Maruti, Hero Moto lead BS4 versions’ phase-out

NEW DELHI: Maruti has phased out BS4 from eight of its top-selling models — including Alto, Swift and Dzire — while Hero Motocorp, the country’s largest two-wheeler maker, has moved nearly 30% of its motorcycle and scooter portfolio to the stricter BS6 emission standards that kick in from April next year.
As the deadline for BS6 emission standards comes closer, the country’s top passenger vehicle and two-wheeler makers have taken a leap in migration to clean-fuel engine technologies.
The transition has also seen companies clear the BS4 stocks by throwing in massive discounts. This is being done as the auto industry has been told by the courts that oldervehicle stocks will not be allowed for sale from the next fiscal. The models of Maruti that are available on BS6 include Baleno, S-Presso, and WagonR hatchbacks and Ertiga and XL6 MPVs.
Shashank Srivastava, director of sales & marketing at Maruti Suzuki, said the company had begun the BS6 movement much ahead of the April 2020 deadline. For example, the Alto BS6 was launched in April this year, almost a year ahead of the change.
“We have been progressively reducing the inventory of BS4 cars, and now we have near-negligible numbers at our dealerships,” he said.
Among the cars where BS6 upgradation on petrol is still awaited are the Celerio mini, Eeco MPV, and Ciaz sedan. The change for Maruti happens as the company also moves out of the small diesel category, having decided to not have BS6 diesel versions on cars such as Swift, Baleno, Dzire, and Brezza.
Interestingly, the company has not yet decided on upgradation of diesel variants on its bigger vehicles such as SCross and Ciaz. For Hero Moto, the transition is a massive exercise considering that the company has nearly 200 variants. Sources say that several variants of Splendor, Passion and HF Deluxe motorcycles and Pleasure and Maestro Edge scooters are undergoing transition.
The company informed its dealers that production of more than 50 variants has been stopped. Also, it said that production of BS6 models will be scaled up, sources said.
Hyundai ropes in Maruti executive, Hero Moto sales head resigns
Hyundai Motor India has hired Maruti’s senior executive Tarun Garg to head its sales and marketing functions.
Garg has more than two decades of experience with Maruti and heads the marketing function in the company. He will be joining Hyundai soon, a source said.
In Hero Moto, Sanjay Bhan, the head of sales, after-sales and parts, has put in his papers. Bhan has more than three-decades of experience with the two-wheeler leader and is expected to take charge at a startup.