Ahead of the BSVI emission norms which will be implemented from April 1, 2020, Maruti Suzuki is gearing up to launch BSVI-compliant versions of its existing models. Among them is the Ertiga, whose diesel variant was recently spotted under testing on Indian roads.
The MPV was spotted most recently under testing without camouflage. Maruti Suzuki has officially confirmed that it will discontinue the diesel engines in its lineup, due to the high costs of upgrading them to BSVI emission norms.
However, contradictory to its statement, the new Ertiga was spotted with a diesel engine. Though it hasn’t been officially confirmed, it can be expected that the Indian carmaker will continue its 1.5-litre diesel engines.
Currently, the Ertiga is equipped with a 1.5-litre DDiS diesel engine which makes 95PS of maximum power and 225Nm of peak torque. It is speculated that the new Ertiga will get a Fiat-sourced 1.6-litre DDiS engine which makes 120PS of maximum power and 320Nm of peak torque.
Diesel powertrains are preferred by a majority of MPVs currently sold in India. Hence, discontinuing the diesel option for Ertiga would serve as a major hurdle to the company’s sales. However, it is unlikely that it will receive the company’s 1.6-litre Multijet diesel engine as the company seems to have spent a significant amount on making its 1.5-litre DDiS engine BSVI compliant.
Maruti Suzuki is expected to unveil the new Ertiga at the upcoming Auto Expo in 2020, which could be followed by other models in its lineup receiving the same BSVI diesel engine. The new car is expected to carry a price tag higher than its current range of Rs 9.87 lakh to Rs 11.21 lakh (ex-showroom).
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