Maruti Suzuki phased out its entire diesel range by April 2020. That includes the Fiat‑sourced 1.3‑litre MJD (DDiS) unit and the in‑house 1.5‑litre DDiS 225. Emission norms and a flawed engine design led Maruti to scrap its own engine merely a year after introduction.
Fiat‑Sourced 1.3‑Litre MJD Diesel
Maruti used Fiat’s 1.3L Multijet engine, branded DDiS, from 2007 in the Swift and almost every other Maruti diesel vehicle. It delivered around 90 HP and 200 NM of torque, with efficiency near 20–25 KM/L.
This engine met the BS‑IV norms without a DPF. Fiat held the licence, limiting Maruti’s ability to independently upgrade it for BS‑VI. This engine was known as the national engine of India, offering great performance and efficiency.
R&D Development Timeline & Cost
Maruti invested approximately Rs 1000 Crore and five years into developing the 1.5L E15A (DDiS 225) engine, debuting in March 2019 on the Ciaz. The in‑house engine replaced Fiat’s 1.3L variant and represented Maruti’s largest diesel R&D effort to date. The 1.5L DDiS engine delivered 94 BHP at 4000 RPM and 225 NM of torque between 1500–2500 RPM.
The engine featured a dual‑mass flywheel, an aluminium block, and a head‑mounted turbo, and it became known for having excellent refinement. Notably, the E15A’s cylinder head was designed with an integrated exhaust manifold, a design rarely seen in diesel engines. It wasn’t known for being sporty or powerful, though, and Volkswagen’s TDI remained the segment benchmark. Maruti introduced it with a 6‑speed manual gearbox. Despite the heavy investment and engineering effort, Maruti terminated all diesel sales just a year later in April 2020.
Technical Flaw & BS‑VI Compliance Failure
When engine upgrades began for BS‑VI, the integrated exhaust manifold design became problematic. Exhaust gases were overcooked and turned hydrocarbons into a liquid before the DPF. The resultant soot‑liquid mix clogged the DPF. This caused temperatures during regeneration cycles to skyrocket to 1300 °C, damaging DPF and DOC hardware. Maruti considered reverting to a bolt‑on manifold, but emissions regulations and high cost made it unviable.
Market Shift & Business Reasons
Diesel sales dropped as petrol prices dropped and consumers shifted to petrol, CNG or EV options. BS‑VI compliance for diesels was projected to add Rs 2‑2.5 Lakh to the cost.
Maruti decided the return on the diesel investment was weak. Instead, it prioritised petrol & CNG offerings.
Conclusion
Maruti’s diesel journey moved from licensed Fiat use to its own 1.5‑litre design. That engine failed technical trials and could not meet BS‑VI emission demands. Combined with falling diesel demand and escalating costs, Maruti exited diesel entirely. The result: a petrol and CNG‑only line‑up post‑2020. Maruti’s flawed engineering with the E15A diesel caused the demise of DDiS. However, officially, Maruti cites the lack of demand as the reason for the discontinuation of its diesel offerings.
