The Maruti Wagon R CNG remains one of India’s best-selling CNG cars. It is offered in two variants – LXi CNG (Rs 5.94 lakh) and VXi CNG (Rs 6.47 lakh) – and commands a premium of Rs 95,000 over the equivalent petrol versions. We put the Wagon R CNG through our real-world fuel-efficiency tests to see how it performs.
- No auto engine stop-start system
- Claimed fuel efficiency: 33.47km/kg
- Is 95-100kg heavier than the equivalent petrol version
Maruti Suzuki Wagon R CNG mileage explained
Powering the Wagon R CNG is a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine that produces 67.7hp and 91.1Nm in petrol mode, and 56.6hp and 82.1Nm when running on CNG. The CNG variant is available exclusively with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Alongside its petrol fuel tank, the Wagon R gets a 60-litre CNG cylinder mounted in the boot. The added weight of the cylinder and associated hardware makes it about 95-100kg heavier than a comparable petrol model.
In our tests, the Wagon R CNG returned 23.39km/kg in the city and 33.09km/kg on the highway, resulting in an overall average efficiency of 28.24km/kg. Particularly noteworthy is the highway figure, which comes remarkably close to Maruti’s claimed efficiency of 33.47km/kg.
When refilled from empty, the Wagon R’s CNG tank accepted 7.4kg of gas. Under ideal conditions, however, the 60-litre cylinder should be able to hold close to 8kg, depending on factors such as ambient temperature and dispenser pressure. Based on our real-world average efficiency figure of 28.24km/kg, owners can realistically expect a driving range of approximately 210-220km on a full CNG tank.
Autocar India’s fuel-efficiency testing
Since CNG tanks are more difficult to fill consistently due to variables such as ambient temperature and pump pressure, we did not use our standard tankful-to-tankful methodology. Instead, for our real-world tests, we emptied the CNG tank and refilled it with 2kg of CNG. We then drove the vehicle in city conditions until the gas was exhausted. The same process was repeated for the highway run. Throughout both tests, the Wagon R was driven exclusively in CNG mode.
Before our real-world fuel efficiency tests, we maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. These cars are driven in fixed city and highway loops in and around Navi Mumbai, and we maintain certain average speeds. Throughout the tests, there is only one person in each car, and the aircon is set to fan speed 2 with temperature dialed to the lowest position. We operate other electricals, such as the audio system, indicators and wipers, just like a regular user would. Periodic driver swaps further neutralise variations in driver patterns.
Uday Singh
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Dipan Sur
