M&M ready to launch BS-VI compliant vehicles next year

MUMBAI: Mahindra and Mahindra is ready to roll out its Bharat Stage VI or BS-VI emission norm compliant diesel vehicles next year and its petrol range over the next two-three months.

The Mumbai-based automaker alone has invested over Rs 1,000 crore in developing its product range to conform to BS VI norms, apart from big investments also from its component suppliers.

The stringent BS-VI emission norms will come into force from April 1, 2020 across the country. At present, the vehicles sold in the country conform to BS-IV emission standards.

"We will be first launching the gasoline vehicles during the second quarter of this year," Pawan Goenka, Managing Director at Mahindra and Mahindra said. This is because petrol range does not require a BS VI fuel, he said.

"We are also ready to launch diesel vehicles in late December or early January 2020 as the fuel is not available now. I am assuming that the fuel will be made available in December and early January. Fuel should be made available throughout India and not just in Delhi," Goenka said.

He said Mahindra would have eight diesel engines, including two new diesel engines in its BS6 portfolio which would be used over 16 platforms and 38 vehicle variants.

These include light commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles and three brand new models. The company is already testing these engines on its popular models such as the XUV300 and the XUV500.

Goenka said the company would also have eight BS-VI petrol engines out of which two will be introduced in the future.

These eight BS-VI petrol engines would service 12 vehicle models built on 8 platforms. Mahindra will be collaborating with American auto giant Ford and Ssangyong, the fourth largest South Korea automaker, for their BS-VI range of petrol engines.

In fact, Mahindra also confirmed that some of its models such as the Marazzo, which only had a diesel engine until now, will also get petrol engine shortly.

Mahindra may also axe some diesel engine models from its larger vehicles portfolio and is prepared to deliver if the Indian automotive market moves to petrol engines in the future.

Goenka said ramping up and down the entire volume of the automotive business over the next two-three months is a humongous challenge for suppliers and also for the plants.