Hybrid Cars in India 2017 – Prices & Specifications

Today, air pollution levels are on a rise. Among the biggest contributors to this phenomenon are rising number of vehicles on the road. To counter this, automakers have been looking at alternative power sources to use on their cars. As a result, we have among us cars with hybrid powertrains. A hybrid car is the one that makes use of fossil fuel and electricity to power itself. Such cars have additional equipment to generate, store and use electric power. This aids in reducing vehicle emissions as well as increasing mileage of the car. So, now that you know what a hybrid car is all about, here are the hybrid cars in India that you can buy today.

Hybrid Cars in India

A hybrid car uses a combination of an internal combustion engine and electric motor(s) to run. Such cars can run on either power source or a combination of the two. Hence, they offer twin benefits of reduced emissions and great mileage. However, these vehicles are quite costly as far as their presence in India is concerned. Firstly, none of the hybrid cars are made in India and hence, attract high import duties. Secondly, the hybrid technology in itself is quite costly. Still, the benefits offered by such cars may offset their high initial acquisition cost. With that said, these are the hybrid cars you can buy in India today.

Honda Accord Hybrid

The Accord Hybrid competes against the Toyota Camry Hybrid in the upper-D segment. While it costs a pretty penny, this hybrid has a dual-motor hybrid system paired to the 2.0-litre i-VTEC petrol engine. Together, they help this car deliver 23.1 km/l fuel economy. Among the features on this car are LED headlamps and fog lamps, remote engine start, dual-zone automatic A/c and Android Auto + Apple CarPlay with its touchscreen infotainment unit.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Camry Hybrid comes with a 2.5-litre petrol engine and a permanent magnet synchronous motor (Hybrid Synergy Drive). Together, they send power to an eCVT transmission, helping the car deliver 19.16 km/l mileage. This car has reclining rear seat, controls for in rear armrest, tri-zone auto A/c, cooled front seats, LED headlamps and wireless smartphone charger among other features.

Toyota Prius

The Prius is one of the world’s most known hybrid cars. This car sports a 1.8-litre petrol engine with a permanent magnet synchronous motor (Hybrid Synergy Drive). Together, they send power to a CVT gearbox, which helps this car deliver fuel economy of 23.91 km/l. A heads-up display, dual-zone auto A/c, driving modes, touchscreen infotainment unit with 10 speakers and cooled front seats are a few features it comes with. Here’s our review of the Prius.

Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid

The Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid is unlike any other hybrid here. It makes use of a supercharged and turbocharged (twin-charged) 2.0-litre petrol engine. Paired to a plug-in hybrid system, the car delivers 22.5 km/l mileage. Its feature list includes a 20-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system, air suspension, four seats with cooling function, 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system and tyres with noise cancellation tech.

BMW i8

The BMW i8 is a supercar. Its 1.5-litre three-cylinder motor has been paired to a plug-in hybrid system. The car has carbon fibre and aluminium construction, which make for a lightweight body. As a result, this car can blast from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds while delivering a mileage of 47.45 km/l (incidentally, the highest on this list). This car’s feature list includes LED headlights, dual-zone auto A/c, heads-up display, iDrive system with 11 Harman Kardon speakers and cooled seats.

Mild Hybrid Cars in India

Mild hybrid cars are those which have an electric motor/generator. This motor enables the car to offer features such as torque assist and idle start/stop. As a result, while such cars offer great mileage, they cannot run on electric power alone. While the drawback is considerable, mild hybrid cars in India can be had for a lot less money than full hybrid ones. Check out our list of mild hybrid cars in India below to know what we mean.

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is one of the most fuel efficient diesel cars in India. This is the case while it is just a mild-hybrid. Its SHVS system provides the car with torque assist, brake energy regeneration and auto start-stop functions. Due to this, the Ciaz delivers mileage of 28.09 km/l. Some of the features offered on the Ciaz are a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, projector headlamps, keyless entry with push-button start/stop, auto A/c and reverse parking camera with sensors.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Ciaz RS Long Term Review

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

The Ertiga is another Maruti Suzuki car to come with SHVS system. As a result, it gains torque assist, brake energy regeneration and auto-start/stop functions. It delivers a respectable mileage of 24.52 km/l. The Ertiga sports features such as keyless entry with push-button start/stop, three-row seating, dual-zone A/c, reverse parking sensors and touchscreen infotainment system.

Mahindra Scorpio

Apart from the Volvo XC90, the Scorpio is the only other SUV on this list. Its 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine is mated to an Intelli-Hybrid system. Hence, it benefits from torque assist, brake energy regeneration and auto-start/stop functions. The Scorpio’s feature list includes projector headlamps with LED DRLs, LED taillamps, touchscreen infotainment system, shift-on-fly 4WD, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers and auto A/c.

So, do you like our list of hybrid cars in India? Please weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below. For more such stories, log on to Car Blog india.