The ever increasing prices of diesel and petrol fuels pose great instability in the purchasing plans of the domestic buyers. The Indian car enthusiasts are famous for their obsession with fuel efficiency and most of them prioritize the mileage aspect over all possible attributes. However, since the economy is progressing, many buyers are also concerned with the overall driving dynamics of the car and wish to buy the most value for money product.
Among the most promising products, is the upcoming diesel variant of the 'World's most economical car', the Nano. Tata Motors has left no stone unturned in developing the diesel variant of the Nano and the car is believed to be capable of delivering a whopping mileage of 40 km per litre. The South Asia's largest automotive manufacturer has promised that the upcoming diesel model of Nano will run 40 kilometres on one litre of diesel, thereby matching the mileage of a typical 180 cc motorcycle. The yet-to-be launched car will be the country's most fuel efficient car upon its launch and Tata Motors' can launch the car any time soon in the domestic market.
Another most awaited product comes from the factories of Volkswagen, which showcased its XL1 concept at the 11th Auto Expo held in New Delhi in January, 2012. According to the German auto maker, the XL1 concept can give a mind numbing fuel efficiency of more than 100 km per litre. The segment defying XL1 concept features a compact 800 cc TDI two-cylinder common rail diesel engine that churns out a maximum torque of 47 bhp. The engine is further assimilated with an electric motor producing 26 bhp of power, resulting in a total of 74 bhp power output. However, it’s highly unlikely that the XL1 concept will ever see commercial production due to its exorbitant manufacturing costs.
The most impressive offering till date in the Indian passenger car market is available from stables of the American auto major, Ford Motor Company – the Ford Classic sedan. The company advertised its car with an extensive promotional campaign saying that the car delivers an astonishing fuel economy of 30 km every litre. The Ford Classic caught the attention of most of the Indian buyers and the car actually delivered an flabbergasting mileage of 33 km per litre on highways and still impressive, fuel economy of 21 km per litre in city traffic conditions. The Ford Classic holds a 1.6 litre Duratec petrol engine under its hood, which is mated to a five speed manual transmission system. The car is available at a decent price tag of Rs. 6.86 lacs for its petrol model and Rs. 7.82 lacs for its diesel variant. (All prices for ex-showrooms of New Delhi)
Industry experts believe that fuel economies of more than 30 km per litre are still a long shot and the major car companies will have to carve out something extraordinary towards achieving the feat. At present, chasing greater mileages puts immense pressure on the engine life, with most of them getting their lives eroded for the sake of better fuel economy. Hence, the Indian car buyers can do nothing but wait for a well groomed engine that delivers superb mileage output without compromising on the overall life of the engine.
