India’s leading car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) doesn’t have a diesel engine in its line-up, so it turned to Fiat and has been sourcing the MultiJet diesel engine for 5 of its models – Ertiga, Ritz, Swift, Swift Dzire and SX4. Today there is a big report emerging Maruti India is silently working overtime on developing a small two-cylinder 800cc diesel engine along with its parent Suzuki Motor Corp in Japan.
It is said that the new 800cc diesel engine will be used in the next-gen A-Star models (globally known as Alto). We doubt the same could be used beneath the bonnet of the upcoming Alto800. The new powertrain has been codenamed E2 by the company and Suzuki is in the driving seat of the development of this engine. If the company is able to meet the desired requirement on the 800cc diesel engine, it will shake the Indian car market.
The all-new diesel engine will be 800cc, 2-cylinder unit producing around 40 BHP of power and around 90 Nm of torque. It is expected to deliver a fuel efficiency of 25-30 Kmpl. Suzuki is already conducting testing and validation of the engine in Japan and if results turn out to be positive, the project will come to India within 6-12 months. Going by the estimates, MSIL will only launch the car in the country by 2015.
According to the source with direct knowledge about the project said –
“The development is at a very initial stage. It is a ground up project, and a lot of effort is being put in. The engine has to deliver the required level of performance, needs to respond ably, deliver on the power as well as fuel efficiency. It will take at least a couple of years or may be more to be ready.”
What we say? In the coming years, expect more small cars to be fitted with diesel engines. Tata Motors is readying up the Nano diesel, which could deliver a shocking mileage of 40 Kmpl. Also, there have been murmurs about Hyundai India mulling a diesel engine for its i10 hatchback.
Also see – Hyundai India set to launch i10 CRDi Soon
2013 Tata Nano diesel rendered image with an open-able hatch and new rear bumper
Source – Economic Times
