Maruti to pull the plug on diesel cars next year

New Delhi, April 25 

India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) will discontinue sale of diesel cars in the country from April next year, coinciding with the transition of the automobile industry to stricter BS VI emission norms.

The auto major currently gets 23 per cent of its total sales in the domestic market from diesel cars. It sold a total of 4.63 lakh diesel units last fiscal.

Some models like Vitara Brezza and S-Cross currently come with a diesel engine option only. Others like Swift, Baleno, Dzire, Ciaz and Ertiga also have petrol versions in addition to the diesel trims.

MSI has also decided to pull the plug on the diesel version of its light commercial vehicle Super Carry from next year. It would be only available in petrol/CNG version.

“From April 1, 2020, we will not be selling diesel cars,” MSI chairman RC Bhargava said. He, however, added that if there is a demand for BS VI diesel cars, the company might go ahead and develop a model to cater to that demand.

The company recently launched Ciaz with in-house developed BS IV compliant 1,500 cc diesel engine. Its other cars are powered by 1.3-litre diesel engine sourced from Fiat. Bhargava said the company would not go below 1,500 cc diesel engine going ahead. — PTI