For more than three decades, Maruti Suzuki has always been at the forefront of innovation, consistently offering new technologies to help redefine mobility. Today, India is poised at a crucial juncture where the focus on environment-friendly mobility solutions and cleaner fuels has taken centre stage. As a result, CNG, an environment-friendly fuel that offers high fuel efficiency and has low running costs, is well-placed to meet both consumer interest as well as environmental priorities. The Government of India is dedicatedly working towards developing the CNG distribution infrastructure across the country, which bodes well for an upsurge in the demand for CNG vehicles as well in the future. Maruti Suzuki, with its S-CNG technology and an extensive line-up of S-CNG cars, is geared up to offer the best to Indian car buyers.

CNG Outlets across India – A Picture of Consistent Growth

The average number of CNG stations that are added to the distribution infrastructure in a year has increased three folds in FY 2018-19 and FY 2019-20. In fact, the number of CNG stations in the country is expected to be doubled over the next few years as well. The bidding of 8,000 new CNG stations in various regions across the country has already been completed by the government, the commissioning of which should be completed by FY 2026-27. With this latest development, the CNG distribution infrastructure will be able to cover almost 75% of the entire population of India.

The Shifting Trends of Customer Preferences

Owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, buyer habits and customer behaviour have undergone quite a change. Today, digital transactions are increasingly becoming the favoured mode for customers. Initial trends suggest a shift of consumer interest towards personal transportation.

The country, on the whole, is faced with a weaker economic condition than before, along with reduced disposable incomes. Initial trends also show that more and more customers now prefer smaller cars. Plus, with the increasing prices of diesel as well as the relatively high upfront costs of BS6 diesel cars, a shift in preference for CNG and petrol cars is imminent. With the pan-India CNG network seeing strong expansion and the Government’s commitment towards growing it further, an increase in demand for CNG-run vehicles can be expected.

Keeping this in mind, Maruti Suzuki has the impetus and know-how to meet evolving customer preferences ahead of the competition, introducing products and technologies that give it the first-mover advantage.

S-CNG Cars by Maruti Suzuki

In 2010, Maruti Suzuki India Limited introduced factory-fitted CNG cars as well as hybrid cars in India in 2015. Maruti Suzuki is a pioneer of the factory fitted CNG technology in passenger vehicles. A factory-fitted CNG kit implies that it has been integrated into a car right on the manufacturing floor, which ensures greater safety and functionality.

What makes the S-CNG technology stand out are the dual interdependent ECUs (engine control units) and an intelligent injection system that works together seamlessly to ensure that the engine is provided with the optimum air-fuel ratio during combustion to ensure better performance and high fuel efficiency.

At present, S-CNG technology by Maruti Suzuki is offered in six models, of which the S-Presso is the latest addition. These models are the Alto, Celerio, Eeco, Ertiga, S-Presso and WagonR. In the commercial range by Maruti Suzuki, the S-CNG technology is available in Tour H1 (the Alto), Tour H2 (Celerio), Tour V (Eeco), Tour S (Dzire), Tour M (Ertiga), and the Super Carry.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

The overall sales of CNG vehicles over the last five years has seen an increase of 15.5% CAGR. The highest ever sales were seen in 2019-20, which testifies to how widely the technologically advanced, safe, and eco-friendly mobility solution has been accepted by customers.

Since inception, more than 6.7 lakh CNG cars have been sold by Maruti Suzuki over the last ten years.

Making an impact in 21 states and over 140 cities, the sales of S-CNG cars has been growing rapidly over the last 9 years at an exemplary CAGR of 23%.

The Benefits of the Advanced S-CNG Technology

Ground-Up Integration

Just like gasoline cars, S-CNG cars are also assembled on the factory floor itself. Maruti Suzuki has undertaken extensive research and development to ensure that the factory fitted S-CNG setup is durable, reliable, and safe; all of which begins with the ground-up integration of the CNG kit.

Delivering an Improved Performance

When it comes to a CNG car, most drivers tend to have a higher daily usage in terms of the kilometres being covered, which makes everyday drivability an important factor to consider. Keeping this in mind, with a Maruti Suzuki S-CNG car, you get:

• Intelligent Injection System: The Intelligent Injection system and dual interdependent ECUs continuously communicate to maintain the optimum ratio of air and fuel in order to deliver a better performance as well as high fuel efficiency across various terrains.

• Re-Tuned Components: The chassis, braking system, and suspension setup of the factory fitted CNG cars by Maruti Suzuki are retuned in the factory to ensure optimum performance, regardless of the terrain.

Enhanced Safety

With the factory-fitted CNG cars with S-CNG technology by Maruti Suzuki, you can rest assured that you will get enhanced safety in every car.

• Rigorous Testing: All S-CNG cars are rigorously tested for durability, safety, and crashworthiness, with the whole CNG system being put in place.

• Stainless Steel Pipes and Joints: CNG kits in the S-CNG cars are designed with stainless steel pipes and ferrule joints that make for a leak-proof and corrosion-resistant design.

• Integrated Harness: The wiring harness is also well-integrated within the setup, which helps eliminate any risks of short circuits.

• Micro Switch: Every S-CNG car is fitted with a micro switch that ensures that the car does not switch on at the time of CNG refilling.

Unmatched Convenience

Convenience is synonymous with the S-CNG technology by Maruti Suzuki. Here are the features of the technology that make it highly convenient to use:

• Auto-Switch: The changeover switch with the auto-mode allows you to instantly switch between petrol and CNG modes.

• Fuel-Level Indicator: The S-CNG cars are equipped with a precise fuel level indicator in the dashboard. This indicator allows you to easily keep track of the CNG fuel level of your vehicle.

• NGV Receptacle: The cars are also fitted with a specialised nozzle that allows for faster CNG refuelling.

Ease of Maintenance

It is a well-known fact that retrofitted CNG kits come with a limited or negligible warranty. However, with S-CNG cars, the warranty benefits can be extended up to five years. Also, when you buy an S-CNG car, you can avail the benefits of having access to a wide service network and get your car serviced at any one of the 3300+ authorised

Maruti Suzuki service centres across the country.

Apart from offering customers a great solution in Green Mobility, Maruti Suzuki also has plans to follow a technology-agnostic approach where their CNG vehicles help complement the vision of the Government of India to reduce oil imports and to enhance the share of natural gas in the country’s energy basket from 6.2% to 15% by the year 2030.

The Road Ahead

With a renewed focus on sustainability, the government has been working hard to increase the CNG fuel station network in the country. The fruit of these efforts can be seen in the phenomenal growth in the number of CNG stations in India over the last six years. In these numbers, over 50% were recorded in the last year alone. To help increase the penetration of green fuel mobility in the market, Maruti Suzuki also plans to strengthen and expand its product portfolio of CNG cars and aims to achieve the sale of one million green vehicles, which includes both CNG and hybrid vehicles, within the next couple of years. This vision was aptly reflected by Maruti Suzuki’s theme for Auto Expo 2020 in India:

“Mission Green Million – Envisioning 1 Million More Green Cars on the Road”