Citroen has confirmed that it will be ditching diesel powertrains for its mass-market products in India. However, it should be noted that the company’s entry model, C5 Aircross will have a diesel option. The company attributes the decision to the high sales of petrol-powered vehicles stating that in the last decade the ratio of petrol cars to diesel car has changed from 55:45 to 75:25 and still rising.
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While not a lot is known about the India-spec C5 Aircross yet, we know that the car will be launched in the country in the first quarter of 2021. The car is expected to be priced from INR 30 lakh. In the domestic market, the car will go up against the likes of the VW Tiguan Allspace and Skoda Kodiaq. The car will be assembled in India and will be powered by the imported 2.0-litre diesel engine.
The company produces its 1.5-litre diesel engine at its facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Earlier speculations had suggested that the unit would find its way into all the cars in the company’s range. However, the most recent statement by the company suggests that this would not be betting on diesel engines for its mass-market products.
In addition to this, the company is also planning on introducing a new model that will rival the Hyundai Creta in the Indian market. The car is slated to be powered by the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol unit powering the rest of the Citroen models. This is slated to arrive not before 2022. Subsequently, this will also spawn premium hatchback and sedans.
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Citroen updates and other four-wheeler news.
[News Source - Autocar India]