Maruti currently only has Petrol and CNG cars in its line-up after phasing out its diesel engines in April 2020 after the BS6 norms kicked in. It has been reported now that they are readying their 1.5-litre diesel to comply with the BS6 norms and launch in 2022. At one point, Maruti was dominating the diesel car market with its fiat sourced 1.3-litre multijet engine which powered a whole lot of their cars.
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The multijet engine used to come in 75hp and 90hp states of tune with torque ranging between 190 and 200Nm. This engine was known for its performance and reliability.
Being tuned by Maruti, the multijet used to give an upwards of 22km/l easily in most of the cars. The transmission was a 5 speed manual and cars like the Vitara Brezza later got an option of a 5 speed AMT. The 1.3 multijet was used for over a decade and was starting to show its age among the modern diesel engines which the competitors offered.
Maruti then developed its own 1.5-litre DDIS diesel which produced 105hp and 225 Nm of torque. It was mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and the Ciaz was the first car to be powered by it. Maruti is readying this engine for BS6 compliance and is set to release it in the XL6 early next year. The specifications and transmission option is going to be similar to the outgoing BS4 version but Maruti could introduce the option of an automatic.
The engine could also come with a 48V battery for a mild hybrid system to increase its efficiency. The next car to get the diesel engine will be the Brezza at the auto expo 2022. Lastly, the Ertiga will receive the diesel treatment by mid-2022. The price difference between the petrol and diesel variants should be around 1 lakh rupees. Maruti has seen a rise in the demand for petrol and CNG cars however there is still a market for diesel cars as seen with the competition. In true Maruti fashion, we expect the BS6 engine to be class-leading in terms of efficiency.