Hyundai i20, Maruti Suzuki Alto, and More May Get Axed Due to New RDE Norms

The Indian automobile industry will take another big leap in April 2023, with the implementation of new Real Driving Emissions (RDE) norms in the country. The new RDE norms are far stricter, and the auto sector will have to invest a significant amount of money to make existing models compliant with the new norms.

The emission norms, known as RDE (Real Driving Emission), will take effect on April 1, 2023. Once the norms take effect, firms including Tata, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Honda, and others would need to update their model lineup. This will increase the ex-showroom price of the vehicles and force some models out of production because automakers will not be able to modify all of their engines to comply with the new RDE.

What is RDE and how does it impact vehicles?

According to Real Driving Emissions regulations, the vehicle will have a self-diagnostic system. Real-time monitoring of the vehicle's pollution levels will be done. The device will monitor different pollutants and emission gas components at the oxygen sensor and catalytic converter. This will be the second phase of the BS6 emission standards.

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RDE will lead to increased vehicle costs due to the addition of more sensors in the vehicle. It employs sensors in several places, including the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, and more. Also, real-time evaluation using RDE necessitates an advanced microprocessor. On RDE-spec vehicles, a more complex catalytic converter will be installed. Consequently, the price of the vehicles will go up.

Which models may get discontinued?

After April 1, 2023, a total of 17 models are likely to exit the Indian market. The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, the Honda WR-V, the Renault Kwid 0.8L, the Honda Jazz, the Honda City 4th-gen, the Toyota Innova Crysta, the Mahindra KUV100, the Mahindra Alturas G4, the Mahindra Marazzo, the Nissan Kicks, the Skoda Superb, and the Skoda Octavia are among the models on the list. Additionally, the Honda Amaze, the Tata Altroz, the Honda City, the Hyundai Verna, and the Hyundai i20 diesel versions may also be discontinued. New pollution standards will also raise the weight and tech in cars, which will have an impact on both performance and cost.

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The cost of developing diesel engines to meet the upcoming, stringent RDE norms was a crucial factor in why the majority of automakers decided to stop producing diesel variations. Having said that, the implementation of these new RDE norms in India is scheduled to begin in April 2023, and as a result, it is anticipated that there will be a significant decline in the resale value of old diesel vehicles.

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