Renault Captur

S4 D / 1.598 cc / 160 PS / 280 ft/lb (380 Nm) @ 1.750 / twin turbo /0 - 62 mph (100 km/h): 8,0 s / Vmax: 130 mph (210 km/h)

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Chevrolet to plonk in a diesel engine in the Spark

Chevrolet has officially announced that the company will launch a diesel variant of the Beat very soon. Powered by a three cylinder version of the fabled 1.3 Fiat multijet engine, the new powerplant will be ultra-efficient. However, that�s not the end of the story when it comes to diesel powered Chevy small cars in India. The company wants to get super aggressive in the small car segment and will power its entry level Spark with the new diesel engine as well. The move will make the Spark the most economical and fuel efficient cars in the country to own and run. The Spark is an accomplished car, and a diesel engine will make it a fabulous option for value seekers in the small car segment.

Apart from putting in a diesel engine in the car, the American company also plans to put an 800cc petrol mill into the bonnet and position the car bang opposite the hot selling Alto. Even if Chevrolet manages to steal a small percentage of the Alto�s sales, it would be doing incredible volumes.

Company�s marketing head, P Balendran, told Wheelsunplugged in an interview that the company plans to launch six new models, and 14 fuel variants in the next two years. Of these, three will be from the Chinese SAIC stable. The company plans a new compact car, one sedan and a new version of the Captiva. A pickup van, a small SUV and an MUV are also on the cards.

Maruti Suzuki SX4 diesel spy pictures

The one reason why the SX4 is not as successful in India as it should have been is that it doesn�t come with a diesel option. It is no secret that the company is plonking in the 1.3 litre Fiat sourced diesel engine into the car with 90PS and 200Nm of torque. However, the pictures of the diesel car hitting the interweb is definitely news.

ACI has managed to scoop the pictures of the new car parked at one of the dealerships. This means that the car is on schedule for its mid-February launch. Good thing is that unlike the Swift and Dzire, Maruti Suzuki is not going to bereave the SX4 diesel from the top of the line ZDi variant. Its notable that the Swift and Dzire are not available in ZDi trim, and can be bought only in the VDi trim-level.

Maruti Suzuki is saying that their car will better the Manza and Linea which run the same engine in terms of both performance and fuel efficiency. The car will be cheaper than the Vento by a substantial margin. Expect a price increase of around Rs 70,000 over the petrol version.

Chevrolet Beat diesel coming in a few weeks� time

During the launch of the new �Smartech� engine for the Beat, the GM India management made quite a few announcements. One of the important announcements made during the event was about the diesel Beat. We have been expecting the car for quite some time now, and think of it as a very important launch. Reason being, the Beat, even today is the cheapest premium hatch available, undercutting its rivals significantly on the price front. We honestly believe that the
Beat diesel may just turn out to be the game changer for Chevrolet.

We have a feeling that the blokes at GM India are going to price it aggressively, and if that happens, the Beat will present itself as a diesel option for the price at which some of its petrol rivals sell. And no one would mind an efficient diesel in today�s times of soaring fuel prices.
Answering a question about his satisfaction with the Beat�s sales during the engine launch, Karl Slym, GM India�s President and MD said �I wish there was a diesel engine in the Beat. We have been developing a diesel engine specifically for India. I am happy with the petrol version�s sales.� He also said very unequivocal that �the diesel engine is just a few weeks away�.

Having heard it from the horse�s mouth, we are sure it�s coming soon now. And we�re already rubbing our hands in anticipation as the Beat with a fuel efficient diesel would really make for a terrific VFM buy.