The Indian automobile market has witnessed the rise and fall of several products due to its price-sensitive nature. In recent times we have witnessed a rise in demand for the premium hatchback segment while the entry-level segment has reached a stagnant point. However, with rising fuel cost in the country, the premium hatchback customers are getting more conscious about real-world fuel-efficiency figures.
Car manufacturers are upgrading to BS-VI norms ahead of the 1 April 2020 deadline. Some of the car manufacturers have already introduced BS-VI compliant petrol engines and their fuel efficiency figures are likely to see a change. However, the diesel version is due for an upgrade in the coming months. We have therefore limited the real-world fuel efficiency figures to the diesel version. Here below are the top three fuel-efficient diesel premium hatchbacks in the country with their real-world fuel efficiency figures –
Maruti Suzuki’s popular selling premium hatchback, the Baleno is powered by a 1.3-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 74bhp at 4000rpm and 190Nm at 2000rpm. The engine comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The hatchback has a fuel tank capacity of 37-litres and offers a driving range of 535kms. As for efficiency we have managed to extract 14.2kmpl within the city, while on the highway, the Baleno diesel returned a fuel efficiency figure of 19.6kmpl.
The Hyundai Elite i20 is powered by a 1.4-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 89bhp at 4000rpm and 220Nm at 1500rpm. The engine comes mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The diesel Elite i20 has a fuel capacity of 45-litres and offers a driving range of about 635kms. Based on our road test, the diesel Hyundai Elite i20 returned us a fuel efficiency figure of 13.8kmpl within the city, while on the highway the hatchback returned a fuel efficiency figure of 19.3kmpl.
Honda Jazz gets the biggest and the most powerful diesel engine of the lot. Under the hood, the Jazz is powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 98bhp at 3600rpm and 200Nm at 1750rpm. It comes mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The Honda Jazz gets a 40-litre tank with a driving range of 590kms. Within the city, the hatchback returned a fuel efficiency figure of 14.5kmpl, while on the highway, the diesel Jazz returned a fuel efficiency figure of 19.8kmpl.
Based on our in-house road test figures, the diesel Honda Jazz is a good choice for customers looking forward to buying a new premium hatchback. The top-spec Honda Jazz VX diesel is priced at Rs 9.36 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).
