Maruti’s upcoming diesel LCV to have turbocharged engine

Maruti Suzuki India’s upcoming light commercial vehicle, the Carry (codenamed Y-9T), which will mark the carmaker’s foray into the LCV segment, is to have a turbocharged diesel engine. Maruti is planning an annual production capacity of 80,000 units for the vehicle. 

Production of the diesel LCV, powered by Maruti’s 800cc engine, will kick off in December 2014 and the vehicle is expected to be at the dealerships by end-January 2015. Maruti is developing its first in-house diesel engine – a two-cylinder 800cc powerplant – at Gurgaon with parent Suzuki’s support. This engine is believed to be almost ready and should go into serial production by the year end.

Autocar Professional had, in its November 1, 2013 issue, reported that the proposed LCV with a payload capacity of 1.0 to 1.5 tonnes would be manufactured at Gurgaon instead of the earlier expected rollout from the Gujarat plant. The relocation of the manufacturing plan is primarily due to the delay in the Gujarat facility going on stream.

Turbo Energy Ltd (TEL), the Chennai-based component maker and a joint venture between Brakes India Ltd, Sundaram Finance and BorgWarner Turbo Systems, is the exclusive supplier for turbochargers for the Maruti diesel LCV. 

K Achuthan, executive director (marketing and engineering), TEL, told Autocar Professional: “The turbocharger has been specially designed for the 800cc diesel LCV and will be the smallest turbocharger by size in the BorgWarner family. TEL will be the exclusive supplier for this application at Maruti Suzuki.”

The TEL turbo has been developed over a year and a half in Chennai with about 4-5 engineers working on it. It will be 100 percent localised and will be manufactured locally.      

So far BorgWarner has supplied turbos for engines ranging between 1.0 to 30 litres. Maruti’s 800cc diesel will, therefore, be the smallest diesel engine that it will now be servicing. Turbocharging as a cost-effective way to boost power is becoming a focus area for OEMs as they downsize engines and space under the hood becomes smaller.

“The performance targets by Maruti Suzuki on the torque requirements were very challenging. So far, we have not been approached by the carmaker for supplying turbochargers for its petrol engines,” says Achuthan.  
Another manufacturer that has developed a micro-turbocharger is Honeywell Turbo Technologies India, which made one for the 800cc Nano diesel based on wastegate technology. Honeywell’s small wastegate turbos are applicable for engines ranging from 0.8 to 3 litres, corresponding to power ranging from 30kW to 120kW.

The new turbo developed by TEL for Maruti, which is currently in the sample and testing stage, also leverages wastegate technology which enables maximum boost pressure control. Wastegate turbos are ideal for engines favouring cost and fuel efficiency while not compromising on performance. These units enable lower emissions, more torque, lower weight and a smaller engine package as well as better driveability with lower engine noise.