Top 10 Cheapest Diesel Cars In India

If you are looking to buy an affordable & fuel efficient diesel car, there are not many options available in our market. Due to stricter emission norms, most of the brands have discontinued diesel vehicles from their line-up. The entry-level segment hits the hard with stricter norms, as upgrading the diesel engine to meet the new norms would require heavy investment.

However, few automakers are still offering Diesel Cars to drive sales in the fast growing Indian market. Brands like Mahindra, Tata Motors, Hyundai and Kia are still offering diesel cars and SUVs that you can buy in India.

Top 10 Cheapest Diesel Cars In India

Tata Altroz

The Tata Altroz is the only model in the hatchback segment to offer a diesel powertrain in the country. The diesel Altroz range starts at Rs 8.90 lakh and goes up to Rs 10.80 lakh. It is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that produces 88.77bhp and a peak torque of 200Nm. A 5-speed manual transmission sending the power to the front wheels is offered as standard. It is claimed to offer an ARAI certified mileage of 23.64kmpl.

Kia Sonet

Kia is offering the Sonet compact SUV with both petrol and diesel engine options. The diesel version of the Kia Sonet is available with both manual and automatic gearbox options. The Kia Sonet diesel range starts at Rs 9.80 lakh and goes up to Rs 15.75 lakh. Powering the small SUV is a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine that produces 114bhp and 250Nm of torque.

Three transmission options are available including a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed torque convertor automatic and a 6-speed iMT (Intelligent Manual Transmission). The Sonet diesel iMT is claimed to return an ARAI certified fuel economy of 22.3kmpl, while diesel AT delivers 18.6kmpl. The manual version is claimed to offer a fuel efficiency of up to 24kmpl.

Mahindra Bolero Neo

Next model in our list of cheapest diesel cars in India is the Mahindra Bolero Neo. This rugged SUV is priced between Rs 9.95 lakh and Rs 12.15 lakh (ex-showroom). The new Bolero Neo SUV is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine that churns out a maximum power output of 98.56bhp and a peak torque of 260Nm. This SUV is based on a rear wheel, ladder-on-frame platform. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Mahindra Bolero

The Mahindra Bolero is one of the most popular SUVs available in the rural & semi-urban markets. The SUV is available in the price bracket of Rs 9.98 lakh to Rs 10.91 lakh (ex-showroom). The SUV is powered by a mHawk75, 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder turbo diesel engine that churns out a maximum power output of 74.96bhp and a peak torque of 210Nm. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. This SUV offers an ARAI certified fuel economy of 16kmpl.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Mahindra has introduced the new XUV 3XO sub-4 meter SUV, which comes as a heavily upgraded version of the Mahindra XUV300. The SUV is offered with both petrol and diesel engine options. The diesel Mahindra XUV 3XO is priced in the range of Rs 9.99 lakh to Rs 14.99 lakh. Gearbox options include a 6-speed manual and an AMT unit. The SUV is claimed to offer an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 20.6kmpl.

Tata Nexon

The main reason behind the huge success of Tata Nexon is the availability of multiple powertrain options including petrol, diesel and electric. The Nexon diesel range starts at Rs 10 lakh and goes up to Rs 15.80 lakh (ex-showroom). The SUV is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine that churns out 113.31bhp of power and 260Nm of torque. Gearbox options include a 6-speed manual and an AMT unit. While the manual version is claimed to return an ARAI certified fuel economy of 23.23kmpl, the AMT version delivers 24.08kmpl.

Hyundai Venue

The Hyundai Venue is the second best-selling model in Hyundai India's line-up. It is available in 3 engine options - a 1.2L NA petrol, a 1.0L turbo petrol and a 1.5L turbo diesel. The diesel version is highly fuel efficient and offers good performance. It is packed with a 1.5L 4-cylinder turbo diesel unit that also powers the Sonet. This engine produces 113.4bhp and 250Nm of torque, and is paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It is claimed to offer a certified mileage of 24.2kmpl. The Venue diesel is priced between Rs 10.71 lakh and Rs 13.44 lakh

Mahindra Thar

For off-road lovers, the Mahindra Thar 3-door is one of the options available in the market. Customers can choose between the petrol and diesel engine options; however, diesel Thar is hugely popular among buyers. The Thar diesel range is available in the price bracket of Rs 11.35 lakh to Rs 17.60 lakh (ex-showroom). It is offered with two engine options - a 1.5L turbo and a 2.2L turbo diesel. While the former is good for 117bhp and 300Nm, the 2.2L unit is good for 130bhp and 300Nm of torque.

The 1.5L unit is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel-drive layout. The more powerful version is only available in 4x4 drive configurations. For transmission duties, the new Thar is offered with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque convertor automatic. 

Kia Seltos

Kia's top-selling SUV, the Kia Seltos is one of the best models on sale in the diesel category that you can drive home in India. The diesel range is available in the price bracket of Rs 12.35 lakh to Rs 20.35 lakh. It is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine that churns out 114.41bhp and a peak torque of 250Nm.

Three gearbox options are available including a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed torque convertor automatic and a 6-speed iMT. The diesel manual is claimed to offer an ARAI certified fuel economy of 20.7kmpl, while the automatic version delivers a mileage of 19.1kmpl.

Hyundai Creta

The top-selling mid-sized SUV, the Hyundai Creta is the last model in our list of top 10 cheapest diesel cars in India. The SUV is offered with multiple engine options including a 1.5L NA petrol, a 1.5L turbo petrol and a 1.5L turbo diesel. The diesel version accounts for close to 50% of total Creta sales. This indicates huge demand for Creta diesel in the market. The Hyundai Creta diesel is available in the price range of Rs 12.56 lakh to Rs 20.15 lakh.

The diesel engine dishes out 114bhp and 250Nm of peak torque. Gearbox choices include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque convertor automatic. The diesel manual is claimed to offer an ARAI certified mileage of 21.8kmpl, while the automatic returns 19kmpl.