It is a general conception that automatic transmission equipped vehicles are less fuel efficient than their manual counterparts. While this was a fact for a long time, it is not true anymore as advancements in automatic transmission technology have made it possible for automatic cars to be fuel efficient. Some of the modern day auto box equipped vehicles even offer better fuel efficiency than manual cars. Today, we take a look at 11 such automatic cars that are more fuel-efficient than their manual counterparts.
Renault Kwid 1.0 AMT
Starting the list is the Renault Kwid with its three-cylinder, 999 cc petrol engine that churns out a decent power of 67 Bhp along with 137 Nm of torque. This engine gets a 5-speed manual transmission as standard along with a 5-speed AMT gearbox as well. This AMT variant of the Kwid 1.0-litre has a slightly better fuel efficiency figure of 24.04 km/l compared to the manual car’s fuel efficiency figure of 23.01 km/l.
Honda Jazz CVT
Next in line is the Honda Jazz with its two transmission options – a 5-speed manual and a CVT automatic. Powering the Jazz is a 1.2-litre petrol engine that churns out a maximum power of 89 Bhp along with 110 Nm of torque. The CVT automatic variant of the Jazz returns a higher fuel efficiency score of 19 km/l while the manual variant offers a slightly lower fuel efficiency figure of 18.7 km/l.
Volkswagen Ameo Diesel DSG
The Ameo is Volkswagen’s answer to the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and the Honda Amaze among others. the compact sedan is powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine that puts out 108 Bhp of power and 250 Nm of torque. The diesel engine is offered with two transmission options – a 5-speed manual and 7-speed DSG dual clutch automatic. The automatic diesel Ameo is slightly more fuel efficient delivering a mileage of 21.73 km/l compared to the manual car’s 21.66 km/l.
Nissan Sunny CVT
The Nissan Sunny didn’t really catch the attention of Indian buyers ever since its launch. The sedan offers a CVT automatic gearbox as an option with its 1.5-litre petrol engine which produces 98 Bhp and 134 Nm of torque. While the manual Sunny returns a mileage figure of 16.95 km/l, the automatic version of the sedan delivers nearly 1 km/l in terms of fuel efficiency returning 17.97 km/l.
Skoda Rapid Diesel DSG
The 7-speed automatic DSG gearbox is offered on multiple vehicles in the Volkswagen group and the Rapid is another one to employ it. The diesel variant of the Rapid is powered by a 1.5-litre engine rated at 108 Bhp and 250 Nm of torque. Like the other VW group cars with this engine and gearbox combination, the Skoda Rapid diesel automatic too is slightly more fuel efficient than its manual siblings. The automatic variants return a mileage of 21.72 km/l compared to the regular manual car’s figure of 21.13 km/l.
Volkswagen Vento Diesel DSG
The Volkswagen Vento will get a minor facelift in the coming months while a whole new generation update is scheduled to be launched here in 2021. Talking about the current model, the diesel DSG variant of the sedan is more fuel efficient than its manual gearbox siblings. The Vento is powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine that is found on the Ameo as well and churns out 108 Bhp of power along with 250 Nm of torque. The automatic variant delivers a mileage of 21.5 km/l while the manual gearbox version is less fuel efficient delivering a mileage of 20.64 km/l.
Toyota Yaris CVT
Toyota unveiled the Yaris for India at Auto Expo 2018 and launched the sedan in the country a few months later. The Yaris is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 108 Bhp and 137 Nm of torque. The engine is paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a 7-step CVT with paddle-shifters.
The CVT equipped Yaris is just slightly more fuel efficient than the manual car with the automatic delivering an ARAI certified mileage of 17.8 km/l. The manual Yaris petrol returns a slightly lower mileage of 17.1 km/l.
Honda City CVT
Among the oldest and most popular C-segment sedans in India, the Honda City comes with a CVT automatic gearbox paired to its 1.5-litre petrol engine. this engine churns out a maximum power of 118 Bhp and 145 Nm of torque. It also gets a 5-speed manual gearbox which is standard across the model range. Compared to the CVT’s fuel efficiency score of 18 km/l, the manual transmission has a lower efficiency score of 17.4 km/l.
Honda BR-V CVT
The Honda BR-V is a rival to the Hyundai Creta and the Nissan Kicks among others in the compact SUV segment. The crossover styled vehicle is powered by the good old 1.5-litre petrol engine by Honda that puts out 118 Bhp of power and 145 Nm of torque. The engine is offered with both a 5-speed manual and a CVT automatic gearbox. As for the fuel efficiency figures, the manual version of the BR-V petrol has a figure of 15.4 km/l which is less than the CVT variant’s score, which stands at 16 km/l.
Toyota Fortuner Automatic
The best selling full-size SUV in India under Rs. 40 lakh price bracket, the Toyota Fortuner rivals the likes of the Ford Endeavour and the Skoda Kodiaq among others in its segment. The petrol-powered version of the Fortuner comes with a choice of either a 6-speed manual gearbox or an automatic gearbox. Speaking of fuel efficiency, the petrol automatic version of the Fortuner returns a mileage of 10.26 km/l which is slightly better than the manual SUV’s fuel efficiency figure of 10.01 km/l. The petrol engine in question here is a 2.7-litre petrol engine that puts out 164 Bhp of power and 245 Nm of torque.
Skoda Superb DSG
The Skoda Superb is one of the best offerings in its segment, which comprises of the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. The petrol version of the Superb gets powered by a 1.8-lite engine that churns out 177 Bhp and 250 Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox which helps it deliver a fuel efficiency figure of 14.12 km/l. However, the 7-speed DSG dual clutch automatic gearbox equipped Superb returns a slightly better fuel efficiency figure of 14.67 km/l, which makes it more fuel efficient than its manual counterpart.
All Fuel Efficiency scores listed here are ARAI certified values
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