With the emission norms getting stricter, automakers are planning to ditch diesel vehicles. In fact, Maruti, Volkswagen, Renault, and Skoda have already moved in this direction. However, Tata Motors has asserted that it will continue to sell its diesel cars even after the implementation of BS6 Phase 2 in April 2023.
“There is a market for diesel vehicles. Some companies are finding it unviable to transition but not so in our case. Our vehicle architecture factors in the costs for the upgrade” – Rajan Amba, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service at Tata Motors.Â
Must Read: CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) Norms Explained!
Currently, Tata Motors has four diesel cars in its lineup: Altroz, Nexon, Harrier and Safari. The starting two get Tata’s in-house developed 1.5-litre unit, whereas the latter two feature a Fiat-sourced 2-litre powertrain. The Altroz and Nexon also come with petrol engine options; however, the Harrier and Safari are limited to oil burners only. Also, it is worth noting that Tata doesn’t have any other powertrain option that can do duty for these flagship offerings. So, Tata will have to move with their ongoing engine options. But the carmaker is expected to introduce electric iterations of these SUVs sometime in future. Nevertheless, sales of Tata’s ongoing electric vehicles are also on the rise, contributing to a reduction in its overall carbon footprint. The carmaker is also planning to introduce more CNG vehicles in its lineup which will further help the carmaker to meet its CAFE target.
In other news, Honda is expected to discontinue its diesel cars amid the upcoming real-driving emission norms. The diesel iteration of the Hyundai i20 hatchback could also be axed.
