Maruti omni Models

The Maruti Omni van's factory-fitted LPG option runs on two fuels — petrol and liquefied petroleum gas. The van's already frugal 796cc engine has been teamed with an LPG storage and injection system to offer even higher level of efficiency for lower cost per kilometre.

The Omni LPG comes fitted with a 62.1-litre gas tank (not 50 litres) and a reserve petrol fuel tank of five litres. The vehicle also offers the advantage of being pre-tuned and comes with a factory setting for consistent performance when using either fuel. The engine has also been rated lower at 27 bhp compared to the petrol only Omni variant's 35 bhp.

But more important is the fact that the Omni LPG option is being offered after legislation regarding dual fuel variants requires that the traditional fuel should only be used as a fall back in the event of temporary non-availability of the alternative fuel. So, this effectively means that it may be against the law to replace the factory-fitted reserve petrol tank of five-litres with the larger, regular sized 36-litre tank.

As for safety, the Omni's LPG kit, from Vialle of the Netherlands, features ample protection from any leakage and can also feature an additional metal cage for protection from accidental damage to the valve.

Maruti claims that the Omni LPG is one of the most economical vehicles on the road, when it comes to combined cost of fuel, maintenance, repairs and insurance. But the van's relatively large interior space and smaller engine does not allow the fitment of an air-conditioner with a large compressor.

So, even though fitting an air-conditioner in the Omni is technically possible, it will not be effective in cooling the entire vehicle. Worse, in the LPG variant, , which is less efficient than petrol in terms of energy efficiency and has a lower rated engine, the efficiency of an air-conditioner will be even lower. Maruti used to offer a factory fitted air-conditioner variant of the Omni years ago, but the lower efficiency and relatively poor cooling performance lead to the withdrawal of this version.