Almost all manufacturers have upgraded and retained their commercial passenger cars in the BS6 era, since the demand for such vehicles doesn’t seem to slowdown
Manufacturers continue to work on introducing new cars for the Indian market across different segments, and the commercial passenger car segment has also grown drastically in the past few years. Commercial vehicles like vans, pickup-trucks, trucks, taxi cabs etc are usually used for transporting goods and buyers do not expect things like feel-good features, or a comfortable cabin from vehicles in this segment in most cases.
However, the commercial passenger car segment is pretty demanding, with a range of cars now available to choose from, varying across different segments. Here is a list of the top 5 BS6-compliant commercial passenger cars in India –
1. Maruti Suzuki Dzire (Tour S)
In order to restrict the new-gen Dzire from being used as a fleet and commercial car, Maruti Suzuki introduced a new ‘Tour S’ version for the sub-4m sedan, which is based on the previous-gen model. The Dzire Tour S is offered at a more affordable price as compared to the regular sedan, and also comes with an optional CNG powertrain.
Unlike the 1.2-litre dual-jet VVT petrol engine that was recently introduced with the Dzire facelift, the Tour S comes equipped with the 1.2-litre dual VVT petrol motor that puts out 83 PS power and 113 Nm torque. The transmission duties are handled by a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard.
Maruti Suzuki offers the Dzire Tour S in three variants, namely Tour S (O) petrol, Tour S CNG and Tour S (O) CNG, priced at Rs 5.80 lakh, Rs 6.36 lakh and Rs 6.40 lakh respectively (all prices, ex-showroom).
2. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (Tour M)
Just like the Tour S version of the Dzire, Maruti Suzuki also has a commercial/fleet version of the Ertiga called the ‘Tour M’. However, unlike the former, the Tour M is now based on the current-gen Ertiga itself.
Power comes from a 1.5-litre K15B petrol engine that belts out 105 PS and 138 Nm, while being mated to a 5-speed manual transmission as standard. It is also offered with Maruti Suzuki’s S-CNG powertrain, which returns a 26.08 km/kg mileage, while the petrol powertrain’s fuel efficiency is rated at 18.04 km/l.
The Tour M comes equipped with dual frontal airbags, ABS with EBD and reverse parking sensors as standard. The commercial version of the Ertiga has a base price of Rs 7.99 lakh for the petrol-powered variant, while the CNG version starts from Rs 8.83 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom).
3. Toyota Innova Crysta
The Toyota Innova Crysta continues to be one of the highest-selling MPVs in the Indian market, and has been well appreciated for its unmatched comfortable cabin. This also makes the Innova Crysta a very popular commercial car. Toyota currently retails the Innova Crysta at a starting price of Rs 15.66 lakh, going all the way up to Rs 24.67 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom). The MPV can either be had with a 7-seat layout, or even an 8-seat configuration.
The Innova Crysta is available with two BS6 engine options, which include a 2.7-litre petrol unit producing 166 PS power and 245 Nm torque, along with a 2.4-litre oil burner with a maximum power output of 150 PS, and a peak torque rating of 360 Nm. Both the engines come mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, along with an optional 6-speed automatic.
4. Hyundai Xcent Prime
Hyundai launched the Aura sub-4m sedan earlier this year, which was introduced as a replacement for the Xcent in the company’s line-up. However, just like Maruti Suzuki did with the Dzire, Hyundai continues to retail the Xcent alongside the Aura, specifically targeted at commercial services.
The carmaker has been selling a different variant for fleet services, called the ‘Xcent Prime’. The Xcent Prime misses out on all the goodies of the regular version, but gets dual airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors as standard. It comes with an optional factory fitted CNG, and gets a best in class warranty of 3 years or 1 lakh km.
Powering the Xcent Prime are three different powertrains, a 1.2-litre petrol engine (83 PS/113 Nm), a 1.2-litre petrol-CNG powertrain (66.3 PS/98 Nm), as well as a 1.2-litre diesel engine producing 75 PS of maximum power and 190 Nm of peak torque. The only transmission option on offer is a 5-speed manual gearbox.
5. Maruti Suzuki Eeco
The Eeco is certainly the most popular commercial passenger car in the Indian market. The van’s characteristics, as well as its affordable price together are responsible for its popularity. Maruti Suzuki currently offers the Eeco with a BS6-compliant 1.2-litre petrol engine that generates 73 PS of power and 98 Nm of torque.
Also on offer is Maruti’s S-CNG powertrain, which brings the power and torque output of the aforementioned engine down to 62.5 PS/85 Nm. The Eeco can be had as a 5-seat or a 7-seater, and is currently priced from Rs 3.8 lakh to Rs 4.95 lakh (ex-showroom).