Premier begins trials of Rio 1.3

Premier is getting ready to launch its compact SUV Rio with the 90 PS 1.3 litre diesel multijet engine sourced from Fiat. The company has started trials of the vehicle. Speaking to Autocar Professional, Rakesh Mehta, head – Automobile division, Premier, said “We’ll launch the vehicle shortly.”

The Rio 1.3 will be crucial as it will help Premier to sell the diesel variant in the BS IV markets. The Rio’s petrol version meets BSIV norms but the diesel variant with the TUD5 engine meets BS III norms. Unlike the TUD5 engine, which Premier manufacture at its Pune plant under license from Peugeot, the 1.3 multijet engine will be directly bought from Fiat.

Premier is also planning a new marketing campaign that may be launched along with the forthcoming Rio 1.3. The new campaign will include a television commercial and a change in its brand positioning. The campaign will change the focus on Rio as ‘India’s first and only compact SUV’ from the current positioning as ‘India’s first compact SUV’.

The compact SUV space is set to see some new players starting from this year. Global and domestic OEMs like Ford, Mahindra& Mahindra, Hyundai and Suzuki are lining up models for this segment. Ford and M&M are expected to launch their models this year.