We informed you earlier that Maruti Suzuki is all set to re-introduce the diesel engine in the Indian market. It was reported that the new engine will be offered with the Ertiga and the Vitara Brezza. According to the Team-BHP report, Maruti Suzuki’s 1.5-litre diesel engine is almost ready.
The BSVI compliant diesel engine will be first introduced in the Ciaz and the Ertiga. In fact, this powertrain will also power the next generation Vitara Brezza (codenamed YXA). The next-gen Maruti Vitara Brezza is reportedly to be introduced in the third quarter of 2021, before Diwali. The new model is likely to come with petrol engine initially; however, diesel engine will be added at a later stage.
The report further claims that the BSVI compliant 1.5-litre diesel engine could also power a new crossover, codenamed D22. This crossover/SUV is being developed by Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Joint Venture, and will be produced at Toyota’s Bidadi plant.
In the past decade, the share of diesel cars have dropped significantly. However, diesel models still contributes heavily in the overall sales in India. MSIL had sold 5 lakh diesel vehicles in FY2018-19. Maruti Suzuki believes that the re-introduction of diesel cars could help the company to regain its lost market share.
Maruti Suzuki’s 1.5L Diesel Engine
Maruti Suzuki had introduced the in-house developed 1.5-litre DDiS diesel engine in the Ertiga and the Ciaz sedan. In the BS4 avatar, this engine produces 104bhp of power and 225Nm of torque. It is expected that the BSVI version will offer similar power and torque. MSIL could also use mild hybrid system to further improve its fuel efficiency.
Maruti Suzuki is also readying a new C-segment SUV and a new mid-sized MPV in collaboration with Toyota. The new models are expected to be based on the Toyota’s DNGA (Daihatsu New Generation Architecture) platform, which also underpins the Toyota Raize and the Daihatsu Rocky.
