10 Petrol SUVs In India That Offer The Best Mileage - Compass, Nexon Make The Cut

When it comes to buying SUVs, buying a diesel one seems to be the natural choice owing to assumptions that petrol SUVs guzzle more fuel. While diesel SUVs are definitely more frugal, most modern-day compact petrol SUVs return mileage figures that are comparable to mid-sized sedans. Hard to believe? Here's a list of the 10 most fuel efficient petrol SUVs in India. Guess what, even the least efficient of this lot delivers over 14kmpl! What's more, most of them are under Rs 10 lakh. So, go ahead, take your pick. Do note that the mileage numbers stated are claimed by ARAI and real-world fuel efficiency figures are usually slightly lesser.

10. Renault Duster

Claimed mileage: MT - 14.19kmpl | AT – 14.99kmpl

Sitting at 10th spot, the Renault Duster has an ARAI-claimed mileage of 14.19kmpl. Powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine, the Duster produces a max power of 106PS at 5600 rpm and a peak torque of 142Nm at 4000rpm. This motor can be had with both the manual as well as the automatic option. The petrol Duster comes in three variants – RXE, RXL and RXS CVT.

9. Hyundai Creta

Claimed mileage: MT - 15.29kmpl | AT – 13.0kmpl

The Hyundai Creta has been drumming headlines with its fantastic sales month over month. It is equipped with a 1.6-litre petrol motor which delivers a max output of 123PS at 6400 rpm and generates a peak torque of 151Nm at 4850rpm. It is linked to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The petrol Creta comes in five variants – E, E Plus, SX Plus, SX Plus Dual Tone and AT SX Plus.

8. Honda BRV

Claimed mileage: 15.4kmpl

One of the few budget seven-seat SUVs in the country, the Honda BRV is equally practical in the fuel economy department. Its petrol engine returns decent mileage figures of 15.4kmpl. The 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol motor produces 119PS of max power and a peak torque of 145Nm. Mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, the petrol motor also gets the CVT gearbox as an option. The petrol BRV comes in five variants - E, S, V, VX and V CVT.

7. Jeep Compass

Claimed mileage – 16kmpl

Jeep’s most affordable SUV in India launched in August this year at an aggressive price of Rs 14.95 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). However, the recent addition of cess over GST has pushed its starting price to Rs 15.16 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Powering the petrol Compass is a 1.4-litre multiair engine which belts out a max power of 162PS and generates a peak torque of 250Nm. It comes with an option of either a 7-speed Dual Dry Clutch transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission. The Jeep Compass petrol comes in three variants – Sport, Limited and Limited Option.

6. BMW X1

Claimed mileage – 16.30kmpl

The compact SUV from BMW is also offered in a petrol avatar. With figures of 16.30kmpl, the X1 petrol sits at the sixth spot. The BMW X1 is equipped with a 2.0-litre petrol engine which pumps out 194PS of max power and a peak torque of 280Nm. It is linked to an 8-speed automatic transmission. After the discontinuation of the BMW 1-Series in the country, the BMW X1 has become the most affordable Beemer in India. The petrol X1 is available in only one variant – BMW X1 SDRIVE20I XLINE.

5. Audi Q3

Claimed mileage – 16.9kmpl

Audi’s smallest SUV offering in the country, the Audi Q3, gets a place in this list for its impressive fuel economy of 16.9kmpl (petrol Q3). With the addition of a petrol engine in March this year, the Q3 became the first-ever Audi SUV to get a petrol heart in India. The 1.4-litre TFSI engine produces 150PS of max power and 250Nm of peak torque. Mated to a six-speed S tronic automatic transmission, it sprints from 0-100kmph in mere 8.9 seconds. The Audi Q3 comes in only one petrol variant – 30 TFSI Premium.

4. Tata Nexon

Claimed mileage – 17kmpl

The newly launched Tata Nexon comes fourth in the list of fuel efficient petrol SUVs with a claimed figure of 17kmpl. Powering the petrol Nexon is a 1.2-litre Revotron engine, which pumps out max power of 110PS and a peak torque of 170Nm. The Nexon also gets multi-drive modes – Eco, City and Sport – that alter the driving the characteristics as well as fuel efficiency of the SUV based on the mode that’s chosen. For now, the Tata Nexon is available only with a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed AMT is expected to come early next year. The Nexon is offered in five variants – XE, XM, XT, XZ Plus and XZ Plus Dual Tone.

3. Honda WR-V

Claimed mileage – 17.5kmpl

The Honda WRV has been churning good numbers month on month. Could its impressive fuel efficiency figures be one of the reasons? The 1.2-litre petrol engine-powered WRV pumps out a max power of 90PS and a peak torque of 110Nm. Mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, the Honda crossover has a refined i-VTEC motor which barely disturbs the occupants with its noise. Similar to its diesel counterparts, the petrol WRV is also offered in two trims – S and VX.

2. Mahindra KUV100

Claimed mileage – 18.20kmpl

Mahindra’s ‘young SUV’, the KUV100, is the smallest car to be categorised as a sports utility vehicle in this list. The petrol KUV100 is powered by a 1.2-litre mFalcon G80 MPFI engine, which produces a maximum power of 83PS along with a peak torque of 115Nm. Linked to a 5-speed manual transmission, it has a ground clearance of 170mm. The Mahindra KUV100 can be had in an incredible 13 petrol variants - possibly the highest for any SUV!

1. Ford EcoSport

Claimed mileage: EcoBoost - 18.88kmpl | 1.5L - 15.85kmpl (MT), 15.63kmpl (AT)

Taking the No.1 spot is the Ford EcoSport powered by the globally acclaimed 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine and a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT motor. But it’s the EcoBoost mill that's more frugal with a claimed mileage that's close to 19kmpl. The 1-litre engine generates an exceptional 125PS of power while the 1.5-litre petrol motor produces 112PS of max power. Both the engines are mated to a 5-speed manual transmission whereas the 1.5-litre also gets a 6-speed automatic gearbox option. It is available in seven petrol variants – MT Ambiente, MT Trend, EcoBoost Trend Plus, MT Titanium, EcoBoost Titanium Plus, AT Titanium and EcoBoost Plantinum Edition.

All the models mentioned here are also available in diesel versions.

Source: cardekho.com