Understanding the Different Types of Petrol for Your Vehicle Needs

– Petrol’s are mainly measured by Octane ratings based on the fuel’s resistance to engine knocking (premature combustion), which can also lead to engine damage. Higher octane leads to better turbocharged engines.

Types of Petrol by Octane ratings 

Regular Petrol: this unleaded petrol has an octane rating of around 87-91 RON, which is used for standard commuter vehicles and engines flexible for daily driving. Regular petrol is cheapest and most commonly used across the globe.

Mid-Grade Petrol: with an octane rating of 89-90, this petrol provides better knock resistance which are used in cars such as sedans and mid-performance engines and is suitable for everyday vehicles with low engine compression.

Premium Petrol: it features high octane ratings from 91-100 RON in India, providing higher resistance to knocking. This is designed for high performance luxury engines, especially in racing cars. Petrol such XP95 and Speed 97 provide high power for better accelerations for the sport vehicles.

Types of Petrol based on Additives and Formulation 

Standard Petrol: this is basic fuel, made while meeting the government norms and has minimal additives.

Power Petrol: some of the examples include IndianOil XP95 Petrol, Bharat Petroleum Speed Petrol, and Shell V-Power Petrol. These are additive-enriched petrol containing detergents which are used for cleaning engine deposits, Friction modifiers for smoother operation and Corrosion inhibitors to protect engine parts.

Ethanol-Blended Petrol: these petrol are mixed with ethanol (biofuels) made from agricultural products, which helps in reducing emissions and making it a better choice for a greener environment. It has a common blend of E10 which contains 10% ethanol and E20, a 20% ethanol blended petrol India has mandated from April 1, 2026.

Reformulated Petrol (RFG): it is a cleaner burning fuel, helps in reducing emissions of toxic air in polluted areas. It has lower sulfur rate, benzene for industrial solutions and low pollutants. RFG are used mostly in environmentally regulated regions.

In regular bikes/cars, power petrol gives minimal real-world benefit, while in high-performance engines, it prevents knocking, improves efficiency and protects engine longevity especially in high compression turbo engines. Additives keep the fuel system cleaner keeping the engine more smoother with lower emissions. One of the drawbacks for ethanol blended petrol is that it only provides key benefits to high performing engines and premium cars, while normal driving will only have higher costs with no proportional benefits.

What type of petrol should we use? Fuels used for different types of vehicles -

Check your vehicle’s manual as most Indian cars run fine on normal petrol, while high-performance models like certain BMW’s, Audis, and sport bikes recommend premium power petrol.

Two-Wheelers (Bikes & Scooters) -

Most Indian bikes (100-200cc) run on regular petrol (91 octane), while other high-performance bikes such as KTM, Hayabusa and Ninja use premium/power petrol with octane ratings of around 95-100 RON.

Cars and other Vehicles -

Economy cars such as Swift, Alto, WagonR run primarily on regular petrol, while mid-range cars such as Honda City, Hyundai Creta usually use regular petrol, but turbo engines may benefit from premium. For Luxury and Sports cars such as BMW M3, Lamborghini Tecnica and Audi A6, premium petrol is mandatory as engines require tuning and performance. Turbocharged Engines which are usually found in modern cars such as Tata, Hyundai Turbo models, prefer higher octane fuel which prevents knocking under pressure. For older vehicles which were designed for lower compression engines, regular petrol works perfectly.

Trucks, Buses, Heavy-Duty Vehicles -

Diesel is mostly sufficient for heavy vehicles, while some buses in urban India also use CNG/LNG. Biodiesel blends such as E20 are also being used for heavy duty vehicles, while electric e-buses are also a growing trend in modern India.

India today follows Bharat Stage (BS) emission norms, with current BS6 petrol in circulation, which provides benefits such as ultra-low sulfur, cleaner emissions and compatibility with modern engines. Ultimately, always use what your manufacturer recommends. Petrol type matters only when matched with engine design, as there is a myth that “Power petrol” is a magical fuel–which is not–as it is a specialised fuel for specific engines.

This is written by Aditya Kumar Singh, a student of Loyola College, interning with Deccan Chronicle.