Big dilemma indeed. Diesel costs less in India, but diesel-powered cars are, as a rule, more expensive than their petrol-powered sisters.
That is largely because the largest markets in India prefer petrol cars, while diesel cars sell well in pockets. This has tilted economies of scale in favour of petrol cars. There are a few exceptions, such as the Skoda twins - where there is no price difference irrespective of whether you opt for a diesel or a petrol model. So what should be your fuel of choice?
If economy is what you are looking for, then diesel wins handsomely. Apart from the fact that diesel is cheaper to buy, it is 20-30 per cent more efficient that petrol when it comes to stretching a litre.
The negatives that comes with diesel power plants are high noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) characteristics and relatively higher maintenance costs. On the other hand, petrol engines offer a more refined motoring experience, with peppy performance being the bonus.
Things are changing though. While most diesel-powered cars in India feature IDI, or indirect injection diesel engines, the world is making a switch to direct injection diesel engines in a big way.
Another step forward is the common rail direct injection (CDRi) technology that promises performance and refinement very close to that of similar-sized petrol engines. It has taken time for common rail diesels technology to filter down to affordable cars, but we do have them now - for example, the Hyundai Accent CDRi.
Direct injection engines are a good reason why close to 55 per cent of total new car sales in Europe today is accounted for by diesel-powered cars. Mind you, today
