Tata Motors could possibly stop the production of their diesel engines from their small car segment.
Following the lead of Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors could also ditch the diesel engines for petrol in smaller cars come April 2020. The decision was made due to the high cost of manufacturing BS-VI diesel engines in smaller cars.
Currently, the entry-level Tiago and Tigor are sold with 1.05L diesel engine, older models like the Zest and Bolt are older cars which offer a 1.3L diesel engine from Tata’s lineup.
Tiago and its sibling Tigor share the same engine, the 1.05L diesel motor churning out a power of 69bhp with a peak torque of 140Nm. The 1.3L diesel engine available in Tata Zest and Bolt generates 89bhp of power with 200Nm of torque. Mostly sales in Tata Tiago and Tigor comes from petrol models rather than diesel ones. So evidently, Tata may ditch their diesel engines from smaller segments.
Also Read: No More Maruti Diesel Car To Be Available After April 2020!
Mr Mayank Pareek, Tata Motors president passenger vehicles business unit said, “We feel that low demand for entry and mid-size diesel models will not justify the high costs involved in developing a new small capacity engine”.
Following the statement, it is quite clear that if the manufacturing cost will be increased then automatically it will be the customer who will have to pay a high cost for a diesel engine in smaller cars. The price difference once the BS-VI emission norms get regulated, it will be Rs 2 lakh between petrol and diesel-powered cars.
Also Read: Will Not Stop The Production Of Diesel Cars: Ford
However, the company’s other product like the sub-4 meter compact SUV, Tata Nexon is like to retain its diesel engine. The 1.5L turbocharged motor which churns out 108bhp of power with 260Nm of torque delivers a mileage of 23.97 Kmpl. Furthermore, the diesel engine on Hexa and Harrier are also to be retained.
Ford, the american car manufacturer is the only brand which has said they will continue to offer diesel engine in small cars post BS-VI norms.