Maruti Suzuki had discontinued all its diesel-powered cars from the market earlier this year due to the introduction of the BSVI emission norms. The company had also removed the Ertiga Tour diesel from its line-up. A new video suggests that the Indo-Japanese brand could bring back the diesel engine in the market.
A new video shows that Maruti Suzuki is testing the Ertiga MPV with ‘Tour M’ badging somewhere around Delhi-NCR. The engine sound suggests that the spotted MPV was equipped with a diesel engine. The previous generation Ertiga was available with a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine, which was sourced from Fiat.
In fact, Maruti Suzuki developed its own 1.5-litre diesel engine. This engine was introduced in the current-gen Ertiga with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The Ertiga 1.5 Diesel was discontinued earlier this year, as Maruti Suzuki decided to not upgrade this engine to meet the new BS6 emission norms. Developed with massive investment, the 1.5L engine was the brand’s first diesel powertrain. This engine produces 94bhp of power and 225Nm of torque.
The spotted model had DDiS badge impression on the front fenders; however, these badges were removed to hide details about the spotted model. The spotted model has Tour M branding, which is retailed exclusively for fleet and cab operators across the country. Going by the testing, it is expected that Maruti Suzuki could bring back diesel Ertiga Tour M for the commercial market. This will provide fleet operators an affordable diesel powered MPV that offers seat for 7 people along with high fuel efficiency.
Previous reports suggest that MSIL could introduce BS6 diesel engine if demand increases in near future. The company is likely to re-introduce BS6 diesel version of its big SUVs and sedans in the future. Maruti Suzuki is also reportedly working on an all-new mid-sized SUV, which will be positioned against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and the Nissan Kicks. The new model is rumoured to be designed and developed in collaboration with Toyota. In fact, the duo is also working on an all-new C-segment MPV to rival the Mahindra Marazzo. These big models are likely to receive a diesel engine option.
