India’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki entirely discontinued its diesel models in the country. Honda Cars India will cease production and exports of its 1.6L diesel vehicles from March 2023. Carmakers like Skoda, Volkswagen, Nissan and Renault have also reduced their diesel product portfolio. Compared to the petrol engines, the diesel motors have several challenges with upgradation to new emission standards along with the high costs. And this is the reason why carmakers withdrawing their diesel models from the country.
The home-grown automakers, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors are still betting on diesel models. In fact, the Mahindra Scorpio diesel has 75 percent contribution in its total sales. Around two-thirds of sales for the Mahindra XUV700 and Thar SUVs come from their diesel variants. Similarly, Tata Motors’ Harrier and Safari SUVs are available with the diesel engine only.
The Mahindra XUV700 is available with a 2.0L turbo petrol and a 2.2L mHawk diesel engine making 200bhp with 380Nm and 115bhp with 360Nm/185bhp with 420Nm/450Nm respectively. The new Scorpio N comes with the 2.0L turbo petrol and 2.2L diesel engine options, while the new Scorpio Classic is powered by a 132bhp, 2.2L turbo diesel motor. The new-generation Mahindra Thar is being offered with the 2.0L petrol (152bhp/300Nm) and 2.2L turbo diesel engines (132bhp/300Nm).
Tata Harrier and Safari SUVs can be had with a 170bhp, 2.0L diesel engine paired to a manual or automatic gearbox. In early 2023, both models are reported to receive mid-life updates. The carmaker is likely to equip SUVs with the ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) along with a 360 degree surround view camera and an updated infotainment system. The SUVs’ info unit will be bigger than before and it might support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The 2023 Tata Harrier and Safari facelifts are likely to receive a minor price hike.
