Looking for a diesel car? Here are the most affordable options in the market
- While many Indian brands have discontinued diesel altogether and many of the affordable options have also vanished, still there are few affordable diesel options out there.
Diesel has been the preferred fuel type choice for Indians in the past. However, With rising public awareness around climate change comes more and more regulations around carbon emissions, diesel engines have slowly faded away. More so on the lower end of the market. Diesel units generally have a longer lifespan when compared to petrol engines due to their tougher build quality. They are more fuel efficient, allowing the car to travel approximately 40 per cent farther than their petrol counterparts. Diesel engines also require less maintenance.
Due to such performance benefits at a relatively low cost, diesel engines have managed to garner an enthusiast following, which is why they continue to perform well. While many Indian brands have discontinued diesel altogether and many of the affordable options have also vanished, still there are few affordable diesel options out there. Here are the most affordable ones.
Engine
1,199 ccFuel Type
DieselTransmission
ManualThe Tata Altroz is the most affordable diesel car one can buy currently. The Altroz diesel range starts at ₹7.80 lakh, ex-showroom. The Tata Altroz gets powered by a 1.5 litre diesel engine that is mated to a five speed manual transmission only. The engine produces 90 bhp peak power and 200 Nm maximum torque.
Engine
1,493 ccFuel Type
DieselTransmission
ManualThe Mahindra Bolero is the most affordable SUV to get a diesel powertrain. In fact, the Mahindra Bolero only gets a diesel powertrain and gets a starting price of ₹9.79 lakh, ex-showroom. Under the hood, the Bolero is equipped with a BS6 compliant 1.5-liter mHawk75 diesel engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission, delivering 75 bhp and 210 Nm of torque.
Engine
1,493 ccFuel Type
DieselTransmission
ManualThe Mahindra Bolero Neo is also amongst the most affordable SUVs to feature a diesel engine. Just like the Bolero, the Bolero Neo too is only available with a diesel engine, and gets a starting price of ₹9.95 lakh, ex-showroom. The Bolero Neo is powered by the same 1.5-litre mHawk diesel engine that is available with the Bolero. However in the bolero Neo, the engine produces 100 bhp and has 260 Nm torque. Transmission duties are handled by a five-speed manual gearbox and there is no automatic option.
Engine
1,197 ccFuel Type
DieselTransmission
AutomaticAnother Mahindra on the list is the Mahindra XUV 3XO, which was launched in 2024. The diesel range for the Mahindra XUV 3XO starts at ₹9.99 lakh, ex-showroom. The diesel variants of the XUV 3XO get powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged CRDe unit, available with a six-speed manual gearbox and a six-speed AMT. This engine pumps out 115 bhp power and 300 Nm of maximum torque.
Engine
998 ccFuel Type
DieselTransmission
AutomaticThe prices for the diesel powered Kia Sonet start at ₹10 lakh, ex-showroom. The compact SUV is offered with three engine options, where the 1.5-litre diesel engine gets paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a torque converter to produce 114 bhp and 250 Nm of torque.
Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2026, Best SUVs in India.
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