German car maker Volkswagen will decide whether to continue with its diesel engines once there is some clarity over the government’s policy.
The recently facelifted Polo and Vento do not sport BS-VI engines.
“We are continuing with our diesel powertains though the market is heavily skewered towards petrol in the ratio of 80:20. We are awaiting some clear directions from the government before we decide if there was a business case for diesel,” Steffen Knapp, director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said at the launch of the revamped Polo and the Vento in Mumbai.
The company, however, is on track to roll out BS-VI cars. “We will stop manufacturing BS-IV cars from December 31, 2019,” said Knapp.
On why the company did not roll out BS-VI engines in the facelifted versions of the Polo and the Vento, Knapp said: “BS-VI fuel is not available in the market. We cannot have BS-VI cars running on BS-IV fuel. Besides, we have not increased the prices of our cars.”
The new Polo and the Vento will retail at a base price of Rs 5.82 lakh and Rs 8.76 lakh, respectively.
On the feasibility of having BS-VI diesel powertrains, Knapp said: “To have BS-VI diesel powertrains, we need to invest in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology which will increase the cost of a vehicle by at least Rs 1-1.5 lakh. With the new emission norms and the impending 2023 corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFÉ) norms, it will be increasingly difficult to have diesel powertrains without the SCR technology.”