Earlier this year, Maruti added a new diesel engine to the Ciaz’ powertrain options. An inhouse-developed 1.5-litre unit which is bigger than the 1.3-litre diesel unit offered until then, and also does away with the mild-hybrid technology bits. Understandably, the larger diesel unit claims a lower fuel efficiency than the smaller, mild-hybrid powertrain but is it still more frugal than its direct rivals? Is the 1.5-litre Ciaz diesel more efficient than the Honda City and Hyundai Verna in real-world driving conditions? Let’s find out.



While all the cars here were a long way off from their claimed mileage in city driving, they did all offer more than 20kmpl on the highway. The diesel Honda City’s efficiency was closest to its claimed ARAI figures. These differences in fuel economy are expected since claimed figures are obtained from testing in ideal road conditions.

If your driving duties include an even distance of city and highway kilometres, the Honda City is the most frugal one, but not by much. The Ciaz and Verna are less efficient by only 0.10kmpl and 0.58kmpl respectively.

In the case of mostly city driving, the Ciaz conquers all, followed by the City and Verna, which fall just short of delivering 20kmpl. If the situations are reversed and the majority of travel is conducted on highways, the City is the most efficient. The Hyundai Verna and the Maruti Ciaz are close behind, in that order. It is worth noting that in all circumstances, these three sedans are all closely matched.