Skoda which is leading the ‘India 2.0’ project was last reported to highly localise the Volkswagen 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine to up to 90%. And now according to a media report, the brand will replace the current 1.6 MPI (EA 111) motor on the Rapid sedan and equip it with the smaller 1.0-litre TSI (EA 211) motor soon.
The new engine is expected to be BSVI emission compliant and is likely to be introduced next year before the BSVI norms are enforced. The 1.5-litre diesel engine may not be upgraded to BSVI standards and is likely to be discontinued. The BSVI emission norms will be enforced from 1st April 2020, and it is speculated that the efficient petrol engine will replace the diesel motor.
According to reports, it has been confirmed that the Skoda Rapid will get an option of a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox for the first time on the petrol model and the new unit will replace the old 6-speed torque converter automatic that was on the 1.6 MPI. Currently only the diesel Rapid gets the DSG gearbox.
The international spec 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine is available in two power options, one producing 95 HP of power and 160 Nm of torque and the other producing 115 HP of power and 200 Nm of torque. Skoda Rapid in India is expected to get the more powerful 115 HP/200 Nm option in India. For comparison, the 1.6 MPI produces 105 HP of power and 153 Nm of torque. If the more powerful 1.0-litre TSI version makes it to India, it will outmatch the 1.6-litre MPI engine by quite a margin.
Skoda may strike out the diesel engine on their small cars and may not upgrade them to BSVI emission standards. However, the company is expected to upgrade the 2.0-litre diesel to BSVI standards. The diesel car market in the entry-level segment is not doing as good as the petrol market and most buyers prefer petrol-powered small cars over diesel. The cost of upgrades on the diesel engine to make it BSVI compliant does not balance the scale and many car manufacturers are likely to withdraw their small diesel engines and replace them with efficient petrol engines.