The Hindu Business Line : A run-in on the engine

The DDiS engine, co-developed by Fiat, Opel and Suzuki, will be the country's first super compact common rail diesel engine. It has won the international engine of the year award for 2005.

The engine is already being offered with the Suzuki Swift in markets such as Poland, Hungary and the UK. It will also be the lightest diesel engine, endowing it with a high power-to-weight ratio. With a total displacement of 1,248cc, the DDiS engine puts out a peak power of 75bhp (5bhp more than the European version) at 4,000 rpm.

With a 16-valve cylinder head, this DOHC engine is also aided by a fixed geometry turbocharger, an intercooler and a cooled EGR system (exhaust gas re-circulation) to enable it to be one of the most powerful, fuel-efficient and low emission engine in its class. The engine meets the current Bharat Stage III emission norms, but is capable of meeting the Euro IV level emission standards.

The engine features a second-generation common rail system at 1,400 bar pressure with multiple injection capability, reducing emissions and lending it strength to perform both on the highway and in city traffic. Multi-injection technology utilises an electronic control system to subdivide principal injection into smaller multiple injections or jets to obtain a more homogenous combustion, resulting in reduced emissions.

Diesel engines, being different to petrol engines in terms of fuel injection, have a characteristic where there is a mini-explosion in the combustion chamber every time that the injected, fine spray of fuel ignites. This is the reason for the rattling noise and vibration that is a trait of low-tech diesel engines. To contain the explosive forces in the engine's combustion chamber, newer technologies employ a pilot injection of a small amount of fuel, just milliseconds before the main injection.

Five injections

In India, most diesel cars currently use three injections per cycle. But the DDiS diesel engine in the Swift uses five injections per cycle. This helps improve combustion efficiency, and reduce both soot emissions (by 20-30 per cent) and noise levels (by 2-3 dBA (decibels)).

For easier maintenance, this sporty diesel engine also features a green oil filter and a chain drive timing system that is completely maintenance free for the entire life of the engine.

The new diesel engine will be manufactured at Suzuki and Maruti's recently commissioned diesel plant in Manesar, near Gurgaon. Suzuki Motor Corporation has obtained the technology for the diesel engine through a licence agreement with Adam Opel and Fiat Auto. The plant has been set up under a joint venture company called Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd (SPIL), in which Suzuki holds 70 per cent equity and Maruti Udyog, the rest.

The two partners (Japanese parent and Indian subsidiary) together are expected to invest over Rs 2,500 crore up to year 2,010 in the engine plant. The new plant has a capacity to produce about one lakh engines annually and this would be gradually scaled up to three lakh units.