Hyundai i20 Diesel Bidding Goodbye?

The implementation of BS 6 two years ago i.e., on April 1^st, 2020 disrupted the Indian auto industry where more and more automakers ditched the diesel variants of their existing cars and shifted towards petrol-only models for their entire line-up. Now, some brands are even exploring other options like hybrid and electric power. But not all diesel engines got dumped, as manufacturers like Hyundai, Mahindra, Tata, and Honda decided to make their engines meet the emission standards set by the government and capture the diesel market.

Why?

Although now, there’s another set of norms that will affect mostly the smaller diesel or the ones offered in hatchbacks like the Hyundai i20, which will be losing their diesel powertrains thanks to the RDE (Real Driving Emissions) or BS6 B emission norms. The RDE norms, set to be implemented in April next year, are more stringent as they measure emissions given out by an engine in the real world. This would either require manufacturers to make an expensive upgrade to their diesel motors in order to meet the norms or completely phase out the engine. And in the case of small cars or small-capacity diesel engines, it just would not make financial sense for the consumers to shell out the additional money for the diesel variants.

In order to achieve the reduced emission levels, Hyundai will have to equip its diesel-powered cars with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) units which will mix a water-urea solution called ‘Ad-Blue’ into a catalytic reactor to clean up the engine’s emissions, making them almost as clean as a petrol car. But this will make the cars more expensive, not to mention the decreased fuel efficiency.

Current i20 Diesel

Talking of the Hyundai i20, it is currently one of the remaining diesel hatchbacks that are on sale in the country, after the discontinuation of the VW Polo & Maruti Baleno. The i20 diesel comes with a 1.5L, 4-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that puts out 100 PS of peak power and 250 Nm of max torque. Moreover, it comes equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission. This same powertrain is also used on the Hyundai Venue, Verna, Creta, Alcazar and Tucson, but in a higher state of tune. Although, the Korean manufacturer plans to keep the engine running in all the rest of its models.

Interestingly, the diesel variants only contributed to about 10% of the premium hatchback’s sales i.e., roughly 700 units a month. This means that it helps the company to focus on the other diesel SUVs like the Venue which contributes to around 35% of sales and Creta which bags more than 60% of sales. In a similar fashion, the Nios and Aura diesel also got sacked as they came with an even smaller 1.2-liter, three-cylinder diesel engine that wasn’t used by any other model, so it’s quite understandable why Hyundai would pull the plug.