Ever since the first sub-4m sedan, the Indigo CS came out in late 2007, everyone went back to their drawing rooms. The Indigo ignited the fire and chose to take advantage of the new taxation rules. That the car tanked is a different topic altogether. However, it paved the way for many others to start developing their own version. Maruti Suzuki followed up quickly with the launch of the Swift Dzire in 2008. Thereafter others followed suit. At present, owing to the BS6 conditions, many a manufacturer has removed diesel engines from their sub-4m portfolio. This includes Maruti, Tata, Volkswagen and others. However, there still are a few diesel sub-4m sedans available right now. Here then is the list.
Honda Amaze
The Amaze was the first of existing sub-4m sedans to move to BS6. No drop in power or torque and the 1.5-litre engine still produces 98hp of power and 200Nm. It can either be optioned with a 5-speed manual or a CVT. For the latter, the power and torque have been dubbed down a bit – 78hp/160Nm. Mileage too is lower at 21kmpl while the manual boasts 24.7kmpl. The Honda Amaze diesel prices start from Rs 7.75 lakh for the manual while the CVT is priced starting at Rs 8.91 lakh, ex-Delhi.
Hyundai Aura
The Hyundai Aura in the BS6 era set the tone for a sub-4m diesel sedan. It was launched with the 1.2-litre diesel engine that makes 73hp power and 190Nm. Hyundai offers a choice of 5-speed MT or AMT with this engine. The claimed mileage is higher than that of the Amaze at 25.35kmpl for the manual and 25.4kmpl for the AMT. Hyundai has priced the Aura diesel well, with the asking price for the base version being Rs 7.73 lakh. The entry-level AMT version is for Rs 8.23 lakh, ex-showroom.
Ford Aspire
The Ford Aspire diesel thankfully too was converted to a BS6 unit. There is no loss in power or torque from this conversion process. The Ford Aspire’s 1.5-litre diesel engine produces 98hp power and 215Nm. Ford though only offers a manual transmission with the Aspire. 24.4kmpl is the claimed mileage number. Prices of the Ford Aspire diesel start from Rs 7.49 lakh, ex-showroom. At this point in time, the Aspire seems the most value-for-money product. However, the features offered by the Hyundai remain unmatched.
Well, that’s it. Only three diesel sedans in BS6 form available in India right now. In the future, we don’t see any new products in this segment with a diesel engine. There are offers on the Amaze right now. Offers for the other two haven’t yet been rolled out.