The automotive landscape in India is quite unique. The popularity of CNG as a common fuel for cars and other bigger or smaller vehicles is unique to our country. While CNG or compressed natural gas is not considered as refined or sought-after as petrol or diesel for your car, it has its own benefits, suiting the Indian user perfectly. Apart from being a more eco-friendly fuel, CNG is also cheaper, and cars run more on a kilo of CNG as compared to a litre of petrol or diesel.
Now given the clear practical advantage the CNG offers, there is a lot of demand for CNG-powered vehicles in India. However, not every brand sells CNG cars. Maruti Suzuki is the clear leader in terms of offering CNG options for their cars, followed by Tata. Other brands that sell CNG variants are Hyundai, Renault, and Toyota.
For those who are looking for a new CNG car, here are the 10 most affordable options available in India:
1. Bajaj Qute
The Bajaj Qute is the two-wheeler brand’s first quadricycle. Yes, it is so small that it doesn’t even qualify as a light motor vehicle. Quadricycles are four-wheeler microcars that are much smaller, lighter, and less powerful as compared to a regular car. The Bajaj Qute is one such vehicle and quite a rare one at that.
Being the cheapest CNG vehicle, the Bajaj Qute is priced at ₹3.60 lakh (ex-showroom) in India and is available in only one variant. This vehicle is powered by a single cylinder CNG engine that produces 10.83bhp of power and 16.1Nm torque.
The car itself, however, is very barebones. It has no air conditioning, no adjustable steering, not even power steering so you can get the gist. It does, however, have a music system with speakers on the front and rear with Bluetooth connectivity.
2. Alto K10
The Alto K10, one of the most legendary cars in the Indian car scene also has a CNG variant in the latest version. The price jump from the previous car, however, is more than 2 lakh rupees. The Alto K10 is priced at ₹5.83 lakh (ex-showroom) for the lowest CNG-enabled variant.
The Alto K10 is a car that needs no introduction to the Indian buyer. It is powered by a 3-cylinder 998 cc K10C CNG-powered engine which is good for a maximum of 55.92bhp of power and 82.1Nm of torque. The K10C engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. On CNG, the Alto K10 is rated for a mileage of 33.8 kilometres per kilo.
In terms of features and comfort, the Alto K10 comes with quite a few features. Apart from the basic air conditioning and power steering, the car also comes equipped with quite a few safety features like ABS, 6 airbags, EBD, engine immobilizer, and more.
3. Maruti S-Presso
The Maruti S-Presso is probably the most hated car in the enthusiast community. And while the enthusiasts may not like this car, it has many buyers given the value for money that the car offers. Starting at an attractive ₹5.91 lakh (ex-showroom), the S-Presso CNG also comes with the same K10C CNG-powered engine as on the Alto K10 CNG.
The K10C engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, making a total of 55.92bhp of power and 82.1Nm of torque. The Maruti S-Presso is claimed to offer a mileage of 32.73 kilometers in one kilogram of gas, which is just below the Alto K10 CNG.
In terms of features, the S-Presso offers pretty much. We get quite a few safety features like ABS and two airbags and we get engine immobilizer with the Maruti S-Presso. However, even at a close to 6 lakh pricetag, the base CNG variant of the Maruti S-Presso doesn’t come with a music system or a radio player. The top-end CNG variant, however, does have a 2 DIN music system.
4. Tata Tiago
The Tata Tiago is the cheapest CNG car that Tata sells. With the carmaker’s i-CNG tech, the CNG variant of the Tiago is also quite popular among the Indian buyers. The Tata Tiago CNG is priced ₹5.99 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards.
The Tiago CNG also has the biggest displacement engine so far. We are getting a 1.2 litre 3-cylinder engine that produces 85bhp of power and 113Nm of torque. In terms of fuel efficiency, the Tata Tiago is claimed to run 20 kilometres on one kilogram of CNG.
Coming to features, this car comes with pretty much all the necessary features like air conditioning, parking sensors, a 7-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, and more. In terms of safety, this comes with ABS, EBD, ESC, 2 airbags (front), and other safety features like engine immobilizer.
5. Maruti Eeco
The CNG variant of the Maruti Eeco starts at a price of ₹6.70 lakh (ex-showroom) in Delhi. It is powered by a 1.2 litre 4 cylinder engine which produces 70.67bhp of power and about 95Nm of torque. The Maruti Eeco is said to offer a mileage of 26.78 kilometres per kilogram of CNG.
Mostly used for commercial purposes, the Maruti Eeco is also available for you to get, in case you are looking for a van for any business or personal use. Being a van mostly used for commercial purposes, the Maruti Eeco is not big on features. We do not get any music system or entertainment features, but we do get air conditioning, power steering, and other such necessary features.
Apart from this, the car also has basic safety features like ABS, child lock, 2 airbags as standard, seat belt warning, and more.
6. Maruti Celerio
Maruti Celerio is also a rather new entrant in the Indian market and has been rather popular in the budget category. The Celerio is priced at ₹6.89 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards and is powered by the popular K10C engine.
The K10C engine, which is also available on other CNG-powered Maruti cars as well makes slightly less power here at 55bhp and 82Nm of torque which is identical to the Maruti Alto K10. Apart from this, the Maruti Celerio also offers 34.4 kilometers of mileage in one KG of gas.
In terms of features, here also things are very basic and barebones. The Maruti Celerio only offers the basic creature comforts like air conditioning, power steering, and more. In terms of safety features, the Celerio comes with ABS and comes with six airbags as standard.
7. Maruti WagonR
The Maruti WagonR is another legend in the Indian car space. This small family car has been a household name for over a decade now and is a very popular choice among people either buying their first car or a car for running as a cab.
Despite the reputation as a cab-only car, the Maruti WagonR is a major sales driver for Maruti in India. Starting at a price of ₹6.54 lakh for the CNG variant, the Maruti WagonR is also powered by the K10C engine, which is a 3 cylinder generating the same power figures as the Alto K10 and the Maruti Celerio.
The WagonR, however, has a fairly better average of more than 34 kilometers for one kilogram of gas. This also does not get any entertainment or music system as the other cars for the base CNG model, but comes with 2 airbags as standard. The WagonR is available in two variants – LXI and VXI with the CNG powertrain.
8. Hyundai Grand i10 Nios
One of the most feature-loaded car in this segment, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios also comes with a CNG option. Priced at ₹7.75 lakh (ex-showroom), the Grand i10 Nios has three variants with the CNG option.
The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is powered by a 1.2 litre bi-fuel 4 cylinder engine which is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. With the 1.2L engine, the Grand i10 Nios produces 68Nm of power and 95.2Nm of torque. On CNG, it is claimed to offer a mileage of 27 kilometers per kg.
Coming to features, this is easily the most feature-loaded car among the ones mentioned in this listicle so far. The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios comes with a powered adjustable steering, rear AC vents (only car in this segment to offer this), keyless entry, and a semi-digital cluster. It does come with a music system, but doesn’t support Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. With the music system, we get 4 speakers as standard.
In terms of safety features, this also comes with 6 airbags across all CNG variants, we get ABS, anti-theft alarm, tyre pressure monitor, impact sensing auto door unlock, and more.
9. Tata Punch
Starting at a price of ₹7.29 lakh (ex-showroom), the Tata Punch is another Tata car that runs on CNG. The Tata Punch is powered by a 1.2 litre Revtron engine which produces 72bhp of power and 103nm of torque.
With the Tata Punch, buyers can also enjoy good fuel efficiency as the car claims to run 26.99 kilometers on a single kilo of gas. With the Tata Punch also, we are getting a pretty loaded car. However, it is the safety features that take centerstage. The Tata Punch is the only 5-star Global NCAP rating for adults and a 4 star safety rating for children.
In terms of convenience and safety, this also doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but you get enough to make it a nice space to be in.
10. Hyundai Exter
With the Hyundai Exter, the size of CNG cars becomes bigger. We are getting a sub-compact SUV styling at a price of ₹8.64 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards. While the car community is split in terms of their opinion on this car, the Exter has been quite popular since its launch in 2023.
The Exter is powered by the same 1.2 litre 4 cylinder bi-fuel engine producing 67 bhp of power and 95 Nm of torque. The Hyundai Exter is claimed to offer 27.1 kilometers per kilo on CNG, which is much higher than what the petrol variant of the car offers.
The Hyundai Exter is the only other car in this list that offers a touchscreen Infotainment System which also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Apart from this, the car also comes with other premium touches like LED DRLs, height adjustable driver’s seat, keyless entry, and more.
In terms of the safety features, the Hyundai Exter also comes with ABS as standard, 6 airbags, tyre pressure monitor (TPMS), ESC, hill hold assist, and more.
You can follow Smartprix on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google News. Visit smartprix.com for the latest tech and auto news, reviews, and guides.
