Skoda To Ditch Diesel, New Version Rapid To Come With Turbo Petrol Engine

As had already been hinted by the company Skoda may be on the path to discard diesel engine models in India altogether. There are reports on the internet stating that the Czech carmaker will replace the current diesel models of their Rapid sedan in India with the 1L 3-pot turbo petrol motor that is also offered in global markets. The global variant of the car comes with the same engine but in two states of tune, one is the low power 95 Bhp and 160 Nm while the other is the higher powered version rated to deliver 115 Bhp and 200 Nm. There are chances that the Czech maker will bring the higher powered variant to India as the new model will also replace the existing petrol and turbo diesel engines in India. Volkswagen may also go the same way of ditching diesel engines as the two brands will focus more and alternate fuels such as CNG, and other powertrains such as petrol-hybrid and electric.

While talking to a leading car magazine, the director for sales, service, and marketing at Skoda India, Zac Hollis stated,

We will not have a diesel in the Rapid but will replace that with a very efficient petrol engine – a 1.0-litre TSI. It is an extremely efficient engine giving a much better fuel economy than the current MPI, which has often been criticized a little for the fuel economy and efficiency. The investments in BS6 for diesel will force the price of cars to go up in the future. For a customer, it actually that makes the business case for buying a diesel a lot less weaker than before. In my personal opinion, the market will move more towards petrol going forward.

As has been the trend with all Skoda and VW cars in India, the upcoming 1L turbo petrol engine will come with a 7-speed twin clutch DSG automatic transmission and a 6 speed manual will also be on offer. As already stated, the same engine will also be seen on the upcoming version of Vento in the Indian market. There is no news on the front whether the Polo that comes with a 1.2L petrol engine also comes with the new turbo petrol engine in the future. There are chances of the same happening as the Polo is the largest volume mover for the brand and the engine will be localized. This will not only bring more dividends for the company but it will also help the brand push more units of Polo in the market.

This engine holds even greater importance when viewed from the perspective of Skoda’s future plans in the country. The upcoming compact SUV from the brand will also come with the same engine. VW will also use the same engine for their upcoming T-Cross in the market. With the Vento and Rapid going for the same engine, and Kamiq and T-Cross also in line to come with the same engine, one can expect the engine to make appearance on other models from the brand as well.