If you’re eyeing a city‑friendly sedan that keeps fuel bills low, Maruti’s new automatic‑gearbox CNG versions of the Swift, Dzire and Baleno are the answer. Starting at ₹7.92 lakh for the Swift, the launch removes the old rule that forced CNG buyers to wrestle with a clutch.
All three ride on the same 1197‑cc Z12E with Dual‑VVT and idle‑start‑stop, but in CNG mode they deliver 68.8 hp and 101.8 Nm—roughly 15 % down from the petrol figures. The five‑speed AMT keeps the engine in the sweet spot—comforting for city traffic, while the Swift hits 35.34 km per kilogram, Baleno 34.47 km/kg, Dzire 36.47 km/kg, making the Dzire the most efficient sedan in India, per JATO Dynamics.
In the CNG sedan niche, the nearest competitor is the Honda City CNG, which offers 39 km/kg but at a higher price point of about ₹13 lakh. Maruti’s trio undercuts it by almost ₹5 lakh and gives buyers the same low running cost without the clutch hassle.
Maruti said its S‑CNG range saw a 58 % jump in Q1, with July sales hitting 83,000 units—its best month yet. The automatic option is a response to that surge, letting the brand capture a larger share of the growing CNG market.
The variants are already in showrooms; you can book a test drive in any major city. Keep an eye on next‑month sales figures; that will show whether the automatic‑CNG package truly pulls in the traffic‑heavy buyers who have so far avoided CNG.
As India pushes for cleaner fuels, Maruti’s move signals that automatic‑CNG cars are here to stay, so you should consider them when planning your next sedan purchase.