The BS4 deadline was recently extended but on a conditional basis

BS6 emission standards were supposed to come into effect on 1 April 2020 but the ongoing lockdown protocol has caused the deadline to be extended conditionally. COVID-19 lockdown came at the same time when dealerships of all vehicle categories were struggling to clear off their leftover BS4 stock at substantial discounts. Now, many dealers are left on the verge of going out of business forever.

Since the process of updating an engine (especially a diesel) to higher emission specifications require a considerable amount of investment and re-engineering, many poor sellers on the market will not be receiving the update. In no particular order, here are 15 cars, crossovers and SUVs that will be discontinued for the BS6 era:

Maruti Suzuki Diesel Cars

It is not news that Maruti Suzuki has opted the petrol way going forward. For almost all its products, the company has opted a BS6 1.5-litre K-Series petrol engine with or without SHVS mild-hybrid technology. In some models, DualJet technology is employed as well. The tried and tested 1.3-litre diesel motor, borrowed from FCA Group, has been discontinued.

Fiat Grande Punto and Avventura

By 2019, FCA had removed the Fiat brand in India to concentrate more on Jeep. However, Fiat/Abarth/Jeep dealerships still have some leftover stock. The Fiat Grande Punto was introduced in 2009 and initially, it did decently in terms of sales. Fiat also launched the Punto-based Avventura crossover at a later stage. Needless to say, sales have been poor.

Fiat Linea

Launched in India in 2009, the Fiat Linea sedan was powered by a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine that offered 88bhp power and 200Nm while mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Alongside it, the company has decided to phase out the Fiat Punto, Punto Abarth and Avventura models as well. FCA India has also stopped the supply of the BS4 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine to automakers such as Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and General Motors.

Honda BR-V

The Honda BR-V crossover was launched in May 2016 but sales were not upto expectations. Powertrain options included a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol motor and a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine which made 117bhp/145Nm and 99bhp/200Nm, respectively. The BR-V was essentially a bigger version of the old Honda Mobilio (based on the Brio hatchback).

Honda Accord Hybrid

The Honda Accord Hybrid was a CBU product offered at an unreasonable price tag of Rs 37 lakh ex-showroom. Compared to its direct rival, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the sedan was quite outdated as well. It came with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine mated to dual electric motors offering a combined output of 215 bhp and 315 Nm. 

Mitsubishi Outlander and Pajero Sport

Both SUVs from Mitsubishi India were BS4 CBU models. The company had requested the government to extend the BS6 deadline but have now decided to pull its models out from production. The Pajero was a conventional diesel SUV while the Outlander was powered by a petrol engine. The company website currently shows no cars, dealers or service centres.

Nissan Micra and Micra Active

Nissan’s Micra hatchback was introduced in 2010 with BS4-compliant petrol and diesel engines. The 1.2-litre petrol unit made 76bhp and 104Nm while the 1.5-litre diesel was good for just 63bhp and 160Nm. The Nissan Micra Active was launched later with just the petrol engine. With time, the competition became stronger and the cars hardly sold.

Nissan Terrano

The Nissan Terrano compact SUV was offered with a 1.5-litre diesel as well as a 1.6-litre petrol unit. The petrol unit made 103bhp and 148Nm while the diesel made came in two states of tune: 84bhp/200Nm and 108bhp/245Nm. Nissan India has introduced the Kicks as its premium alternative and eventual replacement.

Renault Lodgy

The Renault Lodgy MPV, launched in India in 2015, received some updates over the years but sales figures failed to meet expectations. In FY2020, just 352 units of the Lodgy were sold. It came with a 1.5-litre diesel motor. The MPV was quickly overshadowed by the Toyota Innova Crysta and sales became really poor to justify a BS6 update.

Skoda Octavia

The 2017 Skoda Octavia was offered in petrol and diesel engine variants but the model is still in its BS4 avatar. The next-gen Octavia has been unveiled globally and it will eventually come to India. For now, the company has introduced the Octavia RS 245. It is powered by a BS6 2.0-litre TSi motor that produces 242bhp and 370Nm while mated to a 7-speed DSG.

Tata Zest and Bolt

The Zest compact sedan and Bolt hatchback were the first cars from Tata Motors to feature its new Impact design philosophy. With rising competition, Tata Motors introduced the improved Tiago and Tigor and sold them alongside the Bolt and Zest. The former two have been updated to BS6 but the latter two will be phased out in their BS4 format.

Tata Safari

The Tata Safari has been around for 20 years. Originally launched in 1998, the last major update was in 2012 when it got a new name, ‘Tata Safari Storme’. The model is now outdated and monthly sales have virtually hit zero. Tata Motors might update the Hexa to BS6 norms while readying to launch the Gravitas.

Toyota Etios, Etios Liva and Etios Cross

The Toyota Etios sedan was launched in December 2010 while the Liva hatchback and Etios Cross came in June 2011 and May 2014, respectively. The three models received several updates over time but the competition was too strong for them to click on the market. With the JV with Maruti Suzuki, Toyota might introduce some rebadged cars such as the Toyota Glanza.

Toyota Corolla Altis

At one time, the Toyota Corolla Altis was one of the consistent performers in the mid-size sedan segment. It was introduced in 2016 and received a mid-life update in 2017 but eventually fell down in sales due to tough competition. The decision to axe the Corolla Altis and Etios range came along with the discontinuation of the CBU Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado and Prius.

Volkswagen Ameo

Volkswagen’s India-focused sub-four-metre sedan was launched in 2016 in a bid to close the gap between the Polo and Vento. However, sales never really went well and the growing number of rivals eventually led to its demise. Volkswagen had tried introducing various special editions of the compact sedan but couldn’t see much success.