From Tata Altroz to Mahindra XUV 3XO: Most affordable diesel cars in India currently

For a long time, diesel was the fuel of choice for the people of India. But in recent years, with the growing concern regarding climate change, increasing regulations surrounding carbon emissions have slowly made diesel engines go obsolete, especially for the lower end of the market. Diesel units do have, in general, longer life expectancy vis-a-vis petrol engines this is due to the tougher build quality while concurrently being more fuel-efficient, hence allowing cars to travel around 40 per cent farther than petrol units. They also have lower maintenance costs.

Diesel engines have managed to gather a following among enthusiasts because of such performance benefits at a relatively lower cost, and that is why they continue to do very well. Many Indian brands have altogether discontinued diesel cars, and most of the affordable options have also faded from sight, but still, a few are on offer. Here are the most affordable ones.

(Also read: Volkswagen to stop petrol and diesel car sales in Norway from 2024)

Tata Altroz

Currently, the Tata Altroz is the most affordable diesel car in India. The diesel lineup of the Altroz starts from ₹7.8 lakh, ex-showroom. The Tata Altroz is powered by a 1.5-liter diesel engine, mated exclusively to a five-speed manual transmission. It produces 89 bhp of power at maximum and has a peak torque of 200 Nm. The altroz diesel gets a claimed fuel economy of 23.6 kmpl.

Mahindra Bolero

The Mahindra Bolero is the most affordable SUV that can be bought with a diesel powertrain. In fact, the Mahindra Bolero is a diesel-only SUV with an ex-showroom price starting from ₹9.79 lakh. It is powered by a 1.5-liter mHawk75 diesel engine, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that delivers 75 bhp and a peak torque of 210 Nm. The Bolero gets a claimed fuel efficiency of 16 kmpl.

Mahindra Bolero Neo

The Mahindra Bolero Neo is among the most accessible of diesel-powered SUVs. Just as was the case with the Bolero, the Bolero Neo is available exclusively with a diesel engine and currently starts at ₹9.95 lakh, ex-showroom. The Bolero Neo uses the same 1.5-liter mHawk diesel engine as the Bolero.

However, in the Bolero Neo, the engine produces a little more than 100 bhp with a torque rating of 260Nm. Five-speed manual gear is standard, with no option for an automatic gearbox. The Bolero Neo gets a claimed fuel efficiency of 17.29 kmpl.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Another Mahindra on this list is the Mahindra XUV 3XO, launched in 2024. The diesel lineup for the Mahindra XUV 3XO starts at ₹9.99 lakh, ex-showroom. The diesel variants of the XUV 3XO are powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged CRDe unit, mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed AMT.

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The engine provides an output of 115 bhp and 300 Nm maximum torque. The manual transmission variants with the diesel engine return a fuel efficiency of 20.6 kmpl, while the automatic transmission options get a claimed mileage of 21.2 kmpl.

Kia Sonet

The starting prices for the diesel version of the Kia Sonet are around ₹10 lakh, ex-showroom. The compact SUV is offered with three engine options, where the 1.5-litre diesel engine, coupled with either a six-speed manual or a torque converter, produces 114 bhp and 250 Nm of torque. The manual transmission variants get a claimed fuel efficiency of 24.1 kmpl, while the automatic transmission options get 19 kmpl.