Suzuki developing all-new 1.5-litre diesel for a new SUV
1 min read . Updated: 13 Dec 2013, 04:36 PM IST Suzuki is developing an all-new diesel engine family that will power a wide range of vehicles, which will include a small pick-up truck, hatchbacks, saloons as well as SUVs.Suzuki is developing an all-new diesel engine family that will power a wide range of vehicles, which will include a small pick-up truck, hatchbacks, saloons as well as SUVs.
This will be Suzuki's first attempt at developing a diesel engine on its own. The company currently relies on Fiat for diesel technology, but moving forward; the Japanese car maker doesn't want to be dependent on another manufacturer and is keen to have its own proprietary diesel technology.
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Suzuki's first diesel engine will be an 800cc, two-cylinder diesel for the Y9T pick-up, which is expected to be launched in early 2015. Developing a diesel engine for the first time will not be easy and Suzuki will wisely test its first diesel engine in a commercial vehicle, where customer expectation is not as high as in passenger car segment. This same engine will be further refined to power a range of hatchbacks. Suzuki is hoping to climb the learning curve quickly before offering its diesel in passenger cars.
The next big leap will be a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine, which will essentially be derived by joining two of the 800cc, two-cylinder diesels. Mathematically, this would result in a 1.6-litre four-cylinder motor, but it will be downsized to below 1.5 litres for the obvious tax benefits that can be gained.
This 1.5-litre diesel is expected to first power a designed-for-India compact SUV which is expected in early 2016. This engine could also power future generations of bigger hatchs and saloons.
