Cheapest CNG Cars in India: Amidst the rising prices of petrol and diesel in India and concerns about emissions, CNG cars have become the favorite option of the common man. Especially for customers who want fuel efficient vehicles in low budget, Maruti S-Presso CNG, Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 CNG and Tata Tiago iCNG are the three most affordable and practical options.
These cars are available with ex-showroom prices starting from ₹ 4.62 lakh to ₹ 5.49 lakh, which are perfect for city racing and everyday needs. Maruti's cars are ahead in mileage and service network, while Tata's Tiago is better in power, safety and features. We have brought for you the details of price, mileage, engine, features and practicality of these three.
Maruti S-Presso CNG
This is on top among the cheapest CNG cars. The ex-showroom price of its base variant LXI CNG is only ₹ 4.62 lakh, while the VXI variant goes up to ₹ 5.12 lakh. Its 998cc K10C engine gives 56 bhp power and 82.1 Nm torque in CNG mode. ARAI certified mileage is 32.73 km/kg, which easily gets 25-28 km/kg in the city.
The specialty of the car is its SUV-like tall stance (ground clearance 180mm) and compact size, which allows easy handling in traffic. Features include dual airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, touchscreen infotainment system (Android Auto/Apple CarPlay), rear parking sensors and AC. Boot space is 240 litres. The company offers it with 6 airbags.
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 CNG
It is a bit expensive but mileage champion. The LXI S-CNG variant starts at ₹4.82 lakh ex-showroom and goes up to ₹5.32 lakh for the VXI. The engine is also 998cc K10C, which gives 56 bhp power and 82.1 Nm torque. Its ARAI claimed mileage is 33.85 km/kg, which can be achieved up to 28-30 km/kg in the real world.
This car is 4 seater and boot space is 214 litres. Features include power windows, keyless entry, touchscreen, 6 airbags (in higher variants), ABS and rear parking sensors. The suspension is soft for city driving. It is considered to have best in class mileage and low running cost (₹ 2-2.5 per km). If you just want fuel economy and city running, then Alto K10 CNG is best. Maruti's sales and service network is the strongest across India.
Tata Tiago iCNG
This is the most premium and powerful among these three. The XE CNG variant starts at ₹5.49 lakh ex-showroom and goes up to ₹7 lakh with the higher variant AMT. Its 1.2 liter Revotron engine gives 74 bhp power and 96.5 Nm torque in CNG mode, which is more powerful than Maruti cars. Mileage is 26.49 km/kg (manual) and up to 28 km/kg in AMT.
The biggest feature is the twin-cylinder CNG technology, which provides boot space of 242 liters. This includes 4-star global NCAP safety (excellent), large touchscreen, auto AC option, power windows and better build quality. It comes with more power, better safety, modern features and AMT option.
Whom it makes sense to buy: S-Presso is the cheapest in price, followed by Alto K10 and Tiago. Alto K10 is number-1 and Tiago comes at the bottom in mileage. Tiago wins in performance and safety. If the budget is less than ₹ 5 lakh and you want to drive the car only in the city, then choose Maruti Espresso or Alto K10. If the budget is up to ₹ 5.5 lakh, you want more power, safety and features then Tata Tiago iCNG is the best.