Premier is planning to showcase its facelifted Rio at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. Soon after exhibiting the car at the mega event, the company will launch this car in the Indian auto market. However, the eagerly awaited 1.3 Litre Fiat Multijet diesel engine of the Rio will not make its debut at the show but is expected to be introduced by mid-2012.
Speculation is rife that the facelifted Premier Rio will be packed with a BS4 compliant 1.2 Litre engine, having the capacity to churn out 75.5 bhp power and 105 Nm torque. In the non-BS4 markets, the company plans to sell the car with a 1.5 Litre Peugeot TUD5 turbo diesel engine, producing maximum power of 65 bhp. However, the company has not indicated whether it will launch the car with the 1.5 Litre engine or wait another six months and assimilate it with the 1.3 Litre Fiat Multijet engine.
The original Premier Rio compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) is based on the Zotye Nomad I. The facelifted version of this car will be based on the Chinese version of the Nomad, the Zotye Nomad II. The facelifted premium Rio is likely to be powered by a common rail diesel engine.
Owing to the delay in the launch of Rio, things are likely to turn difficult for the company as Mahindra Mini Xylo is also expected to be launched in India in 2012. To overcome competition as well as to have better sales, it is important for Premier to expand its dealership and after-sales network and reach out to a larger audience.
