Infographic: India's Obsession With Fuel Efficiency

'Kitna deti hai?', 'Average accha hai kya?', 'Mileage kya hai?' - these are among the first questions thrown at a helpless car sales rep. And the country has no qualms making its liking for efficient cars evident either. We got our hands on a report that tries to figure out why, and the results will shock you! Alright, alright, enough of the click-bait hoo-ha, let us get straight into the facts. 

About 67 per cent of the sample surveyed, said they would prefer a fuel-efficient car as opposed to a powerful one. We aren't too surprised here, considering the kind of traffic and congestion our cars are subjected to on a daily basis. Dial in the fact that the mass car buying population consists of value-focussed consumers and not enthusiasts, the figure becomes even more believable. Also, a performance-oriented vehicle is automatically seen as a guzzler, which further explains why a whopping 50 per cent say they regret buying a powerful vehicle over an efficient one. While a majority of the folks are blunt about money saving being the primary cause for choosing a fuel-efficient vehicle, a majority also cite environmental concerns and high fuel costs as the reason. 

In fact, being prudent is so crucial for the market, that a significant 28 per cent will wait for the fuel prices to drop before they tank-up. While most said the saved money goes straight into savings, a portion of the surveyed audience also said they would spend the savings on a holiday or to spend time with the family. A vehicle is usually seen as an expense, and as is the case with most of them - the lower the better. Interestingly, most respondents also claim that they do not believe fuel prices will remain steady over the next 12 months. With fortnightly revisions in place, it is easy to see why. 

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We are seeing the market slowly move towards cleaner and more efficient cars. For instance, a respectable portion of the cars on offer (for the mass market) have incorporated either a mild-hybrid system that includes a start-stop system and brake energy regeneration, have an 'Eco' mode or use smaller turbocharged engines. Naturally, being thrifty just doesn't apply to car ownership, it has a massive effect on the purchase decisions as well. More than half the respondents said they would be looking at an efficient set of wheels as their next. A sizeable 34 per cent said they would look at hybrids and 17 per cent said they would downsize to a smaller vehicle to save costs. In fact, to keep the wallet fat, people said they were willing to use the car less, take public transport and most importantly even change their driving habits to eek out efficiency from every drop of fuel. 

There's another interesting stat to look at, too. Only 37 per cent of the car buying population said long-term savings matter, and they would spend extra on a more efficient vehicle to save cost in the long run. 

So, the next time the enthusiast in you wonders why Sharmaji is hell-bent on fuel-efficiency, you have your answer right here. You're welcome! 

Information and Infographic Courtesy: Ford India