Maruti Suzuki Celerio diesel launch on June 3

Maruti will soon launch an all-new engine, an 800cc, 3-cylinder turbocharged diesel which will make close to 60PS of peak power and 125Nm of peak torque and will power the Celerio hatchback. The engine, a scratchbuilt motor made in-house and not a cut version of the 4-cylinder diesel that powers the Swift, will eventually go on to be one of the most popular engines in the country when it is placed into cars like the Maruti Suzuki Alto and the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R.

According to Maruti Suzuki dealers in Mumbai, the Celerio diesel will cost only marginally more than the petrol version. The diesel Celerio will initially be available only with a manual gearbox but will eventually also be offered with an AMT automatic gearbox that will make the Celerio the cheapest automatic diesel powered car in the country.

According to an insider source, the Celerio will come with a new DDiS125 badge indicating the 125Nm of torque that the engine makes. The new car will go up against the likes of the Chevrolet Beat diesel and the Hyundai Grand i10 diesel, both of which are more powerful on paper than the Celerio diesel will be. Expect the Celerio diesel to be priced at about Rs 5 lakh and to have long waiting periods when it does make its way to dealerships.