Hyundai i20 Diesel Variants to be Removed Soon

According to news reports coming in, Hyundai cars is expected to axe diesel engine models on the i20 hatchback from the start of April 2023. One of the major reasons being cited for this move is the stricter Real Driving Emission or RDE that will come into force from April 1, 2023. This means that a number of cars or their specific variants will not be upgraded to the new emission norms due to the high costs involved to do so.

Diesel makes up just 10 per cent of Hyundai i20 sales

The new-generation Hyundai i20 that was launched in 2020 is currently available with 2 petrol engine and 1 diesel engine option. However, the diesel accounts for roughly 10% of the hatchbacks sales currently. This is a far cry from 2015 when diesel and petrol variants of the i20 had an even 50:50 split in sales.

Upgrading diesel engines to meet RDE norms is expensive

The new RDE norms mean even stricter emission regulations than before. Coming into effect in April 2023, many existing powertrains and mostly small-capacity diesels, will have to be upgraded to meet the new norms. All diesels will have to shift to the more expensive selective catalytic reduction (SCR) method of emission control.

Until now, small-capacity diesels that emitted lower pollutants could get away with the much cheaper and simpler Lean NOx Trap (LNT) system to comply with existing emission norms. On the other hand, diesel powertrains that are upwards of 2.0-litres have already moved to the SCR method to meet the 2020 BS6 norms. They are differentiated by the AdBlue filter next to the fuel filler cap.

For Hyundai, adding the SCR system to their 1.5-litre diesel will markedly increase the costs and further increase the price gap to the petrol variants. With the i20 diesel already not pulling in the big numbers, it's no surprise that it will be getting the axe. However, Hyundai and its sister brand Kia will be upgrading the powertrain to meet the new norms as it is used by their SUVs, a segment which has a considerable demand for diesel variants.
Other manufacturers like the VW group, Maruti Suzuki and Renault-Nissan have long ditched diesels since BS6 norms came into effect. While other brands like Honda will be losing their oil-burning powertrains due to RDE, Hyundai wants to keep them in the line-up due to their strong fan base.

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