India's Most Economical & Uneconomical cars
This is a crunch situation; the price of a barrel of crude in the international market is hovering at the wrong side of the US$140. In India, people are suddenly contemplating letting go of their beloved Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords in favour of more fuel-economical cars. And with a litre of petrol costing over Rs. 50, one can't really blame them either. 

Thank God for hatchbacks one may say in dire times like this. They are the answer to the soaring price of gasoline and they are the future. But besides hatchbacks, there are a few sedans and SUVs too that are pretty economical by their standards. To get a better perspective on cars as they are, let's take a look at how different vehicles in the Indian market stack up in the fuel-efficiency meter.

Hatchbacks lead the way
It is no secret that hatchbacks or 5 door genre of cars rank very high when it comes to fuel-efficiency, thanks to their smaller and usually docile engines. And there is no hatchback in India, which is more economical than the 796cc Maruti Suzuki Alto, and to top that, it is also the highest selling car in India. Another proof of the fact that fuel-efficiency, has a lot to do with the volume of sales. The Alto is rather basic and a bit tight for space, but most people are willing to overlook that for the staggering overall mileage of 16.83kmpl that it delivers. The Alto is followed by the Hyundai i10, which delivers 16.14km to the litre. The i10 with its cherubic modern looks, peppy 1.1litre engine and driving excellence is a hot favourite in the market.

Next up is the erstwhile Matiz, the Chevy Spark, delivering 15.23kmpl. The Spark has been rated as the best in fuel efficiency among compact cars by JD Power Asia Pacific, 2008. There is a generous presence of diesel hatchbacks in the country at the moment, and so far they have faired quite well. Of the diesel lot, the excellent Maruti Suzuki Swift holds top spot with a mind-blowing overall mileage of 18.59kmpl. Following the Swift is the new kid in the Skoda India household, the Fabia TDI, which was launched earlier this year at the Delhi Auto Expo with much fanfare. The Fabia shows 15.83kmpl, and betters the Hyundai Getz's mileage of 15.45kmpl by the proverbial whisker.

Breed of the economical sedans
It is a commonly held belief that anything that is not a hatchback is a gas-guzzler. But in reality, it is anything but that. Most entry-level sedans today besides being comfortable, stylish and spacious are economical as well. Of the petrol sedans the Honda City ZX has been the most economical for quite some time. The 1497cc City ZX is very considerate when it comes to drinking petrol and has a mileage of 14.76kmpl. The holder of the second spot is the petrol 1.4litre Ford Fiesta, showing figures of 13.11kmpl. While the 1.4litre is more inclined towards fuel-efficiency, the bigger 1.6litre is clearly performance oriented, and that has taken a toll on its fuel-efficiency. Cars from the Tata bandwagon are largely known to rate less on style and design and more on practicality and fuel-efficiency. The Tata Indigo is a true Tata, low on style and high economy and delivers 11.21km to the litre. Holder of the top position in the diesel segment is the Mahindra Renault Logan with 16.56kmpl, which even beats the venerable Ford Fiesta Duratorq's generous mileage of 16.25kmpl. In third spot is the Hyundai Verna CRDi with 14.23kmpl, respectable figure no doubt, but a difference of a good two litres with that of the Fiesta.

Thirsty premium sedans
Premium sedans may be a step ahead of the entry-level sedans when it comes to performance, luxury and class, but they surely don't match up to their lesser sisters when it comes to economy. The Premium sedan segment however is home to India's first eco-friendly car, the Honda Civic Hybrid. With a guaranteed 47% more fuel-efficiency and lesser emissions, the green Civic is the most fuel-efficient sedan in the country today. Of the conventional fueled cars, the most economical petrol premium sedan in the Indian market as of now is the Chevrolet Optra, which offers an overall mileage of 11.46kmpl. It sure is a far cry from the mileage of the most economical entry-level sedan. But one must not forget that the dip in mileage is a direct result of the surge in power. The Toyota Corolla is second with 10.68kmpl. However the new Corolla, slated to be launched soon, can be expected to be marginally more economical than the current version. The Honda Civic is quite easily the most impressive looking car in the segment. It's overall mileage stands at 10.45km to the litre. Not too bad one would say. Diesel premium sedans are more economical than their petrol sisters. Top of the lot is the fantastic Skoda Octavia with 14.33kmpl, making it the most desirable sedan in the segment. The Chevy Optra Magnum diesel is a distant second with 12.64kmpl followed by the new Hyundai Sonata Embera CRDi with 10.94kmpl.

Gas guzzling luxury sedans
Luxury sedans are infamously famous for being incorrigibly greedy. They drink fuel by the barrel loads and show a pitiful mileage in return. But then, what else can one expect from a genre of cars that have been made to be fast, look good and be luxurious beyond our wildest dreams? The Honda Accord sits pretty at the top as the most economical luxury sedan with a figure of 10.19kmpl, followed by from BMW 3 Series the 320i, with 9.84kmpl. The Toyota Camry has looks that can match that of the 3-Series; unfortunately the same cannot be said in terms of mileage. The Camry lies third with 9km to the litre. Of the diesel luxury sedans the Skoda Laura clinches the top honour with a very respectable 14.15kmpl. The maker of the original 'People's car', Volkswagen occupies the second spot with its Passat. The Passat is Volkswagen's first product in India and gives a decent mileage of 12.62kmpl, beating the BMW 320d's mileage of 12.06kmpl.

SUVs & MUVs
SUVs and MUVs today no longer come with monster engines as they used to do a decade ago. A lot has changed for them in terms of engine displacement and fuel-economy. While the engines have mellowed down, the fuel- economy has increased. Of the SUVs, the most economical is the Mahindra Scorpio mHawk with an overall mileage figure of 11.53kmpl. Following the mHawk is surprisingly the big and hefty Chevy Captiva with 11.4kmpl. Bringing up the rear is the Tata Safari whose 2.2-litre common rail diesel engine delivers only 10.45km to the litre.

The status of the most economical MUV or 'People Carrier' goes to the Chevrolet Tavera, which shows 12.15km to the litre. The Tavera in many ways is the perfect family car or taxi. Not only is it economical, it is spacious and has enough room to carry 7-10 people. The Toyota Innova, which is more comfortable and fun to drive than the Tavera, lies second with 11.50kmpl. The difference is marginal and that might explain why we see more Innovas than Taveras in our towns and cities. The Tata Sumo Grande is not far behind. With a mileage of 11.4kmpl, Tata Motors has made sure that the Grande is not all looks but substance as well.