1.0L turbo petrol to power Maruti Suzuki YRA hatchback

We had reported in October that Maruti Suzuki, India's largest car maker, has been in the process of developing a new hatchback to compete in the B+ segment. The YRA, as it has been codenamed, will be positioned above the Swift, which is the company's most expensive hatchback at the moment.

We had also reported that the YRA is likely to be powered by a turbo petrol engine from a new range that Maruti is developing. A report on Financial Express now claims that the car will get a 1.0-litre, turbocharged petrol power plant that puts out 90 bhp and can average 20 km/l. The YRA is expected to be launched in 2015 and is expected to compete with the Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo. The car is also likely to restart Maruti's exports to Europe.

The development of direct injection turbo charger technology for small capacity petrol engines is being viewed as the next technological frontier for Maruti Suzuki. The company is following in the steps of global giants like Ford and Volkswagen, who have introduced the technology in products like the EcoSport (EcoBoost), Polo and Passat (TSi). Indian manufacturer, Tata Motors has also announced that it will use its new Revotron turbocharged petrol engines in its upcoming products.