Maruti Suzuki S-Presso CNG Variant Production Beings: India Launch Expected Soon

The company has showcased the S-Presso CNG variant at the 2020 Auto Expo alongside other vehicles that are offered with the brand's ‘S-CNG' powertrain options. These include the Alto, the Celerio, the WagonR, the Ertiga; among others which are currently on sale in the country.

Maruti Suzuki had informed earlier that they will look to promote CNG powertrain variants to compensate for the discontinuation of diesel engine options from its line-up. The CNG variants will not pollute the environment as compared to petrol and diesel engines. The company has also informed that they will look to offer CNG engine options with more models in future.

Coming back to the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso CNG, the tall-riding hatchback was launched during Septemeber last year. Since then, the hatchback has sold in decent volume and has managed to attract more customers because of its practicality and SUVish stance.

The automaker had earlier confirmed that they will look to offer a CNG option with all the small hatchback models in their line-up. This will help the company to target a wider audience, looking for a fuel-efficient alternative to the conventional petrol powertrain options.

The upcoming S-Presso CNG variant is expected to come powered by a 1.0-litre petrol-CNG engine, that currently powers the Alto hatchback. It produces a maximum power of 58.3bhp at 6000rpm, and a peak torque of 78Nm at 3500rpm and comes mated to a standard five-speed manual gearbox.

The same engine on the WagonR CNG variant returns a certified mileage of 32.52 km/kg and comes equipped with a 60-litre tank capacity. We expected the S-Presso to feature similar mileage and fuel-tank capacity as well.

Apart from the engine upgrade, the hatchback is expected to remain unchanged from the petrol-powered models. These include conventional headlamps with LED DRLs placed on the bumpers, and LED tail-lamps, black coloured body cladding, vertical front grille, 14-inch alloy wheels with flared wheel arches and more.

On the inside, the hatchback features a centrally-mounted digital instrument cluster, a seven-inch SmartPlay Studio touchscreen infotainment system, coloured accents across the cabin and blacked-out interiors and dual-tone seat fabric adding to the funky-looking interiors.

The S-Presso comes equipped with standard safety equipment such as multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, pedestrian safety, reverse parking sensor, seat-belt reminder, high-speed warning and more.

Alongside the CNG engine, the S-Presso is currently offered with a BS-VI compliant three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine. It produces 68bhp and 90Nm of torque and comes mated to either a five-speed manual gearbox or an ‘AGS' automatic transmission unit. The entry-level hatchback retails between Rs 3.7 lakh and Rs 4.99 lakh, ex-showroom (Delhi).

Other developments on the S-Presso's powertrain options include a powerful 1.2-litre engine that could be offered at a later date. It could be sold as a performance variant of the tall-riding hatchback with subtle upgrades over the standard model.

In related news, Maruti Suzuki has partnered with ICICI Bank and introduced a couple of new finance options to offer ease of ownership during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in the country. The new finance options offer multiple ways to repay the vehicle loan — here are more details.

Thoughts About The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso CNG Variant

The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso rival the Renault Kwid and the Datsun Redi-GO; among other hatchbacks in the Indian market. As is, none of the S-Presso's rivals offers a CNG option which will help in lowering the running costs. As a result, the CNG variant is expected to widen the target audience when launched in India.