Premium hatchbacks offer a choice of both petrol and diesel engine. Let us take you through some facts that whether petrol is the new call for people or diesel still stays strong?
Premium Hatchbacks have become quite a trend in the Indian market and are made available in petrol and diesel engines. We tell you which engine is more popular and thus accounts for a larger share of sales.
In just less than a year, all new vehicles plying on Indian roads will be upgraded to BS-VI and with the stricter emission norms, some car manufacturers are even planning to phase out the diesel cars from their portfolio.
| Brand | Variant | Petrol Sales | Diesel Sales | Petrol % | Diesel % | Total Units Sold |
| Maruti Suzuki | Baleno | 1,88,120 | 24,210 | 89% | 11% | 2,12,330 |
| Hyundai | Elite i20 | 1,08,375 | 31,850 | 77% | 23% | 1,40,225 |
| Volkswagen | Polo | 14,836 | 3,310 | 82% | 18% | 18,146 |
| Honda | Jazz | 13,475 | 1,612 | 89% | 11% | 15,091 |
| Ford | Freestyle | 12,254 | 10,351 | 55% | 45% | 22,875 |
Talking about the petrol vs diesel premium hatchbacks, the petrol spec is beating the diesel by a high margin. Maruti Suzuki Baleno recently introduced a BS-VI fuel type in the 1.2-litre petrol engine. The petrol spec beat the diesel variant by 89%. The manufacturers have also said that they will axe out the diesel engine from their line up.
Also Read: Hyundai Creta Petrol Vs Diesel – Which Sells More And Why
As we can see, Ford Freestyle managed to balanced out the petrol and diesel engine by a margin of 10% which is not that high when compared to the others. Ford Freestyle sports a 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine producing 99 bhp with 215 Nm of torque. The 1.2-litre petrol motor power is limited to just 95 bhp and 120 Nm.
Hyundai Elite i20 buyers saw a massive 77% likability towards the petrol spec and only 23% chose the diesel engine. The petrol trims saw a total sales of 1,08,375 units as compared to the 31,850 units of the diesel engine.
Volkswagen Polo managed to sell a total of 18,146 units and about 82% of the units contributed to the petrol sales. The Polo comes in 2 petrol options, a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated engine churning out 75 bhp with 95 Nm of torque and a 1.2-litre turbocharged motor generating 103 bhp and 175 Nm. The former is mated to 5-speed manual transmission while the turbocharged engine is mated to 7-speed DSG.
Also Read: Honda City Petrol Vs Diesel – Which Is Better And Why
In recent times, when the diesel engines provide better fuel economy and are much cheaper than petrol, people are still preferring petrol in the premium hatchback segments. It not only provides a better life to the engine but also is better-refined fuel.
The Petrol cars dominated the diesel ones by a total of 83% in the FY19. This is because of the upcoming emission norms which will in future see a depletion off diesel engines. Upgrading a smaller BS-IV to BS-VI fuel type will only make the vehicle costly and the end results will have to be suffered by the consumers.
