Petrol prices are not coming down in India anytime soon. As a result, many car buyers are now considering hybrid vehicles to lower their running costs. Currently, manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Renault and MG offer a number of hybrid cars and SUVs in the country. Now, if you are considering a hybrid car which will give you high mileage, then this list is definitely for you.
Currently, the hybrid vehicle which offers the highest mileage in India is the MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV. This SUV comes equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain which comprises a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor and a large 20.5 kWh battery pack. MG claims that the Hector Tomahawk offers a combined fuel efficiency of over 40 kmpl.
It also offers an electric-only driving range of more than 115 km and a total combined range of over 1,100 km. The SUV uses a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission and offers four operating modes. These include Pure EV, Series Hybrid, Parallel Hybrid and Engine Direct. It also supports DC fast charging at up to 25 kW.
Next up is the Renault Duster Strong Hybrid, which offers a claimed fuel efficiency of 29 kmpl. This makes it the most fuel-efficient self-charging hybrid SUV on this list. Talking about the powertrain, the Duster gets a 1.8-litre petrol engine paired with two electric motors and a 1.4 kWh battery pack.
This setup produces a combined output of 160 PS and 172 Nm of torque. Renault claims that the Duster can operate on electric power for up to 80 percent of certain city-driving conditions. It also offers a claimed total driving range of over 1,400 km on a full tank.
The third SUV with the best mileage is the Maruti Suzuki Victoris Strong Hybrid, which offers an ARAI-certified mileage of 28.65 kmpl. Mechanically, the Victoris gets a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor and an e-CVT automatic gearbox.
The strong-hybrid system helps the SUV run on electric power alone under certain driving conditions. Apart from this, the Victoris also comes with regular petrol and factory-fitted CNG powertrain options. However, the strong-hybrid version offers the highest claimed petrol mileage in its lineup.
Next up is the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid, which offers a claimed mileage of 27.97 kmpl. It gets the same 1.5-litre, three-cylinder Atkinson-cycle petrol engine paired with an electric motor and a small battery pack as the Victoris. The engine comes paired with an e-CVT automatic transmission.
However, what is interesting is that the Grand Vitara can operate on electric power alone at lower speeds under suitable conditions. Its battery is charged automatically through the petrol engine and regenerative braking, which means owners do not need to charge it externally.
Being the rebadged version of the Grand Vitara, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder also delivers an identical claimed mileage of 27.97 kmpl. It gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor and an e-CVT automatic gearbox. The strong-hybrid system automatically switches between petrol and electric power depending on driving conditions.
Coming to the only sedan on this list, we have the Honda City e:HE. The City Hybrid offers an ARAI-certified mileage of 27.26 kmpl. Mechanically, the sedan gets a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine paired with Honda’s two-motor strong-hybrid system. The setup produces a combined output of 126 PS.
The City e offers three driving modes, including EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive. The system automatically selects the appropriate mode depending on the driving conditions.
Despite being a large MPV, the Toyota Innova Hycross Strong Hybrid still manages to offer a claimed fuel efficiency of 23.24 kmpl. The hybrid version of this MPV comes equipped with a 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor and an e-CVT automatic transmission. This setup produces a combined output of approximately 184 PS.
Next up is the Maruti Suzuki Invicto, which is based on the Toyota Innova Hycross. Maruti offers the Invicto exclusively with a strong-hybrid powertrain consisting of a 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid paired with an e-CVT automatic transmission. However, despite sharing its powertrain with the Innova Hycross, the Invicto has a slightly lower official claimed mileage of 22.16 kmpl.
The ninth model is the Maruti Suzuki Fronx Turbo Smart Hybrid. Now, unlike the previous strong-hybrid vehicles, the Fronx uses a mild-hybrid system. It gets a 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbocharged petrol engine with an Integrated Starter Generator. This system provides limited torque assistance, regenerative braking and automatic engine start-stop functionality.
The 5-speed manual version offers an ARAI-certified mileage of 21.50 kmpl. Meanwhile, the 6-speed automatic delivers 20.01 kmpl. However, the mild-hybrid system cannot drive the Fronx using electric power alone.
Last on this list, we have the Maruti Suzuki XL6 Smart Hybrid, which offers a claimed mileage of 20.97 kmpl with its manual gearbox. The six-seater MPV gets a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine paired with Maruti Suzuki’s mild-hybrid technology. This system supports brake energy regeneration, idle start-stop and limited electric assistance.
The engine comes paired with a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox, and it offers a claimed mileage of 20.27 kmpl. Apart from this, Maruti Suzuki also offers a factory-fitted CNG version of the XL6. However, unlike the strong-hybrid models, the XL6’s mild-hybrid system cannot run the vehicle on electricity alone, like the Fronx.