Maruti Suzuki, the country largest car manufacturer, has put its green plans on fast track. The company plans to roll out CNG compatible variants of its leading models across segments by mid-July. It is looking to introduce a CNG variant of its recently upgraded Wagon R hatchback within the next three months, which could be about Rs 70,000 costlier than the existing version.
"Maruti Suzuki is working on at least five models across different segments to launch the CNG variants, which will come as dual mode with petrol, and these will be launched during the next quarter," a source said.The move is a part of the company's plans to expand its portfolio of eco-friendly vehicles, which could see other models such as Alto, Eeco, Estilo and SX4 also powered by CNG fuel, industry sources said.The CNG versions of its models will be powered by i-GPI engine – a CNG system based on the K-series engine. The CNG variants will be priced 15-20 per cent above their petrol counterparts.Though CNG prices have seen an increase in recent times, the fuel is still pretty light on the pocket in comparison to petrol and diesel.Experts feel that this is the right time for Maruti to enter the CNG space as this is the segment where the future of the auto industry lies.
"These products are of high quality and there will be no compromise on safety standards. Most of the parts are imported from Europe, the US and Japan. There will be some cost to it." Sources, however, said that going by the specifications and performance of the CNG kit that Maruti Suzuki is fitting in the cars, these variants will be about Rs 70,000 more expensive.In April, the company had launched the new generation WagonR, priced between Rs 3.28 lakh and Rs 3.81 lakh. MSI currently offers dual fuel mode in its M800 and Omni models, which are available in LPG-cum-petrol variants also. Earlier, the WagonR was also available in an LPG variant, but the company stopped producing it after launching the new WagonR. It has so far sold over two lakh vehicles fitted with alternative fuel technology.Already the small car segment is cluttered with too many players which means a cleaner and more affordable vehicle platform could prove pivotal in sustaining the company's market position in future.
Source: ndtv.com
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