Maruti Suzuki S-CNG sales have gone past the 10 lakh mark in India and the brand has the largest CNG portfolio in the industry
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has today announced that it has reached a new milestone of selling one million units with its S-CNG range of vehicles cumulatively. The brand has the largest CNG portfolio in the personal and commercial space as it includes Alto, S-Presso, WagonR, Celerio, Dzire, Ertiga, Eeco, Super Carry and Tour-S.
The Indo-Japanese manufacturer will focus on expanding its S-CNG range this calendar year as well as more premium offerings will get the technology. Speaking of the new achievement, Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “We are humbled by the appreciation and positive response received by our S-CNG offerings. As a Company, our aim is to offer safe, reliable, clean, technologically advanced and environment friendly vehicles to our customers.”
In India, there are more than 3,700 CNG stations making the tech more accessible for consumers and the central government plans to stretch its legs further as around 10,000 CNG filling stations are targeted over the next few years across the country and this would certainly help in upping the demand, mainly in the entry-level volume-based space.
The largest car producer in the country says its S-CNG vehicles are integrated from the first stage itself ‘to deliver unmatched safety, performance, durability and high fuel efficiency.’ Maruti Suzuki reached the 3.5 lakh S-CNG sales milestone in 2016-17 and it surged to ten million in a short span of time courtesy of its continued expansion.
The Maruti Suzuki S-CNG range of vehicles come with dual Interdependent ECUs with an injection system that provides an optimal air-fuel ratio during combustion. The company claims that the chassis, suspension and braking systems are re-tuned to be driven on different terrains. A common-rail based injection system is employed for optimal injection pressure and distribution.
The safety features unique to the S-CNG cars are a microswitch that ensures that the vehicle is off and doesn’t start while refuelling, stainless steel CNG pipes with patented ferrule joints for corrosion resistance and a leak-proof design, dual solenoid system for additional safety in case of gas leakage as it auto-cuts fuel during gas leak and releases high-pressure CNG to the atmosphere.
Other highlights are the non-return valve mechanism for preventing backflow of high-pressure CNG gas, CNG filler filter protecting the system from corrosion & dust particles, petrol mode ignition for enhanced lubrication during cold start, integrated electrical system, auto change-over switch, NGV receptacle special nozzle and precision fuel level indicator.
The Celerio S-CNG is the most efficient with a claimed economy of 35.60 km/kg and it stands at 34.05 km/kg for WagonR, 31.59 km/kg for Alto, 31.20 km/kg for S-Presso, 31.12 km/kg for Dzire, 26.08 km/kg for Ertiga and 20.88 km/kg for Eeco.