Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch the "Maruti Ertiga CNG" in Indian markets to help car-enthusiasts beat the ever rising petrol and diesel prices. While there is no concrete information about the exact launch date and pricing; we believe that the company will formally announce the car later this month. The price of the car is expected to be approximately Rs. 30k more than its petrol varient - which currently is available at Rs. 6 - 8.45 lakh rupees ex-showroom in Delhi. The car will be made available in LXi and VXi versions. Leading auto blogs are reporting that the car could be announced by mid-June.

Maruti Suzuki understands that fuel price is one of the key factors that influences in automobile purchase decisions in Indian markets. With no signs of Petrol & Diesel prices coming down in India in the next several months, the company wants to capitalize on the situation by offering a cheaper CNG version. If successful, the move could give a boost to the Ertiga's sales which have become almost stagnant in the last several weeks.



It's expected that the CNG varient will be based off the recently launch Ertiga Feliz. We learn that the idea company is trying to drive is to let users have a choice of two fuels. Modifying the engine and the suspension is a huge task and the company only offers CNG option to cars with Petrol engines.

The ZXi version (top end) may not get the CNG kit option, but we'd rather wait for an official word. For Maruti cars like Alto, WagonR, SX4 and Eeco are the only ones that can get the CNG kit upgrades. We'd surely be following up this update and keep an eye on the official launch.

In the meantime, we'd like to ask our readers their opinion on the overall popularity & usefulness of CNG kits. We'd also like to know first hand reviews of cars that are equipped with CNG kits. Is the upgrade cost justified in the longer run? Share your views below.