There was a time when buying a sedan meant giving up fuel efficiency in exchange for boot space and more road presence. And although that is still the case with some cars, the advent of compact sedans has led to plenty of efficient three-box vehicles hitting the market.
Here are our picks for the top 4 fuel efficient compact sedans, ranked in order of their combined city/highway efficiency as rated by the ARAI.
ARAI fuel efficiency: 26.59kmpl (diesel); 20.85kmpl (petrol)
Ironically, the oldest car here is the most fuel efficient. The Swift Dzire, as we know, has been the unambiguous choice for many for years now and it’s still a great product. Besides Maruti’s strong sales and service back up, the Swift Dzire also has a rather efficient engine range in its stride. The diesel-powered Dzire, in fact, gets a 1.3-litre unit which delivers as much as 26.59kmpl while the 1.2-litre petrol motor is rated at 20.85kmpl. In our hands, the diesel Swift Dzire delivered 19.4kmpl in the highway and 14.3kmpl in the city, ranking alongside some of the most fuel efficient cars that we have tested up till now.
Click here to read our comparison test between Maruti Swift Dzire AMT and Tata Zest AMT
Ford Figo Aspire
ARAI fuel efficiency: 25.83kmpl (diesel); 18.16kmpl (petrol)
Those looking for an efficient compact sedan that also happens to be fun to drive would want to have more than one test drive in the Ford Figo Aspire. While the 1.2-litre petrol engine isn’t particularly exciting, the 1.5-litre diesel engine is both punchy and fuel efficient at the same time. The petrol-powered Figo Aspire delivers a claimed 18.16kmpl while the diesel model (the most powerful in its class), betters it with 25.83kmpl.
Click here to read our first drive review of the Ford Figo Aspire
ARAI fuel efficiency: 25.80kmpl (diesel); 17.8kmpl (petrol)
The recently updated Honda Amaze shows up on this list at number 3 with its potent albeit slightly noisy diesel and a rev-happy 1.2-litre petrol motor. The 1.5-litre diesel engine develops 100bhp and 200Nm of torque, delivering all of it in a fairly linear manner. The petrol motor, too, puts down its power smoothly though it does lack the outright punch. Nonetheless, Honda is claiming 25.80kmpl for the Amaze diesel and 17.8kmpl for the Amaze petrol. During our tests, the diesel model managed to cover 14.9km to a litre in the city and 20.5kmpl out on the highway.
Click here to read our first drive review of the updated Honda Amaze
ARAI fuel efficiency: 24.40kmpl (diesel); 19.1kmpl (petrol)
The no-nonsense compact sedan from Hyundai has earned its place in the market over the last couple of years by offering a quality package all round and competitive fuel efficiency. The Xcent’s 1.1-litre, three-cylinder diesel engine is good for a claimed 24.40kmpl and the 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine for 19.1kmpl. In our tests, the diesel-powered Xcent did quite well, delivering 15.5kmpl in the city and 20.1 kmpl on the highway.
Click here to read our comparison test between Hyundai Xcent, Maruti Swift Dzire and Honda Amaze
