Update: Next-gen Scorpio to get a 160hp 2.0-litre diesel engine

As the month of March gets underway, there’s only a little over a year to go for the implementation of the Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms in India, which come into effect from April 1, 2020. Carmakers have already chalked out plans to phase out production of BS-IV engines much before the deadline, and most are working on upgrading engines to meet the more stringent emission norms. While manufacturers are yet to share details of their clean new engines, we can now confirm Mahindra is readying a new, BS-VI-compliant, 2.0-litre diesel engine that’ll power its next-gen SUVs.

Set to replace the current 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine, the new 2.0-litre diesel from Mahindra will be an all-aluminium unit that will be significantly lighter than the mHawk. Sources close to the company say the 2.0-litre diesel is a full 80kg lighter than the 2.2-litre mHawk, which powers the TUV300 Plus, Scorpio and XUV500.

Interestingly, the 2.0-litre diesel will be offered in three states of tune for use in different models. In the all-new Mahindra Thar (due to launch sometime in 2020), this engine will develop 140hp and over 300Nm of torque, a big jump in power terms over the existing model that makes 105hp and 247Nm from its 2.5-litre unit.

On the higher end, this 2.0-litre diesel will also be employed in the next-gen Mahindra XUV500 that’s set to launch towards the end of 2020. In the new XUV500, this engine will produce an impressive 185hp – an increase of 30hp over the current-gen XUV500. Expect a corresponding hike in torque as well, which is rated at 360Nm for the current-gen XUV500’s 2.2-litre mHawk engine. The 2.0-litre diesel mill will also be offered in a 160hp state of tune, which could potentially be used for the Mahindra Scorpio.

But the cleaner, more powerful engine will come at a cost. The high cost of upgrading diesels to meet BS-VI norms will make them considerably more expensive, so expect the new Thar and XUV500 – armed with the 2.0-litre diesel engine – to be notably pricier than their present-day counterparts.

As reported earlier, Mahindra’s new 2.0-litre diesel engine will also power its partner Ford’s version of the next-gen XUV500.