After months of contemplation, Renault has decided to part ways with the diesel engines in India, says a new ETAuto report.
Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO & MD, Renault India Operations, has told the source publication that the company has decided to phase out its the 1.5L K9K engine, the only diesel engine it offers. This unit is available in the Duster, Lodgy and the Captur. Hence, the absence of this engine is bound to have a notable effect on the sales of Renault models.
On being asked about the consequence of having no diesel engine in the future, Mamillapalle said that "50% of sales volume was contributed from the Duster diesel engine range of cars. "In future it will be petrol Duster only", he added.
Nissan too may bare similar aftereffects since the same K9K diesel engine is also seen in the Micra, Sunny, Terrano and the newly launched Kicks.
By March 2020, Renault will discontinue the Lodgy as neither upgrading its diesel engine nor offering it with a petrol engine is feasible.
"It is not the question that we want to end it... We don't want to get into diesel, so Lodgy ends there. We are not going to renovate. All (future launches) will be gasoline, including (premium SUV) Captur", he said.
Also Read: Renault Triber exports commence, first batch shipped to South Africa
Renault will start rolling out the BS-VI petrol engines in the middle or end of January 2020. In other updates, the company is developing a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine for the Triber and the upcoming sub-4 metre SUV (codename: HBC).
[Source: ETAuto]
