Maruti has unveiled the CNG powertrain option on the S-Presso small car at the 2020 Auto Expo. Launch is expected to take place in the coming days.
With discontinuation of diesel engines on smaller cars, Maruti is now more focused on bringing in CNG-compliant petrol motors in its small-car portfolio. It already has vehicles like the Alto, Alto K10, Celerio, Eeco, WagonR and Ertiga which come along with a company-fitted CNG fuel setup. Now, at the ongoing 2020 Auto Expo, Maruti has unveiled the CNG variant of the S-Presso.
The CNG-powered S-Presso will draw power from a bi-fuel variant of Maruti’s K10B 1 litre engine. It is a BS 6 emission norms compliant naturally aspirated 3-cylinder petrol motor. It will be dishing out 59.14 PS when running on CNG and churning out 67.98 PS while consuming petrol. Transmission options will be limited to just the 5-speed Manual Transmission.
Maruti will be offering the S-Presso CNG in 4 trim options, namely LXi, LXi (O), VXi and VXi (O). The entry-level LXi trim will include ABS with EBD, speed alert system, AC, digital information display for the driver, reverse parking sensors, power steering and front-seatbelt reminders. Customers choosing the VXi trim will additionally get body-colored bumpers, full-wheel covers, gearshift-indicator, speed-sensitive door lock, remote keyless entry, accessory power socket, two-speaker audio system and central door locking.
The Optional grades, LXi (O) and VXi (O) will be offered with additional safety features. These safety features include a passenger-side airbag, front-seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters. The car hasn’t been tested by GNCAP or any other crash-testing body yet, so at the moment the safety rating of Maruti S-Presso isn’t available.
On the nomenclature front, it is to be noted that Maruti has started a new trend through which it adds the ‘S-CNG’ suffix in all of its CNG vehicles. Going by the past record, Maruti could name the CNG S-Presso as S-Presso S-CNG.
Launching CNG variants of its popular models has helped Maruti to attract customers looking for an economic and greener fuel. CNG variants of Wagon-R, Swift Dzire and Alto are commonly found in Metros and Tier 1 towns plying around as on-demand taxis, ferrying people from one corner to the other. Cheaper cost of operations of CNG is slowly making it a more tempting option for multiple customers who have CNG access in their cities.
