How to choose between petrol, diesel, hybrid, CNG and electric in 2026

<p><strong>Petrol</strong> makes sense below 10,000 km a year. The purchase price is lowest and depreciation is predictable.</p> <p><strong>Diesel</strong> begins to pay back above roughly 15,000 km a year, given the ₹1.5 to ₹2.5 lakh premium over an equivalent petrol.</p> <p><strong>Strong hybrids</strong> sit between the two: a 25 to 40 per cent efficiency gain in city driving, with the premium recovered around 12,000 km a year for mostly urban use.</p> <p><strong>CNG</strong> is the cheapest per kilometre if a filling station is convenient, at the cost of boot space.</p> <p><strong>Electric</strong> is the cheapest to run by a wide margin, but only if you can charge at home. Without home charging, the maths rarely works.</p>