While Maruti Suzuki has decided to pull the plug on its diesel hatchbacks a few other carmakers have updated their hatchbacks with BS6-compliant diesel engines
A few months ago, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the country’s largest-selling carmaker, announced its plans of discontinuing diesel engine variants of its cars ahead of the rollout of the BS6 emission norms. The company hopes that the low demand for diesel cars in the lower segments and the increase in price of vehicles from the introduction of BS6 diesel cars will ensure it doesn’t see a drop in its sales due to discontinuation of the diesel option.
However, a few carmakers have already updated their small cars with BS6-compliant diesel engines ahead of the deadline. Here’s our list of the only 4 BS6 diesel hatchbacks in India under 10 lakhs.
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Hyundai Grand i10 Nios
The popular Maruti Swift-rivalling hatchback is available with three BS6-compliant diesel engine options. These include a 1.2-litre petrol, 1.2-litre diesel and a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol option. The diesel engine of the Grand i10 Nios displaces 1.2-litre and outputs a maximum power of 74bhp and peak torque of 186Nm.
Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT. Among the four cars listed here, the Grand i10 Nios is the only vehicle that can be purchased with an automatic transmission option, which is something that should work in favour of the small car.
2. Ford Figo
Recently, Ford India rolled out the BSVI-compliant version of the Figo, its B1-segment hatchback that rivals the Maruti Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios. The Figo isn’t too popular but has been appreciated for its handsome design and well-sorted dynamics. The diesel variant is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged motor that makes it a punchy performer.
It produces a maximum power of 100 PS and a peak torque of 215 Nm. Unlike the petrol variant, which has a 1.2-litre unit, there has been no drop in performance with the upgrade to achieve compliance with the stricter emission norms. A 5-speed manual unit is the only transmission on offer.
3. Ford Freestyle
Akin to the Figo, even the Freestyle, its crossover-ish sibling, recently received BSVI compliant engines. The Freestyle shares its BSVI-compliant diesel motor with the Figo, which means it gets the same 1.5-litre unit with a maximum power of 100 PS and a peak torque of 215 Nm.
Even here, the only transmission is a 5-speed manual unit. With the introduction of the BSVI engines, the Freestyle now comes with a 3-year/1 lakh kilometre warranty as standard. While the Freestyle shares aplenty with the Figo, it has a distinct appeal owing to its more rugged styling package and few extra features.
4. Tata Altroz
The fourth BS6-compliant diesel hatchback you can buy in India for less than Rs 10 lakh, is the Tata Altroz. Launched recently, the Altroz is the most premium small car from the homegrown carmaker. It is available with a 1.2-litre petrol engine, which is shared with the Tiago, and a de-tuned version of the 1.5-litre diesel engine from the Nexon.
Also, unlike the Nexon, the Altroz misses out on a 6-speed transmission and instead comes with a 5-speed unit. The BSVI-compliant diesel motor for this well-designed hatchback produces a maximum power of 90 PS and a peak torque of 200 Nm. As we mentioned, this engine is a less powerful version of the oil burner that propels the Tata Nexon. For the sub-4-metre SUV, this motor is tuned to deliver a maximum power of 110 PS and a peak torque of 260 Nm, which is substantially more than what the Altroz offers.