Fiat India’s major partners Tata and Maruti are developing their own 1.5-litre diesel engines which compete directly with the Italian automaker’s version.
While vehicle sales may not be optimistic, it is the engine sale that has been bringing in the moolah for Fiat India amidst the growing market. After the stupendous success of the 1.3-litre MultiJet motor, it was expected that the automaker would introduce a 1.5-litre diesel unit complying with the Indian norms and requirements. However, the Italian auto giant has put its plans on hold for now as partners Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki are developing their own 1.5-litre diesel engines in a bid to lower dependency on Fiat.
Both Maruti and Tata have been working on developing a new family of diesel engines that will be introduced in the market towards the end of this decade. Maruti Suzuki introduced its first in-house developed 0.8-litre diesel engine earlier this year on the Celerio while the 1.5-litre unit was expected to arrive next year powering the YBA compact SUV. However, due to problems in the development stage, production of the motor has been delayed and will be introduced sometime in 2018. The third engine to come from Maruti’s new modular family is expected to be a 1.1-litre mill.
Tata Motors on the other hand, is developing a 1.5-litre diesel engine that will power the Nexon based compact SUV (codenamed Osprey) set to go on sale by the end of 2016. The engine is expected to develop around 110 BHP of power and over 200 Nm of torque but won’t be compromising on fuel economy in the process. It will be safe to say that the motor will be a part of the Revotorq family and is expected to be paired to a 6-speed gearbox.
Fiat’s 1.5-litre MultiJet motor in question is a downsized version of the 1.6-litre unit that currently powers the Maruti S-Cross. With two of its major clients developing their own competing engines and the Italian auto giant barely managing an average of 700 units every month, it makes little business sense to commence manufacturing of the motor in India at present. That said, the news is a huge bummer for Fiat fans as its existing products would’ve seen a major upgrade in power had the new engine been plonked in them.
Source – AutocarIndia.com
