Most Fuel-Efficient MPVs in India (2026)

The Maruti Suzuki XL6 CNG is the cheapest MPV to run in India, at roughly ₹3.24 per kilometre on its ARAI-rated 26.23 km/kg, with the Ertiga CNG a fraction behind at ₹3.26 per km on 26.11 km/kg. The two strong hybrids here, the Maruti Invicto and the Toyota Innova Hycross, are both rated 22.16 kmpl and both land at about ₹4.51 per km. The cheapest MPV on this list to buy, the Renault Triber, is the most expensive one to keep running, at about ₹5.26 per km.

Comparing MPV mileage across fuel types has always been awkward. A CNG van's km/kg figure and a hybrid's kmpl figure look like they're measuring the same thing, but they're not, since CNG and petrol cost different amounts per unit and cover different distances for that cost. Buyers comparing a CNG MPV against a diesel or hybrid rarely get a straight answer on which one actually costs less to run.

This list settles that by converting every MPV's mileage into an estimated running cost per kilometre, so the comparison reflects what each MPV actually costs to drive rather than a raw mileage number in units that don't line up with each other.

Key takeaways

• Lowest running cost overall: The Maruti Suzuki XL6 CNG comes out cheapest at roughly ₹3.24 per km, the best figure of any MPV on this list. Its Ertiga CNG sibling trails by only a fraction of a rupee.
• CNG beats hybrid on running cost, and not narrowly: The Invicto's strong hybrid system is rated 22.16 kmpl, a genuinely high number for an MPV this size, but CNG's lower cost per unit still leaves both Maruti CNG MPVs about ₹1.25 per km cheaper to drive.
• Diesel and petrol trail the segment by a real margin: Every diesel or plain petrol MPV on this list costs 40% or more per km to run than the CNG leaders at the top.

Most fuel-efficient MPVs in India

Model	Fuel type	Mileage	Estimated running cost/km
Maruti Suzuki XL6	CNG	26.23 km/kg	₹3.24
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga	CNG	26.11 km/kg	₹3.26
Maruti Suzuki Invicto	Strong hybrid	22.16 kmpl	₹4.51
Toyota Innova Hycross	Strong hybrid	22.16 kmpl	₹4.51
Kia Carens Clavis	Diesel	19.54 kmpl (approx.)	₹4.61
Maruti Suzuki XL6	Petrol	20.90 kmpl	₹4.78
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga	Petrol	20.51 kmpl	₹4.88
Renault Triber	Petrol	19 kmpl (approx.)	₹5.26

The running costs above assume ₹100 per litre of petrol, ₹90 per litre of diesel and ₹85 per kilogram of CNG. Those are round metro-average numbers, and your city's pump prices will move the absolute figures. The CNG lead is wide enough to survive almost any realistic price swing; the diesel-versus-petrol placings are not, so in a city where diesel sits within about ₹6.50 a litre of petrol, the XL6 petrol edges ahead of the Carens Clavis diesel.

Maruti Suzuki and Toyota figures here are the ARAI-certified numbers printed in each model's own brochure. Kia blocks automated access to its published figures, and we could not verify Renault's Triber number the same way, so the Carens Clavis and Triber mileages are our own and are worth confirming with a dealer. The fuel prices, the cost-per-km figures derived from them, and the trim-level prices quoted from listing sites are third-party or our own arithmetic rather than anything a manufacturer publishes.

1. Maruti Suzuki XL6 CNG

Price: About ₹12.6 lakh ex-showroom for the Zeta CNG, the only trim offering CNG on the XL6.

The XL6 CNG posts the lowest running cost of any MPV in India, helped by having the highest raw CNG mileage figure of any Maruti MPV, edging out even its own Ertiga sibling on the same underlying platform.

Mileage: 26.23 km/kg.

Estimated running cost: ₹3.24 per km, the lowest on this list.

Seating: 6 seats, with second-row captain seats standard.

Transmission: 5-speed manual only on CNG.

Warranty: 3 years or 1,00,000 km, standard.

2. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga CNG

Price: Around ₹10.76 lakh to ₹12.44 lakh ex-showroom across the VXi and ZXi CNG trims, going by listing-site data rather than a Maruti price list.

The Ertiga CNG comes within a rounding error of the XL6 CNG on running cost, and at a lower price point, making it the stronger value pick between Maruti's two CNG MPVs for buyers who don't need the XL6's captain seats.

Mileage: 26.11 km/kg (Maruti's official mileage page).

Estimated running cost: ₹3.26 per km.

Seating: 7 seats.

Transmission: 5-speed manual only on CNG.

Warranty: 3 years or 1,00,000 km, standard.

3. Maruti Suzuki Invicto

Price: ₹24.97 lakh to ₹28.80 lakh ex-showroom.

The Invicto is the cheapest-to-run non-CNG MPV on this list, level with its Toyota Innova Hycross sibling and a shade ahead of the Carens Clavis diesel.

Engine: 2.0-litre petrol-hybrid system rated 139 kW (188.9 PS) and 206 Nm.

Mileage: 22.16 kmpl.

Estimated running cost: ₹4.51 per km.

Seating: 7 or 8 seats, depending on trim.

Transmission: e-CVT automatic only.

Warranty: 3 years or 1,00,000 km, standard.

4. Toyota Innova Hycross

Price: From roughly ₹25.90 lakh ex-showroom for the hybrid range.

The Innova Hycross shares its hybrid powertrain with the Invicto and lands on exactly the same running cost, since both are rated at 22.16 kmpl. Toyota quotes the system at 186 PS and Maruti at 188.9 PS; both ratings are official, and neither is a misprint.

Mileage: 22.16 kmpl.

Estimated running cost: ₹4.51 per km.

Seating: 7 or 8 seats, depending on trim.

Transmission: e-CVT automatic only.

Warranty: Standard Toyota warranty terms apply.

5. Kia Carens Clavis

Price: From ₹13.50 lakh ex-showroom (HTE Diesel MT).

The Carens Clavis's manual diesel is the most efficient non-Maruti, non-hybrid MPV on this list, beating both petrol Maruti variants on running cost despite a lower raw mileage number. That's a reminder of how much diesel's lower per-litre price matters in this calculation.

Mileage: Approximately 19.54 kmpl on the manual. Kia does not publish an ARAI figure we could verify, so treat this as indicative.

Estimated running cost: ₹4.61 per km.

Seating: 7 seats.

Transmission: 6-speed manual; an automatic is available on higher trims at a lower 17.5 kmpl, again an unverified figure.

Warranty: 3 years, unlimited km.

6. Maruti Suzuki XL6 Petrol

Price: ₹11.62 lakh to ₹14.58 lakh ex-showroom across the XL6 range.

The XL6 petrol trails its own CNG variant by a wide margin on running cost. Both share the same engine block, so the gap comes down almost entirely to fuel type.

Mileage: 20.90 kmpl (manual) or 20.27 kmpl (automatic).

Estimated running cost: ₹4.78 per km (manual).

Seating: 6 seats, with second-row captain seats standard.

Transmission: 5-speed manual or 6-speed torque converter automatic.

Warranty: 3 years or 1,00,000 km, standard.

7. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Petrol

Price: ₹8.90 lakh to ₹13.04 lakh ex-showroom across the Ertiga range.

The Ertiga petrol is one of the more affordable MPVs on this list to buy, though its running cost sits close to the XL6 petrol's, since both share the same underlying engine and near-identical mileage figures.

Mileage: 20.51 kmpl (manual) or 20.30 kmpl (automatic).

Estimated running cost: ₹4.88 per km (manual).

Seating: 7 seats.

Transmission: 5-speed manual or 6-speed torque converter automatic.

Warranty: 3 years or 1,00,000 km, standard.

8. Renault Triber

Price: Among the most affordable MPVs on sale in India.

The Triber closes out this list with the highest running cost of any entry here. The cheapest MPV to purchase is not automatically the cheapest one to keep running day to day.

Mileage: Approximately 19 kmpl.

Estimated running cost: ₹5.26 per km, the highest on this list.

Seating: 7 seats.

Transmission: 5-speed manual or 5-speed AMT.

Warranty: Standard Renault warranty terms apply.

How these running costs were calculated

Running cost per km is fuel price divided by ARAI-certified mileage, using the pump prices listed with the table above. That conversion matters more in a mixed-fuel comparison like this one, since a CNG figure in km/kg and a hybrid or petrol figure in kmpl aren't directly comparable without putting both on a common cost basis first.

Only mainstream, factory-fitted powertrains are included here, and the mileage figures reflect each manufacturer's own official rating rather than a real-world test, so actual mileage will vary with traffic, AC use, and driving style, though the relative gap between models tends to hold up in daily use. Where a model offers more than one transmission, both figures are noted within that entry, and the ranking uses whichever one is more commonly chosen for that variant.

What is an MPV?

MPV stands for multi-purpose vehicle, a body style built around seating and cargo flexibility rather than styling or off-road capability. A few things set them apart from SUVs and sedans:

• Seating for six to eight, usually across three rows, with configurations ranging from bench seats to individual captain seats in the second row.
• A boxier body shape designed to maximise cabin space rather than ground clearance or a sporty profile.
• Front-wheel drive as standard, since MPVs are built for road use and passenger comfort rather than off-road capability.
• Flexible cargo space, with rows that fold or slide to shift the balance between seating and boot space depending on need.

In India, MPVs range from affordable, no-frills options built for large families to premium models aimed at chauffeur-driven or business use, which is part of why the fuel type and running cost spread across this segment is so wide.

Conclusion

Among Maruti Suzuki's own MPVs, CNG is the clear winner, with the XL6 and Ertiga both landing well ahead of their petrol siblings and even Maruti's own strong hybrid Invicto. Looking at the wider segment, that same pattern holds: a CNG MPV is the cheapest way to run one of these cars, with the two entries at the top of this list costing roughly a third less per kilometre than any petrol option here. Buyers who need a hybrid's refinement or a diesel's highway character do still come out ahead of plain petrol, but by 18 to 36 paise per km rather than the rupee-and-a-half gap CNG opens up.

For more on where Maruti's MPVs stand against SUVs and hatchbacks on this same measure, see our breakdowns of SUVs with the lowest running cost per km, 6-seater MPVs with the lowest running cost, 7-seater MUVs with the lowest running cost, and the best 6-seater MPVs under ₹20 lakh.

FAQs

Which MPV in India has the lowest running cost?

The Maruti Suzuki XL6 has the lowest estimated running cost on this list, at roughly ₹3.24 per km, on its CNG variant.

Is a CNG MPV always cheaper to run than a hybrid one?

Among the models on this list, yes. Both Maruti CNG MPVs beat the Invicto and Innova Hycross's strong hybrid systems on estimated running cost by about ₹1.25 per km, which is why a km/kg figure and a kmpl figure have to be converted to rupees before they mean anything side by side.

Why does the Kia Carens Clavis diesel beat the Maruti petrol MPVs on running cost despite lower mileage?

Diesel is priced lower per litre than petrol, so even with a lower kmpl figure than the XL6 or Ertiga petrol variants, the Carens Clavis's cost per kilometre comes out lower. The margin is small enough that in cities where the diesel-petrol price gap narrows to under about ₹6.50 a litre, the order flips.

Does the Maruti Suzuki XL6 offer more seats than the Ertiga?

No, the opposite. The XL6 seats 6 with captain seats standard, while the Ertiga seats 7 with a conventional bench in the second row.

Is it worth buying an MPV based on running cost alone?

Running cost matters most for high-mileage owners, such as fleet or frequent long-distance users. Buyers who drive less may find seating configuration, features, or upfront price a bigger factor in the decision.