it has reported on the venerable Maruti Suzuki 800cc model that will hit the market by the end of this financial year (March 2023). Introduced under the hood of the first Maruti 800 – or Suzuki Fronte SS80 – that debuted in 1983, and persisted in Suzuki Alto 2023, this four-decade engine will eventually come to an end thanks to its standards. Upcoming exhibitions and limited requirements.
RDE standards coming soon to kill multiple engines
We first published in September 2022 that a 796cc 3-cylinder petrol engine (codename: F8D) won’t last beyond the end of fiscal 2023, but indeed, the writing is already on the wall. With the introduction of the all-new Maruti Alto and the switch to the Heartect platform and the next-generation 1.0-litre “K10C” petrol engine, it was initially surprising to see the old Alto 800 continue to be by his side.
Why did Maruti Suzuki keep an old model and not put the F8D on a new car? We now know that’s because that engine only has a short lifespan, and so it wouldn’t make sense to redesign it for a brand new car. Therefore, the old model will continue to function for as long as possible, and then be phased out entirely.
The reason for this is twofold; the first part is the RDE (Realistic Driving Emissions) standard coming into effect in 2023, whereby older engines will need to be upgraded. After the first phase BS6 and CAFE II emissions standards have been adopted, RDE will be the next challenge for all automakers and will mark the end of some engines beyond the F8D, especially diesel engines from smaller capacity in compact cars.
The reason it won’t be upgraded is due to reduced demand. This engine is only available in one model and is the one that fewer people buy. Long the best-selling model in India, these days the Alto is regularly overtaken by its more expensive siblings the Swift, Dzire and Wagon R.
Although it’s still the cheapest new car which you can buy in India, but the increased price means that the Alto 800 is no longer the budget-friendly it used to be, and many people want to opt for a higher-end alternative for the leap in price. With this F8D engine gone, Maruti’s entry-level model will be the new Alto K10.
First Maruti Engine Retired at 40
Such a car model may have been transported in India 39 years ago, however, the F8 engine exactly produced in Japan about 40 years ago.In its original form in India, known as the F8B, it made 39hp and 59Nm, and was updated in 2000 with new F8D specifications that boosted its output to 48hp and 69Nm.
Crucially, it was also upgraded with fuel injection and four valves per cylinder, meaning it not only met BS2 emissions standards at the time but was future proof for until BS6 is introduced in 2020. If you’re wondering what happened to the F8C, it’s another specification not used by any Maruti, but instead used by Daewoo in Matiz!
The F8 engine has powered the Maruti 800, Maruti Omni and Maruti Alto, and for four decades was the quintessential Indian car engine, with the exception of the brief import and release of the Tata Nano.
Despite his modest outings, he enjoys the bantam class cars he has to offer and can boast high fuel efficiency – his best being the 24.5 kpl engine rated by ARAI in the current Alto 800. It was initially available with a four-speed manual transmission. like the F8B, then the five-speed manual with the F8D. It was equipped with a 3-speed transmission worked automatically.
With emissions regulations becoming stricter and more frequent, automakers are consolidating the number of engines they offer because upgrading every engine every time is costly and unsustainable. if volume is low.
