Mahindra To Pull The Plug On The KUV100 NXT Diesel

With the mandatory implementation of the BSVI emission norms fast approaching, many carmakers have been contemplating the future of small diesel-powered vehicles in its lineups. Last month, Maruti Suzuki announced its plan to phase out all its small diesel cars from the production line ahead of April 1, 2020. This month, Tata Motors followed suit by revealing that its 1.2-litre diesel engine will be discontinued from its entire lineup. Next in line is Mahindra & Mahindra, which has decided to discontinue its own 1.2-litre diesel unit found on the  KUV100 NXT.

Mahindra will discard the diesel engine on the KUV100 NXT's lineup before the BSVI's rollout in India.

However, the 1.2-litre diesel engine turbocharged mFalcon D75 three-cylinder engine that is mounted under the KUV100 NXT’s bonnet will be the only engine option to be affected by Mahindra’s decision.  The unit makes 78bhp and 190 Nm of torque. Currently, apart from the 1.2-litre diesel, Mahindra offers a 1.5-litre, a 2.0-litre and a 2.2-litre diesel unit for its passenger cars range and these engines will continue to be sold. The KUV100 NXT also gets a 1.2-litre mFalcon G80 naturally-aspirated three-cylinder petrol engine which will continue to do duty. This engine, on the other hand, is good for 82bhp and 115Nm of torque.

High BSVI upgrade cost and the poor sales volume are key points that affected Mahindra's decision to discontinue the motor

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Due to the fact that the BSVI upgrade for an engine is extremely expensive for diesel engine that size, pushed the decision in favour of discontinuation. The 1.2-litre mFalcon D75 is only offered on the KUV100 NXT and wasn't quite a success story anyway. Therefore, the discontinuation of the engine actually turned out to be the more practical choice for Mahindra. However, now that the company’s product lineup is largely dominated by diesel models, Mahindra is searching for a more effective alternative. This could effectively be the perfect timing for the introduction of a new petrol engine for its model range.

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