Maruti Suzuki’s 3 new petrol hybrid cars for India: Ertiga, Brezza & S-Cross

Maruti Suzuki has lined up not one, not two, but three new petrol hybrid cars for India. They are the all-new Ertiga,  Vitara Brezza and the S-Cross. While the Vitara Brezza and S-Cross are already on sale in India as diesel-only cars,  the Ertiga will be an all-new, 2nd generation-model.

The 2nd-generation Maruti Ertiga is expected to make its Indian debut by this year’s festive season. The petrol-powered Brezza Hybrid is expected to make its debut early next year, and the same is expected of the S-Cross. Notably, a common thread that will connect all three upcoming petrol hybrid cars is the engine they’ll use.

The engine in question will be the 1.5-litre K-Series naturally aspirated unit that made its India debut with the  recently launched Ciaz Facelift. This engine outputs 104 Bhp-138 Nm, and is currently offered with 5-speed manual and 4-speed torque converter automatic gearboxes.

This engine will get the Suzuki Hybrid Vehicle System (SHVS) mild hybrid mechanism. SHVS adds idle stop, brake energy regeneration and torque assist functions, improving fuel efficiency and lowering emissions. All three cars are expected to class leaders in terms of fuel efficiency – a major selling point.

In fact, web reports already claim that the S-Cross Petrol Hybrid will get a class leading 18-Kmpl mileage figure.  Expect similar numbers for the Brezza and Ertiga Petrol Hybrid models. With the launch of these cars, Maruti will be the only mass-market automaker in India to offer four mild hybrid options to buyers.

This is a sign of things to come  as emission norms tighten. In future, mild hybrid are likely to make way for full hybrids, which are expected to replace diesel-powered cars in India. Maruti Suzuki is positioning itself to lead this transition, and the growing  number of mild hybrids is proof of this.