The Good D!

Small-capacity diesel engines are the lost gem for the future generation. This blog tells my experience as a consumer looking for a diesel hatchback.

The Good D!

God blessed us, humans, with a gift that we all let go of. Earlier, someone with a 10 lakh budget had a plethora of choices to choose a car that fits his usage, but now we all have to settle down with either a turbo petrol or a CNG. Buying a CNG is not profitable in Tamil Nadu, as we don’t have many CNG stations in our city compared to Maharashtra. So the obvious choice is a petrol car. Petrol cars are refined and easy to maintain, but what if you are someone who does 1000+ km a month? With the rising fuel prices and low fuel-efficiency figures from petrol engines, your running costs will make you sell your car and consider riding a scooter every day.

 Earlier in the day, we had small-capacity diesel engines that consistently offered good fuel efficiency figures. There were many choices to pick as your daily driver under 10 lakhs. We had many options to pick a frugal 1.3 MJD to the powerful 1.5 TDI's. But now, there is only one diesel hatch on sale, the Tata Altroz.

My family was in the market to get a small hatchback under 10 lakhs, and the Tata Altroz was directly rejected after listening to mostly bad ownership experiences. My only option was to settle for Na petrol or turbo petrol. I can’t afford to run a car with 10 or 12 KMPL, so I did what an intelligent person would: look in the used car market! As a typical Indian middle-class guy, my mind straight went to the swift. A 2013 example with 70k km was selling for 5.8 lakhs after negotiating; this shows how much people love these small-capacity diesel engines.

How did we start loving diesel engines? Because of Suzuki! Suzuki launched the Swift with the 1.3l ddis engine, a re-engineered 1.3mjd sourced from Fiat, and it was an instant hit! Maruti Suzuki plonked the 1.3 into every car they could fit it into. Then Fiat came into India with the 1.3 MJD Punto and Linea; Tata came up with the Indica Vista with again the same 1.3 MJD; VW came in with their 1.2-litre 3-cylinder diesel engine and later replaced it with their 1.6 and 1.5 TDI; Ford bought in their 1.4 and later the 1.5 diesel engines; Nissan and Renault came with the 1.5 diesel. buyers were spoilt for choices as there were lots of options to choose from.

Another key point for diesel car buyers was the price difference between petrol and diesel. Diesel costs less and gives more mileage in return! It was a big win for customers and the manufacturers. Many tuning companies started selling remaps and tuning boxes for diesels as they were equipped with turbos, which meant they could easily extract more horsepower and torque with just an ECU flash while still not affecting fuel efficiency like you have a cake and can-eat it too.

All good things come to an end, as they say. It was around 2020 when manufacturers started discontinuing their small diesel engines due to the BS6 emission norms kicking in. Maruti, who sold more diesel cars in India, flipped and ran campaigns telling people petrol cars are more value for money than diesel cars with their “Calculate kiya kya” campaign. While Suzuki flipped, Hyundai, Honda, and Tata offered their updated diesel engines. Times went by, and Honda had to stop the 1.5 diesel engine, and Hyundai removed the diesel motor from the i20, leaving consumers with only one option: the Tata Altroz. 

Image Credits : TATA Motors

 I am sad and happy at the same time as we are the last generation to enjoy these small diesel hatchbacks because every new hatch nowadays is either a petrol or a CNG. The torque rush from these cars is 30% of what a diesel offers. Here are my picks for great diesel hatchbacks under 5 lakhs for enthusiasts!

1. Ford Figo. 1.4 and 1.5

Ford India has been instrumental in Figo's success in the Indian market. The prevailing perception that "Ford's service is expensive" deterred many people from buying the cars since they felt rather claustrophobic and outdated for the average consumer. The 1.5TDCI is a real rocket, but the 1.4 is somewhat slow! With a 5-speed manual transmission that was engaging, the facelift model boasted 100 horsepower and 215 NM of torque. The Figo was an excellent enthusiast car right out of the factory thanks to the powerplant and its superb handling. It can be a little challenging to locate the "S" variant, but if you do find one, close your eyes and grab it!

Image Credits : Ford
  1. Volkswagen Polo 1.6 and 1.5TDI

Ahh, I don’t even have to talk about Polo because everyone on the internet is a Polo expert. Vw plonked the 1.6TDI into the little polo, making it rowdy on the streets. The 1.6 engine generated a staggering 250 NM of torque and 104 BHP. If you would like more horsepower out of the engine, a tuner can easily provide that for you. VAG tunes are easily obtained overseas, and a tuner can write them on your ECU with custom calibration to meet your requirements. VW had to downsize the 1.6 to 1.5 owing to tax concerns, as the BS4 regulations took effect and the 1.6TDI was no longer available. The 1.5TDI is readily accessible and produces somewhat more power.  

Image Credits : Team BHP
  1. Fiat Punto 1.3 90hp

The Punto has been one of the best-handling cars since its launch in 2009. The car came with the country’s favourite 1.3 Multijet engine, which had 2 variants. The 75HP came with a fixed geometry turbo, and the 90HP had a variable geometry turbo. The 90 HP is a great car on the highways, as you have instant torque at cruising speeds, which will leave a big grin on your face. The engine is less complicated and can be repaired by any mechanic. In addition, most of the parts are shared between Tata and Suzuki, so finding engine parts is also super easy. Finding a 90-hp Punto is a bit of a task, as the owners are refusing to sell their car just like Ford owners.

Image Credits : Indian autos blog
  1. 2nd Gen Swift 1.3

The Swift has been a fun car since its launch, and the 2nd generation made it a complete package by offering premium-looking interiors and features. The Swift was also equipped with the 1.3 Multijet engine, which was badged as DDIS by Suzuki. The Swift had the 75-hp version, which in addition to the low kerb weight of the car made it as fast as a 90-hp Punto. Just plonking in the turbo from an Ertiga or a Scross 1.3 with a tune and downpipe will transform this car into a monster. Finding a Swift is super easy, but higher asking prices will make you want to look into other options.

Image Credits : Team BHP
  1. Ignis 1.3

This so-called “compact urban SUV” is nothing but a hatchback with body cladding shod with the same 1.3 DDIS from the Swift. With its compact size, less weight, and the 1.3 engine, it was one of the most fun to drive in the city. I would say it is more fun than a swift in the city. Finding one is super duper easy as it does not have the resale of the Swift and there are plenty of suspension mods for this car.

Here are some of the best diesel engine oils and additives that we've tried and tested

Liquimoly Synth oil 5w40 for fiat 1.3 multijet - https://amzn.to/3NdrArq

Motul 8100 X-Cess 5w40 - https://amzn.to/3N9zYbv

Cetane-X - https://amzn.to/4eqzMRd

Best engine flush - https://amzn.to/46Igofx

engine oil additive - https://amzn.to/4dbRN5l