Maruti Suzuki has just launched the Dzire CNG, a car desperately missing from it’s CNG lineup. Prices start from 8.14L for the VXi with the ZXi costing 8.82L ex-showroom. Past generations of the Dzire have been sold in India, however they were commercial only in Tour S guise.
The Dzire CNG will also be available under Maruti’s subscription scheme, with monthly fees starting at Rs 16,999 (this includes vehicle registration, maintenance, insurance and road-side assistance).
The Dzire CNG will continue to be powered by the well known 1.2-litre K12M DualJet engine that powers the Dzire petrol.
The CNG version however, will be underpowered compared to its petrol sibling. Power figures are at 77hp and 98.5Nm of peak torque versus 90hp and 113Nm of the regular car. The CNG will also not be available with the AMT gearbox and will be a manual only.
The K12M motor is also shared with the new Baleno, Swift and the WagonR however the Dzire is the first car to debut with a CNG kit. Maruti claims a class-leading fuel efficiency figure of 31.12 km/kg with the Dzire CNG.
The exterior of the Dzire CNG will remain the same as it’s petrol sibling. The interior will follow suit as well, with identical styling and equipment lists. The Dzire CNG, however, gets dual interdependent ECUs, retuned suspension and an improved injection system for better air-fuel mixture in the engine. Safety, too, has been enhanced with new stainless steel pipes and joints to prevent leakage in the CNG structure and safety switches to cut off the engine while refueling.
The Dzire CNG is available in six colour options – white, silver, grey, blue, brown and red.
Competition Check: Maruti is the largest seller of CNG powered vehicles in India, however the Dzire’s rivals in the form of the Tata Tigor and Hyundai Aura have been on sale since a while now. The Dzire is a bit late to the segment, however it outshines the other two when it comes to efficiency.
The Dzire CNG is also the most expensive in this class as the Aura CNG is priced at Rs 7.74 lakh, while the Tigor CNG is priced between Rs 7.69 lakh-8.29 lakh, ex-showroom. The Swift would be the next car ideally to be launched with a CNG option as well. The Dzire petrol was the first to get the 1.2-litre K12M engine, followed by the Swift, and the same timeline can be expected to follow this time around as well.
Written by Aakash Kalro
