Here is a list of 12 cars that will no longer be available in the BS6 era i.e from April 1, 2020 in India, mostly cars belongs to Maruti Suzuki
With the BS6 emission norms set to be standardised from April 1 2020, some manufacturers have already started upgrading their engines to meet the stringent emission standards. However, for some cars, it just does not seem like a viable option, and hence the cars will have to face the axe.
Upgrading from BS4-compliance to BS6 is relatively cheaper in petrol engines compared to diesel engines, and the end-customer is the one that faces the cost of upgradation. Hence, in a country where budget cars dominate the majority of the market, it will make no sense for manufacturers to hike prices of affordable diesel cars if the buyer is the bearer. It is also an opportunity for carmakers to clear out some of the cars with poor sales figures.
Below is a list of 10 cars that will be discontinued when the BS6 emission norms become standard on April 1, 2020 –
1. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5 Diesel
Maruti Suzuki has confirmed that it will be discontinuing its entire diesel range for now and will study the market demand for diesel vehicles later on to see if they’re worth bringing back. One of the main driving force of the MPV range is the low running cost, and the Ertiga will surely take a hit when it offers only petrol and CNG options.
The 1.5-litre diesel engine also seen on the Ciaz, is good for 94 HP of power & 225 Nm of torque, and comes paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. With an ARAI claimed fuel economy of 24.2 kmpl, the Ertiga 1.5 diesel is one of the cheapest MPVs to maintain, but we’ll have to bid farewell to it.
2. Toyota Corolla Altis
As a part of the global agreement between Toyota and Suzuki, the former was set to supply the D-segment sedan to the latter to be rebadged and sold. This would have brought down the production costs for the Japanese carmaker, but Maruti Suzuki backed out of its decision of introducing a rebadged Corolla under its brand name, as it believes that the Indian market is not ready for an executive sedan with the Maruti badging yet.
To top it off, the current and growing trend of SUVs has led to a decline in sales in the said segment and Maruti Suzuki certainly does not want to be a part of the downfall. Even Toyota Kirloskar Motor does not want to further indulge in a segment that will (according to them) not be profitable, which means that the legacy of the Corolla in India is soon going to end.
3. Tata Hexa Crossover
Hexa’s sales have continued to decline since the launch of its very own sibling, Harrier. With news surrounding the upcoming seven-seat version of the Harrier called the Buzzard, reviving Hexa beyond the BS6 deadline is likely out of the question.
The Hexa comes with a 2.2-litre Varicor400 diesel engine only, which makes 138 HP of peak power & a massive 400 Nm of peak torque. Interestingly, the Hexa is the only 4×4 car in the current Tata lineup apart from Safari Storme, but that likely to not be a case after April 1 next year.
4. Maruti Swift Diesel
Swift continues to be one of the top-selling hatchbacks in the country. Apart from being a good looker, the car incurs low running costs, requires minimal maintenance and has plenty of features on offer.
Given Maruti’s decision to axe diesel engines from their lineup, the sales of Swift will see a major impact. The Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine currently on offer with the Swift, makes 74PS of power and 190 Nm torque.
Maruti Suzuki is currently offering a Rs. 30,000 cash discount, a corporate discount of Rs. 10,000 and an exchange bonus of Rs. 20,000 with the Swift diesel. The manufacturer is also providing a 5 years free warranty with the Swift.
5. Maruti Dzire 1.3 Diesel
The sub-compact sedan version of the Swift hatch, the Dzire is not only a common car among the fleet services, but also has a huge number of private takers. Thanks to its popularity, the Dzire was able to rake in the maximum sales out of all passenger vehicles last month. The Dzire shares its platform and powertrains with the Swift, and hence will have to make do with only the 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that is rated at 82 HP/113 Nm.
Maruti Suzuki is offering the same discounts and offers on the Dzire as the Swift, which include a Rs 30,000 cash discount, Rs 10,000 corporate discount, Rs 20,000 exchange bonus and a 5 year free extended warranty to ease your mind of owning a diesel car.
6. Renault Duster Diesel SUV
The Duster is mostly known for its ruggedness and off-roading capabilities. Even then, the AWD version of the car only manages a 5% share of the total sales. Apart from that, the French carmaker has also decided to discontinue the 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine.
A 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine will be introduced for the Duster lineup soon, which will replace the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine currently on offer, which churns out 105 HP of power and 142 Nm of torque. Sadly, no AWD option will be on offer post the BS6 deadline.
7. Volkswagen Ameo Diesel
Volkswagen has decided to follow in the footsteps of Maruti Suzuki to discontinue diesel engines for the Indian market. The Ameo sedan has had a difficult time surviving in a market which is influenced by an attractive price, high fuel efficiency rather than performance and quality that the Germans have to offer.
This has led to a downfall in its sales and even though the Polo and Vento will be offered with new BS6-compliant petrol engines, the German carmaker will bid a farewell to the Ameo.
8. Maruti Ciaz 1.5 Diesel
Currently, the Ciaz is the most premium and the only sedan offering to be sold through Maruti Suzuki’s Nexa channel. The C-segment sedan gets two engine options, a 1.5-litre petrol unit with power figures rated at 103 HP/138 Nm, and the same 1.5-litre diesel engine as the Ertiga, which is good for 94 HP of power and 225 Nm torque.
Even after being at par with the all the cars from its segment, including Honda City, Hyundai Verna and Toyota Yaris, the Ciaz is the most affordable one out of the lot. However, it is yet to be seen how the Ciaz’s sales figures will turn out once Maruti ditches the 1.5-litre diesel engine.
9. Maruti Vitara Brezza
India’s favourite sub-compact SUV does get tough competition from other cars in the segment like Hyundai Venue and Tata Nexon, but the car has always flared up sales charts despite having one major disadvantage – the absence of a petrol engine.
However, things are going to change for the Vitara Brezza as the beloved 1.3 DDiS engine will be gone and instead be replaced by a petrol engine, testing mules of which have already been spied earlier. It is yet to be seen if the Vitara Brezza will get the 1.5-litre petrol engine from the Ciaz and Ertiga, or if it will make do with the 1.2-litre unit from the Swift and Dzire.
10. Maruti Baleno Diesel
The premium sub-4m hatch offering will have a tough time in the market when it will only be offered with the petrol engine. The Baleno is the highest selling premium hatch in the country and the only car that makes life tough for it is the i20, which is the second highest-seller in the segment.
It will be interesting to see how the segment sales turn out once the Baleno diesel is discontinued next year. The Baleno petrol will continue to rival the petrol versions of Hyundai i20, Volkswagen Polo, its rebadged version, the Toyota Glanza, and the upcoming Tata Altroz.
11. Maruti Suzuki S-Cross
The S-Cross is a premium crossover offering from Maruti Suzuki, which has been never really known for something special and has been an average offering compared to the carmaker standards.
A diesel only offering, the S-Cross will continue to be sold once the BS6 norms become compulsory, albeit with Maruti’s 1.5-litre SHVS mild-hybrid petrol engine which is good for 103 HP of power and 138 Nm of torque.
12. Nissan Sunny
Touted as the most spacious mid-size sedan offering, the Sunny saw success initially. However, a poor cabin layout, dull interiors and lack of features led to the car being branded as a taxi. After that, it became extremely difficult for the Sunny to survive in a highly competitive segment which includes the Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz among others.
Nissan managed to ship only around 600 units of the Sunny in the last 12 months, and the manufacturer likely to put an end to current-gen Sunny for India. To clear the stock at hand, Nissan is currently offering the 1.5 petrol Sunny paired with a CVT at a discounted price of Rs 8.8 lakh (ex-showroom).