Maruti Ciaz to get a new diesel engine next month?

Just weeks ago, information regarding the new turbocharged diesel engine Suzuki engineers have developed in house to replace the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet diesel surfaced. Now, a Team-BHP member has stated that the new, 1.5 liter turbocharged diesel engine will be offered in the Maruti Ciaz from next month. It is unclear if the new diesel engine will meet Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms right from the outset.

Meanwhile, here’s the quote from the Team-BHP thread,

Maruti has started training for New Ciaz 1.5 diesel. As expected, the car has 6 speed MT. Waiting for birdies to comment on VGT / FGT turbo. The car will be launched next month.

This is unlikely to happen considering the fact that BS6 compliance will shoot up prices of the car. As Maruti just  launched the facelifted Ciaz a few months ago, sharply increasing the price of the diesel version is a shock that the  automaker is unwilling to give the customer. Instead, the 1.5 liter diesel engine is likely to meet BS4 emission  norms, and continue to be offered alongside the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet diesel.

So, from next month, the Maruti Ciaz buyer could be able to choose between the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet diesel engine,  which makes 89 Bhp-200 Nm, and the 1.5 liter newly developed diesel with 94 Bhp-225 Nm. While the 1.3 liter diesel is paired with a 5 speed manual gearbox, the new diesel engine will use a 6 speed manual gearbox. It’s unlikely to be  offered with an automatic gearbox.

Sometime next year, Maruti is expected to phase out the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet engine from the Ciaz’s line-up,  replacing it with the BS6 compliant 1.5 liter diesel. BS6 emission norms compliance is expected to steeply push up  the price of the Ciaz Diesel. The Maruti Ciaz won’t be the only car to receive the new engine. A range of Maruti cars  – from the recently launched Ertiga MPV to the S-Cross crossover – will receive the 1.5 liter diesel engine.

What remains to be seen is whether the mild hybrid system that Maruti offers with the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet diesel  will be carried over to the newly developed diesel engine. More details are likely to surface in the coming weeks.  The 1.5 liter diesel engine developed in-house by Suzuki will be a stop-gap arrangement for the medium term, until  demand for diesel cars exists.

In the long term, Maruti is expected to shift towards full hybrids and electric cars. The automaker has tied up with  Toyota for hybrid vehicle technology, and the first Maruti car to feature this technology will be the badge-  engineered version of the Corolla Altis. The Corolla Altis with the Maruti badge will be launched in 2020. In the  same year, Maruti will also launch the electric version of the new WagonR. Clearly, Maruti is looking beyond the  diesel engine.