Yet another car will flaunt the magnificent Fiat MultiJet engine in India. Yes, we are talking about the Premier Rio, India’s first SUV for under 5 lakhs. As expected Premier has re-kindled its partnership with Fiat to source the Fiat MultiJet engine for the Rio and Rio+.
Under the agreement, Fiat will supply 28,000 engines to Premier for the next 3 years. The assembled diesel engines from Fiat’s Ranjangaon plant will be supplied to Premier’s factory at Chinchwad, Pune
The old Peugeot engine was an Achilles heel of the Rio. It lacked the punch and the refinement of a modern diesel engine. More importantly, it lacked BSIV compliance which made it unfit to be sold in metros – the Rio’s prime market. The petrol Rio was good but the rising fuel prices made sure it was a laggard in sales.
With the new diesel engine, Rio will get a bump in power from 64.8PS to a 76PS . It will also boost the fuel efficiency from 16 kmpl to 18 kmpl. Knowing that they have a winner in their hands, Premier is busy expanding their dealer network and sales and service network across the country to support the Rio. We have comprehensively covered Premier’s future activities over here.
Hopefully, Fiat engines will help boost Rio’s sales in the near future. Premier was supposed to launch the Rio Multijet in May, but it seems that the launch has been delayed to the festive season. The Multijet engine will give the Rio a fighting chance against onslaught of competition that is waiting at the doorstep of the Indian automotive scene.
Premier Rio Facelift Image Slideshow
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