Automakers have long left exciting powertrains offered by competitors missing from their lineups
Maruti has uncovered its Baleno-based crossover, the Fronx, at the 2023 Auto Expo. One of the key highlights of the Fronx is the reintroduction of the 1-liter BoosterJet turbo petrol engine option last seen on the Baleno RS several years ago. It’s a detuned, turbocharged petrol engine, yet not completely packed with performance, but it’s a promising start and Maruti’s lineup would benefit from the long-awaited introduction of turbocharged petrol engines to the entire lineup. There is a possibility.
odd one out
Grand Vitara hybrid powertrain
Turbocharged gasoline engines have become very common in most premium compact products in recent years. and does not offer the advantages of a more powerful and smaller engine. Instead, the brand offers his two petrol engines across his 12 models. Hatchback and Dzire share a 1.2-liter petrol unit, while other models he shares a 1.5-liter petrol engine. Even the powerful hybrid powertrain newly introduced in the Grand Vitara offers less than 120PS of performance.
In addition, brands such as Mahindra, Kia and MG have also introduced powerful turbocharged engines that outperform Maruti’s rivals in almost every category. Even Nissan and Lunaul have a choice of 100PS turbo petrol engines for their subcompact SUVs.
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Maruti’s previous turbocharger products
Fronx’s 1-liter Boosterjet engine is a familiar sight in the Indian market. Unveiled as a sportier Baleno RS powertrain, it developed 102PS and 150Nm and was only available with a 5-speed manual. But it entered the premium hatchback space too late and too little. Still, the likes of the Volkswagen Polo and Fiat Punto Abarth delivered 105PS/175Nm and 145PS/212Nm respectively, and the Baleno RS was overwhelmed. The Polo GT TSI also had the advantage of a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. So, in just three short years, we have the BoosterJet engine and the Baleno RS.
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How Multi does it right with a turbo petrol engine
Maruti reintroduced the option for turbo petrol engines shortly before new emissions regulations came into force, and believes automakers deserve to add these types of engines to their lineups. But the market is evolving and his 1-liter boosterjet unit at 100PS isn’t enough to beat the competition. Instead, Maruti should bring Suzuki’s 1.4-liter BoosterJet unit to India as an option on models like the new Grand Vitara and XL6.
This engine is rated at 140PS and 220Nm on the world market and is better suited for the job. In addition, it will also realize a multi-model equivalent to rivals of Hyundai and Kia equipped with a 140PS engine.
What multi-model do you need most?
We feel the Grand Vitara desperately needs an exciting powertrain option. A premium product beloved for its efficient and powerful hybrid powertrain, but clearly underpowered in its segment. In a real-world performance test, it took him a painful 15.24 seconds to accelerate the 103PS Grand Vitara from 0 to 100kmph. Meanwhile, the turbo petrol versions of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos did the same in less than 9.5 seconds. Even his 1-liter turbo petrol versions of the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun are faster than the Grand Vitara.
Where does the current turbo unit make sense?
Fronx is a multi-model that revived the turbo gasoline engine. Even tapping 100PS and 148Nm from the updated 1-liter BoosterJet unit falls short when compared to other turbocharged subcompact offerings like the Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonnet, which offer 120PS. However, positioning a model like the Swift as a hot his hatch in the Indian market, and making the price more affordable than his Rs 9.5 million (before showroom) Grand i10 Nios Turbo is much more attractive.
Multi offers a 1-liter Boosterjet engine with a choice of 5-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmissions. The latter is more sophisticated than what Mahindra and Tata rivals offer, but the Hyundai and Kia’s turbo petrol engines are available with dual-clutch automatics.
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Do you also feel that there is no turbo petrol engine in the Multi lineup? Let us know in the comments which Multi model you would like to see equipped with a more powerful turbo petrol engine.