Hyundai India plans to launch diesel variants of the i20 to get a larger chunk of the smaller car market share. The Indian subsidiary of Hyundai, which has a 25% market share in the 800,000 small car segment in the country, already makes diesel version of the i20 at its Chennai plant for exports. But in India, Hyundai markets only the petrol variant.
Hyundai may strap the 1.4 litre CRDi diesel engine in the i20 premium hatchback, which is currently being exported to Europe and other overseas markets. The smaller engine will allow Hyundai to take advantage of concessional 8% excise duty levied on smaller cars. The diesel version of i20 is expected to be priced between Rs 5-6 lakh, 20-25% more than the petrol version.
The 1.4 litre CRDi engine that offers an 88 BHP of power is expected to deliver a fuel efficiency of around 20 km per litre of fuel. Hyundai also has a more powerful 1.6 litre diesel version, which is exported, but may not be launched in India due to its high price.
The i20 diesel is expected to come in twin variants. These will be pitted against the hugely popular Maruti’s Swift Diesel, Skoda’s Fabia, Tata Motors’ Indigo, Ford’s Fusion and Fiat’s Palio in the diesel hatchback segment.
