Do you want to do something good for our environment? Then switch to a gas vehicle. In the following article we will briefly explain what such vehicle models are all about. It shouldn't be about how series vehicles can be retrofitted, but only about models that the manufacturer already offers as gas vehicles. This type of retrofit is only worthwhile under very specific conditions, also because the gas tank requires additional space in your trunk. In general, a distinction is made between CNG cars, which are operated with natural natural gas with an increasing bio content, and LPG/autogas-operated vehicles. The latter's fuel is a by-product of petroleum refining and consists mainly of propane and butane. LPG has a much lower energy content and is also significantly more expensive. You now know the most important advantages and disadvantages of natural gas and, accordingly, of natural gas engines.
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The best natural gas cars of 2020
With our natural gas car test, we offer you an overview of the available natural gas cars. This does not claim to be complete, because we only want to present what we believe to be the best gas vehicles. In addition to the new cars, which we are discussing here, a corresponding market for used vehicles has now also developed. These come, for example, from the fleet of large companies that invested in this more environmentally friendly drive technology early on.
1st place: The Dacia Duster
This popular vehicle model is now also available as a natural gas model. This is currently the Dacia Duster TCe 100 ECO-G 2WD. This car with a displacement of 1 liter has a tank for premium petrol as well as a tank for LPG/liquefied petroleum gas. The gas consumption is around 7 liters per 100 kilometers. This makes it significantly more economical than comparable petrol engines. It should be noted, however, that this gas car does not have a consumption display. With a full gas tank you can reach a range of about 300-400 kilometers. In practice, however, this does not pose a major problem, since firstly there is still the petrol tank and secondly the filling station network is now much better developed.
2nd place: The Audi A4 Avant g-tron
This mid-range vehicle is a natural gas model with a large CNG tank. A petrol engine with 2 cylinders as 2.0 TFSI is installed in this vehicle. This can deliver a maximum torque of 270 Nm and an output of 170 hp. The combined consumption of CNG natural gas is 4.1 kg/100 km, which corresponds to energy efficiency class A+ with 113 g CO2/km. This vehicle has been around for a number of years and there are no known problems with this natural gas vehicle.
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3rd place: Fiat Doblo 1.4 T-Jet 16V Natural Power
This high-roof station wagon belongs to the CNG cars category. This means that you are well prepared for the future with natural gas. The vehicle offers enough space for the whole family, but is also suitable as a commercial car for craftsmen. The manufacturer even offers the car with a total of seven seats. But then you hardly have any space in the trunk and the third row of seats is also not suitable for mounting child seats. Gas consumption is average at 4.9 to 5.5 kg per 100 km, with the engine capable of 120 hp.
4th place: The SEAT Leon TGI
This vehicle only got a new 1,500 cc engine in 2019. This compact vehicle model is also one of the CNG cars. The new vehicle engine now delivers 130 hp instead of 110 and achieves a maximum torque of 200 Nm. The total range of around 550 kilometers results from three natural gas tanks for a total of up to 17.3 kg of CNG gas and the 9-liter reserve tank for petrol. Without the reserve, the fuel is enough for about 400 km.
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5th place: The Skoda Kamiq 1.0 TGI G-Tec
The natural gas variant of this small SUV model should also be fun to drive. However, the CNG tanks mounted in the rear limit the SUV-typical, rather small trunk to just 278 liters. After folding down the rear seats, you still have up to 1.273 liters of cargo volume available. The built-in 1 liter natural gas engine achieves 90 hp, and I was paired with a manual six-speed gearbox. This enables acceleration to 100 km/h in twelve and a half seconds.
6th place: The VW Caddy TGI
The VW Caddy is also a family-friendly high-roof station wagon. The base price for the natural gas model is around €25,000. However, you should note that the standard equipment is very poor and almost all equipment features are associated with a surcharge. With an engine output of 110 hp, the vehicle consumes 5.2 kg of CNG per 100 kilometers.
Conclusion
Gas vehicles are now available in a much larger selection than a few years ago. This makes the market a bit more confusing, but our article can give you an initial overview of the individual models from different manufacturers. On this basis, you can view the individual vehicles live and also arrange a test drive – after all, your new vehicle must also suit your everyday life. Ultimately, you can protect the environment with a cooking vehicle and also save on refueling costs.
A tip from CarTipsandmore:
- If you buy a natural gas car, you may be able to look forward to appropriate subsidies. This drive technology is often offered by local energy suppliers. In this way, you benefit in part from around 2,000 euros that are offered to you as fuel vouchers. There are also some municipal subsidy pots, depending on what you want to use your gas vehicle for.
- Natural gas in the form of CNG gas is generally billed according to a kg price. This makes it look a bit more expensive than it actually is. This is also partly due to the fact that the energy density is higher compared to LPG. CNG stands for „Compressed Natural Gas“, so it is a compressed naturally occurring natural gas. In addition, new manufacturing processes are making it more environmentally friendly.
- The maintenance costs for a natural gas vehicle are slightly higher than for a comparable petrol vehicle. This is due to the mandatory tank inspection. We also recommend installing a natural gas detector in closed garages should there be a leak in the system. The tax for natural gas cars is low because they emit very little CO2.
