NEW DELHI (Aug. 17, 1:40 p.m. ET) — Rising fuel prices have suppressed sentiments in the Indian automobile market. Local automakers are working overtime on improving the fuel efficiency of the cars by using plastics components.
The latest example: the largest Indian car maker, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., has for the first time installed a plastic fuel tank in the upgraded version of Swift, launched this week in New Delhi.
“We have been using plastic components in our models earlier as well, but [the] upgraded Swift would be the first passenger car model in our lineup to use the plastic fuel tank,” said I. V. Rao, managing executive officer for engineering.
The six-layer tank cuts the weight of the popular car by almost 6 kilograms, contributing to a total weight reduction of almost 30 kg. compared to previous models, Rao said.
Maruti Suzuki has sold more than 600,000 Swifts in the last six years.