 2.0
Tata Punch CNG
Real world mileage: 25.85km/kg
The Tata Punch CNG also gets the same dual-cylinder setup, 5-speed manual and 74hp 1.2-litre engine as the Altroz, but the compact SUV is claimed to be less frugal, with an ARAI rated mileage of 26.99km/kg. However, our real world Punch CNG tests reveal that it delivers 25.85km/kg on average, making it capable of going 0.74km more on a kilogram of gas. The Punch CNG’s price range is currently Rs 7.3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
| Tata Punch CNG factfile | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre, 3 cyls |
| Power (hp) | 74 |
| Torque (Nm) | 104 |
| Gearbox | 5-speed MT |
| ARAI mileage (km/kg) | 26.99 |
| Tested mileage (km/kg) | 25.85 |
| CNG tank capacity (litres) | 60 |
| Number of variants* | 7 |
| Price range^ (Rs, lakh) | 6.68-9.30 |
^Pre-GST 2.0
*Dual-tone variants priced Rs 15,000 higher
Hyundai Exter CNG
Real world mileage: 26.55km/kg
Hyundai’s Tata Punch rival is claimed to be marginally more efficient, with an ARAI rating of 27.1km/kg. In our Exter CNG real world mileage tests, the Hyundai compact SUV maintained its lead over the Tata with a tested figure of 26.55km/kg, beating the Punch by 0.7km/kg. The Exter CNG also gets a twin-cylinder CNG setup with select variants, which fuels a 1.2-litre engine making 69hp and 95Nm. Prices for the single-cylinder versions range between Rs 7.83 lakh and Rs 8.46 lakh, while the dual-cylinder Hyundai Exter CNG costs between Rs 6.87 lakh and Rs 8.77 lakh.
| Hyundai Exter CNG factfile | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre, 4 cyls |
| Power (hp) | 69 |
| Torque (Nm) | 95 |
| Gearbox | 5-speed MT |
| ARAI mileage (km/kg) | 27.1 |
| Tested mileage (km/kg) | 26.55 |
| CNG tank capacity (litres) | 60 |
| Number of variants | 10 |
| Price range (Rs, lakh) | 6.87-8.77 |
Maruti Swift CNG
Real world mileage: 27.87km/kg
The highest mileage CNG car tested by Autocar India so far is the Maruti Swift CNG. ARAI quotes an efficiency figure of 32.85km/kg, though our real world tests showed that the 1.2-litre engine – making 70hp and 102Nm of torque – and 5-speed manual gearbox combination delivered a real world average mileage of 27.87km/kg. Swift CNG prices start at Rs 7.45 lakh and go up to Rs 8.39 lakh.
| Maruti Swift CNG factfile | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre, 3 cyls |
| Power (hp) | 70 |
| Torque (Nm) | 102 |
| Gearbox | 5-speed MT |
| ARAI mileage (km/kg) | 32.85 |
| Tested mileage (km/kg) | 27.87 |
| CNG tank capacity (litres) | 60 |
| Number of variants | 3 |
| Price range (Rs, lakh) | 7.45-8.39 |
All prices, ex-showroom, India
