Automakers in India are now looking at alternate fuel options including CNG & electric, as petrol and diesel prices are at all time high. Tata Motors has recently entered the CNG segment with the Tiago & the Tigor CNGs, while Maruti Suzuki has announced to introduce CNG versions of its existing range.
Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki are working on CNG versions of the Nexon and the Vitara Brezza respectively. In fact, the Nexon CNG has already been spotted testing in the country. MSIL will introduce the CNG version with the new Brezza, which is scheduled to be launched in Q2, 2022.
Tata Nexon CNG
The Nexon CNG version is expected to be launched before the end of this year, most probably during festive season. With this, the Nexon will become the only vehicle to be offer with petrol, diesel, electric and CNG powertrains. Not just CNG, Tata is also preparing a petrol hybrid version of the Nexon compact SUV.
The Tata Nexon is available with two engine options – a 1.2L turbo petrol and a 1.5L turbo diesel. While the former is good for 118bhp and 170Nm, the later produces 108bhp and 260Nm of torque. The CNG kit will be offered with the petrol derivative. It is likely to receive a drop in power and torque.
New Maruti Brezza CNG
The new Brezza CNG is expected to be introduced alongside the Brezza facelift. If reports are to be believed, the new model will be launched by April 2022. The company will ditch the “Vitara” name, and the sub-4 meter SUV will be called the Maruti Suzuki Brezza.
The 2022 Maruti Brezza will be powered by the 1.5-litre K15B petrol engine that produces 104bhp and 138Nm of torque. The CNG version is likely to be offered with the same powertrain; however, there will be a marginal drop in power and torque figures. The SUV could share the powertrain with the Ertiga CNG, which offers 92bhp and 122Nm of torque. This is 12bhp and 16Nm less compared to the regular petrol variant. The Ertiga CNG is claimed to return a fuel efficiency of 26.08km/kg. It is expected that the 2022 Maruti Brezza CNG will offer higher mileage, as it is lighter than the Ertiga.
