Rising fuel cost and higher cost of ownership for petrol version cars have set people searching of better alternatives. The new line of diesel cars have been refined and are much powerful than what it had been in the past. Some of the renowned car-makers like Maruti Suzuki, Honda, Volkswagen and Hyundai have been successful with diesel engines in recent times.
Honda City has been in the country for a while, but this is the first time that the company has decided to launch a diesel version of its top-selling sedan. The car features a 1.5 litre –DTECH engine that powers the car with an output of 100 PS at 3600 rpm and 200 Nm of Torque at 1750 rpm. The car is mated with a 6-speed manual transmission engine. As per ARAI certification, the Honda City delivers an impressive mileage of 26 kmpl. The car is available in five manual transmission diesel variants like E, S, SV, V and VX. The new City is said to be based on “Exciting H” design philosophy that features smooth flowing curves through its sides. The sedan's front fascia is now bolder-looking with headlights flowing onto its sides.
Hyundai Verna too has been around for a while in the country. The new car comes with a complete overhaul featuring a bigger and sportier stance than before. The new car has been rechristened as the Verna Fluidic and is available in 1.4 litre amd 1.6 litre option. The 1.6-liter CRDi engine generates about 126bhp of maximum power and 259Nm of top torque. Cabin space in the Hyundai Verna Fluidic has an elegant and refreshing feel to it. On the exterior front the car features prominent curves that flow through the entire body. Hyundai Verna 1.4 liter delivers a fuel efficiency of 23.50kmpl, whereas the 1.6 litre diesel variant delivers 22.32kmpl
The car that shall steal the show for Maruti Suzuki would be the much awaited XA Alpha. The car is aimed to give the compact SUV segment that was ruled by International brands such as Ford, Hyundai and Toyota a tough competition. As per sources, the car shall be powered by a 1.5 litre diesel engine. It is also said that the diesel engine has been developed by Suzuki and the current line featuring Fiat's Multijet technology may be put to rest. For now, the car shall be available in diesel version, but a petrol version can be expected down the line. Reports also state that Suzuki is also developing a variety of engines, namely 0.8-litre, 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre, for WagonR, Ritz, Swift, and Ertiga to entice the audience. It is also worth noting that this would be the first SUV attempt from Maruti to venture into this segment.
