Sponsored feature: What you should know before you buy a CNG hatchback in India

Unless you are immensely wealthy, you won’t contest the fact that fuel prices have taken the joy out of driving. It probably also causes a cloud to hang over your head even if you are merely commuting. And that, of course, is nearly every day. This predicament has led many to ask themselves a question: should I be looking at a car that runs on CNG? In fact, chances are that over the past year or so, the number of queries pertaining to CNG hatchbacks or cars -- ‘best CNG hatchback in India’, or ‘CNG hatchbacks in India’ – has increased exponentially. If you are one of these folks, here’s a quick lowdown on the range of CNG cars that is available in the country, and the economics of buying one and living with it.

CNG kits versus factory-fitted

There are several setups that offer retro-fitment of CNG kits, but is it safe? And what kind of impact does it have on the life of your engine? Let’s take a look at the scenario.  In June 2016, the Delhi government banned the registration of vehicles retrofitted with CNG kits. The ban was revoked in September that year, but the apprehensions behind the move still persist. And, not without reason. A large number of these kits may not be what they claim to be. As importantly, the establishments that offer conversions may not be authorised to do so. According to a recent newspaper report, which focused on the menace of illegal CNG kits in Delhi, only 41 setups are authorised to undertake CNG fitment in the Capital, but, alarmingly, there are over 2,000 setups that offer this very service. Employing their services might not be a wise move. Using a fake CNG kit results in significant performance loss in fuel-injected engines. Plus, several car makers do not honour the warranty if a car has been retrofitted with a CNG kit by a third party. The answer is pretty much clear, then: if you are looking for a CNG hatchback in India, it makes sense to take a very good look at factory-fitted CNG hatchback.

CNG hatchbacks: Choices galore

From Ford and Hyundai to Maruti, several manufacturers offer CNG hatchbacks in India. In fact, Maruti was among the first carmakers to offer CNG versions of its models, and has several CNG hatchbacks in its line-up. Today, the company, which has sold over five lakh factory-fitted vehicles across the country, offers the CNG option in seven of its models, including the Alto800, AltoK10, WagonR, and Celerio, as well as the Super Carry and Tour S. Its most recent CNG variant was the Wagon R S-CNG.

The factory-fitted advantage

If you were to employ an authorised setup to install a CNG kit in your car, you’d find that there is not much of a difference in technology between the aftermarket variety and the units used by manufacturers. But there is a reason why it pays to buy a CNG hatchback in India from a manufacturer , and a lot of that has to do with the longevity of your car’s engine. CNG is a gas, and that means it does not have the lubricating properties of liquid fuels such as petrol. What that can lead to is quicker wear and tear on engine components. But several carmakers, including Maruti, employ special materials to ensure the engine’s longevity. According to the company, its S-CNG technology (‘S’ stands for Smart) uses specially designed valve seats and mounting parts in the cylinder heads. Morever, stainless steel pipes and patented ferrule joints are employed to ensure a leak-proof design. Yet, another factor that tilts the balance in favour of factory-fitted CNG hatchbacks or cars is that the calibration in suspension, engine and vehicle dynamics, in addition to testing under a variety of driving conditions, is done with the CNG cylinder in place. Carmakers such as Maruti also ensure extremely high levels of safety by using pre-formed stainless steel pipes – the piping connects the gas cylinder to the engine compartment – unlike many aftermarket suppliers who use pipes made from inferior versions of carbon steel. As importantly, all the joints on the company’s CNG hatchbacks are custom-made and completely leak-proof. Another important factor is homologation. Every car manufacturer gets its entire range individually homologated, while aftermarket suppliers only homologate a particular CNG kit. The kit can then be used on cars with engine capacities within 20 percent on the vehicle it has been tested on. And, that is a problem since it’s not an easy job calibrating the same ECU to different engines. As a result of this, there are chances that performance will take a hit, and an incorrectly tuned CNG vehicle will emit unburnt methane.  The moral of the story is: at 40.61/kg, CNG hatchbacks are way more cheaper to run as compared to cars using conventional fuel. And the best way to go CNG is the factory-fitted way.