SMC, MUL to pump in Rs 2,500cr at Manesar plant, launches D-Swift

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) Suzuki Motor Corp (SMC) and Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL) will invest over Rs 2,500 crore at their Manesar plant to reach a capacity of three lakh diesel engines by 2010.

''The demand for diesel cars is growing in India, and Suzuki Motor Corporation and Maruti Udyog have made major investments in diesel facilities to serve customer needs,'' MUL Managing Director and CEO Jagdish Khattar told reporters while launching two variants of the diesel version of Swift today.

The engine for the Swift Diesel is being manufactured at the company's diesel engine plant in Manesar near Gurgaon at an existing capacity of one lakh engines annually.

While setting up the diesel plant in India, SMC had announced that diesel engines made in this plant would also be exported to subsidiaries across the world.

Accordingly, Mr Khattar said, once the production delivers its target in the domestic market, SMC will export two lakh engines to the European countries by 2009 and also introduce one more new vehicle by 2008-09 to export in Europe.

The two new versions of Swift -- LDi and VDi -- have been introduced at a price of Rs 4.68 lakh and 4.96 lakh, respectively, ex-showroom Delhi.

Swift was SMC's global car, launched in the country in May 2005, with its petrol version priced between Rs 3.87 lakh and Rs 4.85 lakh as an introductory price which is currently available at Rs 4.2-5.57 lakh.

Mr Khattar also said two more models will be rolled out from MUL's stable in 2007-08, without giving further details.

The Swift Diesel is powered by a new generation 1.3 litre DDiS engine with five injection technology, and delivers a power of 75 bhp at 4,000 RPM and a maximum torque of 190 Nm at 2,000 RPM possessing a high power-to-weight ratio, further reducing noise and vibration, suiting the Indian road conditions.

The technology for the diesel engine was obtained by SMC through a technical licence agreement with Fiat and Adam Opel.

MUL said the Swift Diesel which targets the youth and the young at heart customers, will soon organise a rally for them where all the diesel and non-diesel vehicles of Maruti will participate in the next four-six weeks.

UNI

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