Maruti Suzuki Expects The Production Of Small Diesel Cars Will End By 2020

Maruti Suzuki expects that the small diesel cars production may end by 2020 due to stricter emission norms.

By Sukesh

Updated: Saturday, December 10, 2016, 11:40 [IST]

In recent times there has been a lot of debate about the rising pollution levels in the major cities of India. In an action against pollution, the old diesel cars are being scrapped and the BS IV emission norms will also come into effect.

Maruti Suzuki Expects The Production Of Small Diesel Cars Will End By 2020

The Government of India plans to leapfrog to BS VI emission norms skipping the Euro V norms. The Euro VI norms will be implemented by April 2020. With stricter emission norms the automakers have to make changes in their products.

Maruti Suzuki India Chairman RC Bhargava stated that the BS VI emission norms will bring an end to the small diesel cars. He also said that old diesel commercial vehicles are also a cause for the pollution caused.

Bhargava believed that two-wheelers are also contributing to the pollution as the technology used is very old. Most of India is still following the BSIII norms whereas the BSIV will be implemented from April 2017.

According to Bhargava with the BS VI emission norms, the price of diesel cars will significantly rise but the petrol cars will still cost the same, so he expects the customers to shift away from small diesel cars.

The car manufacturers will have to make major changes to the diesel engines to be compliant with BS VI emission norms whereas the petrol engine requires only minor changes. So there will be a wide gap in the price between a diesel car and a petrol car.

Car manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai are investing in the mild hybrid technology to improve the fuel efficiency of the petrol cars to match the diesel cars. With the mild hybrid technology, carmakers will get benefitted by governments FAME scheme to lower prices.