It’s raining diesel cars even as the demand for passenger vehicles has slowed in the domestic market for the second year in a row. A dozen-odd new models are being readied for launch in the next six months.
The new cars powered by diesel engines will be launched by leading auto makers Hyundai (one) ,General Motors (three; one launched on Wednesday in the form of Cruze diesel), Renault (one), Nissan (one), Tata Motors (one), Mahindra & Mahindra (two) and Force Motors (one), among others.
The launches come at a time when 12 of the 19 leading auto manufacturers reported a combined inventory of 107,818 unsold diesel vehicles in May this year.
BURNING DIESEL
Fuel-wise variants available in the Indian car market |
| |
Petrol |
Diesel |
| 2006-07 |
18 |
12 |
| 2007-08 |
19 |
23 |
| 2008-09 |
17 |
34 |
| 2009-10 |
20 |
44 |
| 2010-11 |
19 |
52 |
| 2011-12 |
18 |
64 |
The new cars would add to the 64 diesel models already on offer in the market, which represents a fivefold increase in the last six years. In the last three years, the number of diesel models has nearly doubled, as the petrol-diesel price differential has widened over the years. In July 2009, the differential was 36 per cent; now, it is about 75 per cent.
General Motors is set to introduce a hatchback, a sedan and a multi-utility vehicle, all of which would come in diesel as well.
