The Indian automotive industry is going through a massive transformation, with petrol and diesel vehicles taking a backseat to electric vehicles. Although India’s EV industry is in its nascent stage, the government has come down hard on automakers to launch electric vehicles and enforce the use of EVs to curb pollution. However, replacing ICE vehicles with EVs, especially with four-wheelers, is a costly affair for buyers. An EV costs almost twice the price of its ICE counterpart, making it less cost-effective for car buyers.
For example, Tata Motors, the Indian automaker that offers both petrol and electric Nexon in India, both dominate their segments. While Tata Nexon price starts at Rs 7.5 lakh, Tata Nexon EV price starts at Rs 14 lakh. This huge difference in prices has forced many automakers to take an alternative route of putting electric powertrains in vehicles. Called hybrids, petrol-electric cars can run on any power source, and usually offer self-charging features, unlike PHEV hybrids.
Such hybrid vehicles are not only more cost-effective than EVs, but also increase the mileage of the cars. However, like EVs, hybrids cost dramatically higher for consumers looking for cleaner fuel options but unwilling to bet on EVs. Thanks to the recent spree of hybrid car launches, India now gets 4 hybrid cars under Rs 25 lakh. Here is a list:
Honda City E: HEV
The Honda City was the first affordable hybrid car to be launched in India for less than Rs 20 lakh. Honda Cars India recently launched the updated Honda City e:HEV in India, making it the only sedan under Rs 50 lakh to get hybrid technology. The Honda City e:HEV is available in 2 variants, V and ZX, with prices starting from Rs 18.89 Lakh (ex-showroom). The 2023 Honda City is also available in a petrol-only variant.
Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyder
The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder is a mid-size SUV built in partnership with Maruti Suzuki under their global agreement. The Haidar is the first mid-size SUV for the brand, but certainly not the first hybrid car. Toyota has been advocating the use of hybrids over BEVs and offers the Camry, Prius hybrid in India. The Urban Cruiser Header is the most affordable of these.
Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara
The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is essentially the same car as the Toyota Urban Cruiser Haider, sharing not just the design but the features, mechanicals among other things. This means, the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara gets an industry best mileage of 28 kmpl through the 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid powertrain. It also gets many segment first features.
Toyota Innova Highcross
The newly launched Toyota Innova Hycross is the only 6/7 seater vehicle in the list, and also the most expensive one. The Innova Highcross is the hybrid version of the Toyota Innova Crysta, India’s flagship MPV. Hybrid Toyota Innova Highcross prices start from as low as Rs 25 lakh (ex-showroom). The MPV gets 2.0-litre petrol and 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid engine options.