Until a few years back, if one had to buy a CNG car, the options were limited only to small hatchbacks or big MPVs. Moreover, the variant options were limited to either base or mid-spec variants. However, things have improved significantly over the last year and there are more cars with CNG variants. Here, we will be taking you through two CNG premium hatchbacks, the Tata Altroz CNG and Maruti Baleno CNG.

Specifications:

The Maruti Baleno CNG makes use of the brand’s 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 76bhp and 98.5Nm of torque. The transmission option is limited to a five-speed manual gearbox only.

Meanwhile, the Altroz CNG is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine which is tuned to produce 72bhp and 103Nm of torque and is coupled with a five-speed manual transmission. In comparison, the Baleno is slightly more powerful with 4bhp, whereas the Altroz churns out a healthier torque.

Variants:

The Baleno CNG can be had in Delta and Zeta variants. The Altroz CNG will be offered in a total of six variants. These include XE, XM+, XM+ (S), XZ, XZ+ (S), and XZ+ O (S). Clearly, the Altroz CNG range offers more options.

Mileage:

Maruti claims a mileage of 30.61km/kg with the Baleno CNG. The Altroz CNG mileage is yet to be announced but we expect it to be around 25km/kg.

Prices:

The Baleno Delta and Zeta CNG variants are priced at Rs 8.35 lakh and Rs 9.28 lakh, respectively, thus demanding a premium of Rs 90,000 over the corresponding petrol variants.

The prices of the Altroz CNG will be announced by mid-May and are expected to demand Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 85,000 more than their equivalent petrol variants.