The BS-VI Maruti Ertiga diesel has been
spied on test again. This time, it's the taxi variant (BS-VI Maruti Tour M
diesel) that has been snapped. Apparently, Maruti Suzuki doesn't plan to
permanently stop selling diesel vehicles.
Maruti Suzuki recently pulled the plugs on
the D13A 1.3L and E15A 1.5L diesel engines. The next big step for the company
would be introducing the BS-VI compliant 1.5-litre diesel engine sometime in
2021. The company may offer the cleaner but more expensive diesel engine first
in the taxi segment and later in the passenger vehicles when the pricing works
out.
Apart from that, India's leading automaker
has been putting a lot of stress on CNG vehicles since it believes these
vehicles are supposed to make up for the sales falling because of the
discontinuation of the BS-IV diesel models. The lower cost of CNG technology is
thought to make it an ideal option even after the company is actually ready
with a BS-VI diesel engine.
If you recall, Maruti Suzuki launched the
BS-VI CNG version of WagonR at INR 5.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) earlier this
month. The company says that this is a part of its ‘Mission Green Million’ as
it aims to sell one million CNG vehicles within the next few years. Also, the
company showcased the CNG version of the S-Presso at Auto Expo 2020 and plans
to launch it soon.
Expect Maruti Suzuki to start rolling out
BS-VI compliant diesel cars next year. Following the Tour M commercial vehicle,
the Ertiga and S-Cross passenger vehicles could be the next recipients of the
BS-VI E15A diesel engine.
