In order to gain momentum with the increasing demand of diesel powered cars in India, Maruti Suzuki is planning to introduce two new diesel powered models by late 2014 and this time you won’t see the tried and tested Fiat sourced 1.3-litre Multijet turbo diesel engine powering them. The Japanese automaker, Suzuki is said to be developing two new diesel engines for the Indian market. India’s largest passenger carmaker will be introducing 1.0-litre and 1.4-litre diesel engines, getting rid of the Italian carmaker’s 1.3-litre Multijet diesel mill.
This move can result in reducing manufacturing costs and can help the carmaker to price the products aggressively. Maruti Suzuki has tasted tremendous success in the Indian market with the Fiat sourced Multijet diesel engine powering the Ritz, Swift, DZire, Ertiga and SX4. The Italian carmaker’s technology has helped Maruti Suzuki find itself amongst the top selling cars in the Indian car market consistently every month. The diesel engines under development by the Japanese automaker can help the company to target a range of segments.
The small 1.0-litre diesel engine can power compact hatchbacks like the WagonR and A-Star, while the bigger 1.4-litre diesel motor can be used in the Swift, DZire, Ertiga as well as the upcoming compact SUV based on the XA-Alpha concept. Maruti is readying up a diesel engine plant in Gurgaon with an investment of around Rs. 1700 crores and an annual production capacity of three lakh units. The agreement with Fiat says supply of one lakh diesel engines to Maruti for three years starting from 2012, which means beyond 2015, Maruti Suzuki might not get diesel engines from Fiat.
Source – Money Control
