Petrol Cars Sell More Than Diesel — New Petrol-Diesel Sales Comparison Data Proves

According to the data collected by AutoPunditz, in the period of January – June 2018, 61% of the total cars sold (those running only on fossil fuels) in the country were petrol-powered. With a price difference of almost Rs 10 less (subject to change without any notice), diesel vehicles occupy the remaining portion.

Check out the latest petrol price and diesel price to get a rough idea on how much car owners have to shell out as part of running costs. The prices are definitely on the higher side and the public is still hoping for theday it would come down by a reasonable margin.

If we split fuel prices brand-wise, Datsun sells the highest proportion of petrol cars (all their models are petrol-powered). Meanwhile, Mahindra sells mostly diesel vehicles.

The Indian automotive market consists of vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Data shows that among sub-four-metre cars, petrol-powered examples sell more while it's the opposite for those between 4 – 4.5 metres in length. 95% of the vehicles longer than that run on diesel.

Again, if we take body types into consideration, hatchbacks are mostly petrol-powered while SUVs, MUVs and crossovers are sold in diesel formats. For sedans,however, there is a balance between petrol and diesel-powered units.

Petrol vehicles sold in India seem to be smaller and lesser powered compared to diesel models. Those having engine sizes under 1200cc (1.2 litres) sell the most, taking 89% of the entire petrol car sales.

As for diesel-powered vehicles, the trend is different. Vehicles having engine sizes between 1200 – 1500cc sell the most since they offer a mix of affordability and premium feel. 2000cc+ models follow after but with a rather large gap.

Thoughts On Petrol Cars Selling More Than Diesel Models

Sales of petrol cars are higher because they are mostly small and budget-focussed. The wider mass uses affordable hatchbacks across the country and they mainly come in petrol format. However, once we go up the ladder, it is diesel cars which sell more due to the lesser fuel pricing; more low-end torque being the reason for some others. Would you choose a petrol car over a diesel or do the opposite?