Crawling through traffic in a CNG car with a manual gearbox is nobody’s idea of fun. For years, that was the trade-off. But not anymore. With Maruti, Tata, and Nissan offering CNG models with automatic options, that too at an accessible price, having a CNG car no longer means only lower running costs but also convenient driving. Here are five of the most affordable CNG automatic cars you can buy.
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Cheapest CNG AMT Cars: Nissan Magnite
Rs. 7.87 lakh – Rs. 11.25 lakh (on-road, Mumbai)
The Nissan Magnite is the cheapest way into a CNG automatic in India, and it’s also the only SUV on this list. Unlike the others, the Magnite’s CNG setup is a government-approved, dealer-fitted retrofit rather than a factory-fitted system. It costs Rs. 71,999 over the equivalent petrol variant and can be added to any AMT trim running the 1.0-litre NA petrol engine.
The Nissan Magnite CNG has a claimed mileage of 24.09 km/kg. Overall, it can be a good option for those wanting fuel efficiency and convenience.
Tata Tiago
Rs. 8.17 lakh – Rs. 9.87 lakh (on-road, Mumbai)
The Tiago iCNG AMT holds a special place in this list. Why? It was India’s first factory-fitted CNG car with an automatic gearbox. It pairs the 1.2-litre NA petrol engine with a 5-speed AMT, and in CNG mode, the motor produces 73 bhp and 95 Nm.
Tata’s twin-cylinder CNG technology is neatly packaged under the boot floor, which helps preserve more usable luggage space than a single large cylinder would. The Tiago iCNG AMT has a claimed fuel efficiency of 28.06km/kg.
Cheapest CNG AMT Cars: Maruti Swift
Rs. 9.06 lakh – Rs. 10.14 lakh (on-road, Mumbai)
Maruti recently entered the CNG automatic game, but it’s done so across three models at once, starting with the Swift. The Swift CNG AMT uses the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine, paired with a 5-speed AMT gearbox.
By offering an automatic CNG option, Maruti claims a mileage of 35.34 km/kg, a good increase over the other CNG manual version.
Maruti Baleno
Rs. 9.54 lakh – Rs. 10.65 lakh (on-road, Mumbai)
The Baleno gets the same CNG-AMT treatment as the Swift, using the 1.2-litre Z12E engine with 70bhp and 102Nm on CNG, mated to a 5-speed AMT. Maruti claims a fuel efficiency of 34.47km/kg, which is 0.86km/kg better than the CNG-manual Baleno.
One thing to note: the Baleno doesn’t get an underbody CNG tank like some newer Maruti models, so the cylinder sits inside the boot alongside the spare wheel, eating into practical luggage space.
Cheapest CNG AMT Cars: Maruti Dzire
Rs 9.77 lakh – Rs. 10.89 lakh (on-road, Mumbai)
Rounding off the list is the Dzire CNG AMT, which is also the most fuel-efficient car here. It runs the same 1.2-litre Z12E engine and 5-speed AMT combo as its siblings, but Maruti claims a class-leading 36.47km/kg on CNG. Like the Swift and Baleno, it uses a 55-litre CNG cylinder housed in the boot.