Maruti Suzuki will be making its presence felt in the diesel segment after a prolonged absence. As we are aware, the homegrown manufacturer had discontinued its diesel models in the domestic market post-transition to the new BS6 Emission Norms. The Indian automobile giant did not place importance on the diesel powertrain as it sought to reduce costs. The earlier Maruti Suzuki vehicles were powered by Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre diesel engine. Now, there is a change in the strategy for the Indian market. Thanks to our friends at Team-BHP, we now have more clarity on Maruti Suzuki plans for the diesel engine. The new 1.5-litre diesel mill is almost complete and could see its arrival in the upcoming models later this year.
After much wait, Maruti is lining-up the new diesel unit for the Ciaz and Ertiga models in India. The brand might have discontinued the diesel motor in the country, but its rivals were still launching models with the same. Kia Motors launched the Seltos and Sonet with diesel options and so did the Hyundai with Venue and Creta Facelift in 2020. At the end of the day, it did not make sense for Maruti Suzuki to rule out diesel variants while the rivals were launching new cars with the same in the market. For Indian buyers, diesel-powered cars are still a good choice. For the matter, Maruti Suzuki has sold over 5 lakh diesel vehicles during 2018-19 financial year. With rising competition, the manufacturer sees the re-introduction of diesel cars to strengthen its presence in the lucrative yet highly competitive Indian automotive market.
There is a good chance that the 1.5-litre diesel engine will be powering two new models - the Next-Gen Maruti Vitara Brezza and the D22. The former is currently codenamed YXA which is slated for launch sometime in 2022. As we know, Vitara Brezza has been one of the stand-out performers in the popular subcompact SUV segment. With new arrivals like Sonet and Magnite capturing attention, Maruti Suzuki seeks to refresh its product with new features and engine options. Also, D22 is an upcoming crossover as a result of a close collaboration between Toyota and Maruti Suzuki.
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