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New Suzuki 1.2-Litre Turbo Petrol Engine Revealed: Will it Come to India?
Suzuki is advancing its engine technology with a new generation of petrol engines. A notable development is the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, generating up to 126hp and designed for multiple fuels, including ethanol.
Updated Sep 28, 2026, 05:33 PM IST
New Suzuki 1.2-Litre Turbo Petrol Engine Revealed: Will it Come to India?
Suzuki is working on a new generation of petrol engines that could bring more power and improved fuel efficiency to its future models in growth markets such as India. The Japanese automaker has showcased a new 1.2-litre 3-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engine in Japan, which is being developed to run on multiple fuels, including ethanol, CNG and CBG.
Key Highlights:
- Suzuki is developing a new 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine for growth markets, including India.
- The engine could produce up to 126hp and 230Nm and support E100, CNG and CBG fuels.
- Suzuki is also working on a series-hybrid system based on the same Z12E engine.
- A larger 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and a 0.66-litre kei-car engine are also under development.
While Suzuki has not confirmed plans to introduce this engine in India, its specifications and compatibility with alternative fuels make it relevant for the company's future compact cars in the country.
New 1.2-Litre Turbo-Petrol Engine
The new engine is based on Suzuki's Z12E 1.2-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine, which is currently available in naturally aspirated form in models such as the Swift, Baleno and Dzire.
In turbocharged form, the engine is claimed to produce up to 126hp and 230Nm. Suzuki is targeting thermal efficiency of up to 50 per cent by 2035.
The engine gets a variable-geometry (VG) turbocharger and a water-cooled intercooler. It is also being developed to operate with E100, CNG and CBG, giving Suzuki flexibility to adapt the engine to different fuel technologies.
If brought to India, the turbocharged Z12E could potentially find applications in Suzuki's sub-4-metre cars. However, the company has not confirmed any India-bound model or launch timeline for this engine.
Series-Hybrid Powertrain Also Under Development
Suzuki is also developing the Z12E engine for a series-hybrid setup. Unlike a conventional hybrid, the petrol engine in this system is primarily used to generate electricity, while an electric motor drives the wheels. The system uses two motors - one acts as a generator while the other powers the vehicle. In this application, the Z12E engine produces up to 82hp and 108Nm, while the generator motor develops up to 83hp. The drive motor is rated at up to 88hp.
A 0.6kWh battery is used in the system.
Suzuki is also considering combining the series-hybrid system with the new 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine for a future plug-in hybrid application. This combination could have a total system output of up to 177hp.
New 1.5-Litre Turbo-Petrol Engine
Alongside the 1.2-litre unit, Suzuki is developing a larger 1.5-litre 4-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engine.
The engine is targeted to produce up to 160hp and 280Nm. Like the smaller turbocharged engine, it is being developed for compatibility with E100, CNG and CBG fuels.
This engine could be used in larger Suzuki models, although the company has not disclosed specific production applications yet.
0.66-Litre Engine For Kei Cars
Suzuki has also showcased a new 0.66-litre 3-cylinder engine for kei cars in Japan. It is being developed in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions.
Interestingly, the engines showcased by Suzuki are designed for transverse-mounted, front-wheel-drive vehicles. The company has not revealed details of new powertrains for longitudinal, rear-wheel-drive models such as the Jimny.
Powertrains for rear-wheel-drive applications are understood to be under development and could be revealed separately at a later stage.
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