Maruti Baleno CNG and XL6 CNG will take on the upcoming Altroz CNG, Glanza CNG and Carens CNG
Electric power seems to be the ultimate in future green mobility. Right now, with the infrastructure we have, it is CNGs that form the bridge between convenience and eco-friendly-ness. Helping CNG’s cause further is the ever-rising fuel prices. All these factors combined, CNG turns out to be a viable option for many. Maruti Suzuki is the absolute leader in this space. Followed by Hyundai and Tata Motors. Maruti Suzuki has added two more vehicles to its CNG lineup, Baleno and XL6.
India’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki has been riding the wave of CNG ever since this fuel was popularised. The company offers factory-fitted CNG variants with Swift, WagonR, Dzire, Alto 800, Alto K10, Ertiga, Celerio, Eeco, and S-Presso. Named S-CNG tech, this is the largest CNG portfolio currently offered in India.
Maruti Baleno & XL6 Get CNG Variants
Adding to this already vast portfolio are Baleno and XL6. With this move, Baleno has become the first premium hatchback and XL6 the first premium MPV to be launched with CNG option. All the variants don’t get S-CNG tech, though. In effect, S-CNG tech is now made available with Nexa dealership products which used to be only offered with Arena dealership products.
Baleno gets CNG only with Delta and Zeta MT variants and XL6 gets CNG only with Zeta variant. Baleno CNG prices are Rs 8.28 lakh and Rs 9.21 lakh (ex-sh) for Delta MT and Zeta MT variants respectively, while XL6 Zeta MT CNG is priced at Rs 12.24 lakh, ex-sh. In contrast, Ertiga gets CNG with 4 variants namely VXi, VXi (O), ZXi and ZXi (O).
Mr. Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said “Maruti Suzuki is committed to democratize green mobility solutions in India, and we believe offering a large bouquet of technologies to suit varied customer needs is the only approach to achieve mass adoption of environment friendly vehicles. CNG is one such technology known for emitting considerably lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional fuels; with its debut in NEXA l along with Smart Hybrid and Intelligent Electric Hybrid offerings, NEXA will provide an array of eco-friendly mobility solution options for our evolved eco-conscious customers.
Through market studies, we have learnt that the premium segment customer is actively looking for eco-friendly options without compromising on performance, technology, safety and driving experience. Baleno S-CNG and XL6 S-CNG have been developed keeping these uncompromising NEXA customers in mind. Baleno S-CNG will be the country’s one of the most powerful premium CNG hatchbacks, while XL6 S-CNG will be a premium CNG MPV.”
Specs & Features
Baleno is powered by a 1.2L K-series motor that generates 89 bhp of max power at 6,000 RPM and 113 Nm of peak torque at 4,400 RPM. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and AMT. With CNG, Baleno will have a power output of 57 kW at 6,000 rpm (~ 76 bhp). AMT is not on offer.
Powering XL6 is the same 1.5L K15C engine with DualJet and Dual VVT technology that also powers Ertiga on which XL6 is based. It makes 102 bhp of power at 6,000 RPM and 136.8 Nm of torque at 4,400 RPM. This engine gets either a 5-speed or the new 6-speed AT with paddle shifters. With CNG, the figures are 87 bhp and 121.5 Nm.
