Maruti Suzuki Shifts Focus From Diesel Cars
- Reports suggest is closing its dedicated engine manufacturing plant in Gurgaon.
- Unlike what many have interpreted this news to be, Maruti is not going to discontinue diesel cars from its lineup anytime soon.
- Maruti is shifting focus to petrol and alternative-fueled cars, including CNG, hybrid and electric powertrains.
- Maruti's will be used in its current lineup and future products once BSVI norms kick-in in 2020.
Let's gets one fact straight, Maruti Suzuki is NOT discontinuing the production of diesel-powered cars anytime soon. Reports of Maruti Suzuki planning to shut down its dedicated engine manufacturing facility in Gurgaon have been accompanied by speculation that the company is planning to stop making diesel cars altogether, but that is not true.
One, Maruti is shifting focus to making alternative-fuel powered cars in the wake of stricter BSVI emission norms that are set to take effect starting April 2020. Diesel engines will be more expensive to manufacture to meet these norms, and modifying the Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre (DDiS 190/200) engine to the new norms doesn't make financial sense. Maruti has an alternative anyway - the in-house developed 1.5-litre diesel engine is expected to be offered on most of the diesel range by 2020. Hence, claims of the company stopping diesel cars altogether are unfounded.
Two, Maruti's closure of the engine plant could be related to its plan to dismantle its and Manesar (and wherever the facility shifts to in Haryana).
Three, diesel is still the preferred fuel for commercial purposes. And and is built in-house. Technically, Maruti will continue to make diesel-powered vehicles even if they are not used to power their passenger cars.
Four, Maruti's dominance in the car market is not going to diminish even if it did decide to stop manufacturing diesel-powered cars. While hybrid (not mild hybrid) and all-electric powertrains will not be feasible in the short term, the company is looking at alternatives like CNG and good old petrol to power its cars in the interim. CNG variants will be added to newly launched cars,, while the two new cars that are set for launch in 2020 will be fitted with the yet-to-be-revealed BSVI-compliant petrol engines.
is being driven on roads all around India.
Maruti Suzuki steers away from diesel engine cars - courtesy
By Siddharth January 02, 2019 at 09:20PM
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