Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest car manufacturer is planning to develop a new diesel engine to power compact sports utility vehicles for the Indian car market. The XA Alpha, the concept model for the new compact SUV being designed will be based on the Swift platform.
Currently, the engines being used for the purpose of powering compact SUVs and compact cars are sourced from the Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat. The engine sourced from Fiat is the 1.3 liter diesel engine which powers most of Maruti Suzuki’s car models such as the Swift hatchback, the Ritz hatchback, the DZire compact sedan and the SX4 sedan.
While most new entrants and players in the compact SUV segment in India are using engines with higher power and capacity, the 1.3 liter engine with a maximum output of 75PS is considered inadequate to power an SUV.
According to Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa Managing Director and CEO Maruti Suzuki India, the carmaker wants to have an engine which produces a power of at least 90PS. The new range of 1.5 liter diesel engines being developed by Maruti Suzuki would prove to be more suitable for SUVs, he added.