- Could be launched alongside a locally made BEV
- 1.0-litre TSI engine to lead the charge
Skoda had revealed earlier that its approach to India would be a mix of battery electric powertrains and ICE engine options. Now, the automaker is open to bringing CNG technology to India. It currently has the 1.0-litre TSI, which is completely localised, while the higher-spec models get a 1.5-litre TSI that has a larger percentage of imported components compared to the 1.0-litre engine.
CNG tech
While Skoda has confirmed that it is looking at hybrid technology for India, it is new that they are open to CNG for their engines and the prime candidate for this would be the 1.0-litre TSI. Such a combination has existed in Europen markets with models like the Scala and the Citigo compact hatchback all running with Skoda’s G-TEC CNG systems. Closer to home, a CNG-powered Kushaq was spotted in testing in India but nothing has emerged so far.
Skoda has said that it would only initiate such a move if it sees enough demand in the future. The prime candidate would be the Kylaq, which will not only take on cars like the Maruti Fronx, Maruti Brezza, Maruti Baleno, Toyota Taisor and the Toyota Glanza but also top versions of the Punch and Exter CNG. However, while the private market will bring in additional volumes for an effective CNG push, Skoda would need to get into the commercial space and that’s a whole different ball game, something the automaker doesn’t have in its plans at present.
