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Top BS4 cars you missed buying – Maruti Brezza Diesel to Ford Endeavour 3.2

In no particular order, we list out some phased-out BS4 cars you should have considered buying when the time was right

BS6 emission norms were supposed to come into effect from April 2020 but India’s COVID-19 crisis and the lockdown protocols it brought about, made FADA (Federation of Automotive Dealers Associations) approach the Supreme Court for a deadline extension. However, the apex court issued only a conditional extension of 10 days under which dealerships were allowed to sell just 10% of their BS4 stock.

Needless to say, this did not do much help and several dealerships were on the verge of going out of business until their parent OEMs stepped in with financial support. As India reaches its fourth stage of COVID-19 control measures, production facilities, dealerships and service touchpoints in green and orange zones have reopened. Automakers are gradually making a recovery from an all-time low in sales through their newly formed online platforms.

In the process of shifting to stringent BS6 emission norms, the Indian automotive market has bid adieu to some good cars, especially diesel models. In no particular order, here are some cars (alongside rough ex-showroom starting prices) which you should have considered buying before the deadline:

Toyota Innova Crysta 2.8D (~ Rs 23 lakh)

Toyota Innova Crysta 2.8 diesel
Toyota Innova Crysta 2.8D

Toyota Kirloskar Motor sells its popular Innova Crysta in two BS6 formats: 2.4-litre diesel and 2.7-litre petrol. Although illogically expensive like most modern-day Toyota products, the old BS4 2.8-litre diesel variant was quite a performer for its size. It made 172bhp and 360Nm of torque while mated to a 6-speed TC automatic.

Ford Endeavour 3.2 TDCi (~ Rs 34 lakh)

Ford Endeavour 3.2 TDCi
Ford Endeavour 3.2 TDCi

While the facelifted Ford Endeavour 2.0 TDCi is a decent upgrade for the old 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine (158bhp/385Nm), enthusiasts will miss the higher-spec five-cylinder 3.2-litre diesel motor that churned out 197bhp and 470Nm of torque. In AWD format, it came with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Renault Duster AWD (~ Rs 14 lakh)

Renault Duster AWD
Renault Duster AWD

The proven 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine was discontinued ahead of BS6 across Renault and Nissan products. In the higher 110PS format, the engine powered the Renault Duster AWD (and Nissan Terrano AWD); a capable and underrated product in the entry-level mid-size crossover segment. It made roughly 108bhp and 245Nm while mated to a 6-speed manual.

Honda City 1.5 i-DTEC (~ Rs 10 lakh)

Honda City 1.5 i-DTEC
Honda City 1.5 i-DTEC

Honda Car India was relatively late to the diesel market. While the first-gen Honda Amaze was the first diesel car from the Japanese brand, the fourth-gen 1.5 i-DTEC Honda City was the more popular diesel product. It made 98bhp and 200Nm of torque. The 2020MY fifth-gen City will debut only in a petrol format but Honda Car India might introduce a diesel variant at a later stage.

Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC (~ Rs 21 lakh)

Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC
Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC

The Honda Civic has always been about its petrol engine but in its second avatar for the Indian market, the diesel engine proved to be a much more practical option. Plus, it packed adequate performance. Mated to a 6-speed manual, the 1.6-litre diesel engine was good for 118bhp and 300Nm.

Volkswagen Polo GT 1.2 TSI (~Rs 10 lakh)

Volkswagen Polo GT 1.2 TSI
Volkswagen Polo GT 1.2 TSI

At Skoda Auto Volkswagen India’s entry-level BS6 portfolio, the Volkswagen Polo (and Vento) has received a new 110bhp/175Nm 1.0-litre four-cylinder TSI turbo petrol motor in place of the old 103bhp/175Nm 1.2 TSI. Though the bhp count is more in the 1.0 TSI, Volkswagen has replaced the old 7-speed DSG (DCT) with a 6-speed torque-converter automatic. The DSG unit made the old Polo GT quite a desirable car to own.

Hyundai Verna 1.6 CRDi (~Rs 11 lakh)

Hyundai Verna 1.6 CRDi
Hyundai Verna 1.6 CRDi

Popular BS6 diesel products from Hyundai Motor India and Kia Motors India employ a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine. This includes the facelifted 2020MY Hyundai Verna as well. The City-rival’s old and higher BS4 1.6-litre diesel engine produced a healthy 126bhp and 260Nm of torque while mated to a 6-speed manual.

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz 1.5 DDiS (~Rs 10 lakh)

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz 1.5 DDiS
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz 1.5 DDiS

Maruti Suzuki has also chosen a petrol-only product line for BS6. Diesel models had substantially contributed to the Indian automaker’s monthly sales figures and some of them were decent performers as well. One such example was the old 6-speed Ciaz 1.5 DDiS 225; an underappreciated sedan with 94bhp and 225Nm.

Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI (~Rs 10 lakh)

Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI
Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI

Like the Honda City i-DTEC, the Skoda Rapid TDI (and Volkswagen Vento TDI) was also a desirable diesel sedan in the segment. In its life, it was available in a range of special editions such as Onyx and Monte Carlo, that ticked a few extra boxes in terms of features. The 1.5-litre BS4 diesel motor made almost 109bhp and 250Nm while coupled to either a 5-speed manual or 7-speed DSG.

Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI (~Rs 18 lakh)

Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI
Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI

To a good extent, higher variants of the diesel-powered Skoda Octavia served as an affordable alternative to the popular Germans’ entry-level offerings; if one did not have the budget for a Superb. The 2.0-litre TDI four-cylinder diesel motor came in a range of products under Volkswagen Group. In the Octavia, it was tuned to produce 143bhp and 320Nm of torque.

Maruti Brezza Diesel (~Rs 11 lakh)

Toyota Brezza Urban Cruiser
Image for reference. Credit – DH Customs.

India’s best selling SUV for many years, Maruti Brezza is no longer available with a diesel engine. Ever since its launch in 2016, Brezza was only offered with a diesel engine, which was in fact Fiat sourced 1.3 liter MultiJet. Together with this gem of an engine and a feature loaded car, buyers found Brezza to be a very good buy, which was low on maintenance and high on mileage. With the Brezza diesel no longer on sale, it is surely one of the BS4 cars that will be missed by buyers.

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