Amidst a slew of new launches from Maruti Suzuki this year, its first is going to be a CNG-powered car. As per our dealer sources, Maruti Suzuki is gearing up for the launch of the Celerio CNG in the second half of January. Maruti Suzuki dealers have also started taking unofficial bookings for the Celerio CNG.
Maruti Suzuki is the largest producer of CNG-powered vehicles in the country, and while they already have quite an expansive CNG model line-up, the carmaker is set to expand that portfolio even further.
- Maruti Suzuki Celerio CNG will be powered by a 1.0-litre K10C engine
- Expected to return more than 30km/kg fuel efficiency
- Other models like Brezza, Baleno and Ciaz could also be offered in CNG-spec in the future
Maruti Suzuki Celerio CNG: what to expect?
The second-gen Celerio was launched in November, and, at that time, the company had already indicated that a CNG variant will be following soon. The previous generation of the hatchback was also offered with a factory-fitted CNG kit, so it was only a matter of time before it was rolled out on the new model as well.
The new Celerio is powered by Maruti Suzuki’s 1.0-litre K10C DualJet engine. In petrol guise, this engine produces 67hp and 89Nm of torque. Thanks to this new K10C engine, with two fuel injectors per cylinder, high compression ratio and high thermal efficiency, the Celerio currently has the bragging rights of being the most efficient petrol car in the country. It has an ARAI-certified fuel economy of 26.68kpl for the AMT variants and 25.24kpl for the manual versions.
As the same engine will also be offered on the CNG-spec Celerio, it could very well become the most efficient CNG-powered vehicle in the country. This will be the first instance of a CNG kit being fitted to the K10C engine and CV Raman, chief technology officer, MSIL, had previously said in an interview, “There are no challenges as such to integrate CNG in the new engine with two injectors per cylinder. It will be seamlessly integrated on the new Celerio.”
For reference, the first-gen Celerio CNG, with the previous iteration of the K10 engine, already returned a fuel economy of 30.47km/kg (ARAI-certified). Given all the advances on this new K10C engine, one can expect even better fuel efficiency on the new Celerio CNG.
Although the exact specs of the CNG-powered Celerio are not known yet, expect a drop in output figures from the petrol iteration. The Celerio CNG is, however, expected to use similar tech as the WagonR CNG. We do not expect any other notable changes on the Celerio CNG in terms of design or interiors. The equipment list will depend on which trims Maruti offers the CNG-kit on, which we will know closer to launch. Expect a slight step-up in prices as well, although running costs will be significantly lesser.
When launched, the Celerio CNG will see competition from the likes of the Hyundai Santro CNG and the soon-to-be launched Tata Tiago CNG.
Other upcoming Maruti Suzuki launches in 2022
Following the Celerio CNG, Maruti Suzuki’s next big launch this year will be the new Baleno that’s slated for launch in February with a comprehensive makeover. Then, there would be an equally comprehensive makeover for the Vitara Brezza, expected to launch by the middle of this year. Maruti Suzuki also has updates lined up for the XL6 and Ertiga MPVs. Additionally, Maruti’s bread-and-butter model – the Alto – is expected to finally see an all-new generation, with a launch expected by the year end.
Are you looking forward to Maruti launching the Celerio CNG? Let us know in the comments below.
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