8 List of Popular Diesel Cars in Indonesia

In the midst of the dominance of gasoline-fueled cars, diesel cars still have their own market. It is impressive since diesel cars offer excellence, from its efficient fuel consumption, big torque and easy engine maintenance. There are some best and popular diesel cars in the Indonesian automotive market. If you plan to buy diesel cars, here are the recommendations.

Know The Advantages and The Disadvantages of Diesel Cars. As other common vehicles, diesel cars also have their own advantages and disadvantages. Before discussing the lists of popular diesel cars in Indonesia, now take a look at some reviews about the advantages and disadvantages of diesel cars.

The advantages of diesel cars

1. Economical fuel consumption

One of the characteristics of diesel which is advantageous is its economical and efficient fuel consumption. The factors which make a diesel engine more efficient is by how the engine works using very high compression so that the fuel will burn more completely in the combustion chamber.

2. Having big torque

Another advantage of diesel cars is having a big torque even at low engine speed when compared to a gasoline engine. Its responsive engine makes diesel cars ready to go through heavy traffic to heavy terrain such as steep inclines.

3. Machine maintenance tends to be easy

From the maintenance aspect, diesel cars are easy to do, as how the engine works is simpler. The owners of the vehicles only need to do regular maintenance on some components, such as cleaning the fuel filter which often gets dirty and changing its oil and radiator. Even for commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses, the maintenance does not require a long time.

4. Diesel cars last longer

It has been known to the public that diesel cars last longer. Generally, diesel cars do not need high ignition so that the risks of engine damage are very small. Moreover, diesel cars’ engine has currently been equipped with turbo so it exists more perfectly compared to previous generations.

5. High resale value

Another advantage of diesel cars is its high resale value. For example, the MPV Toyota Kijang Innova is a diesel variant, which still has a high resale value today. If you are searching for cars as a profitable investment, you can consider this car.

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The disadvantages of diesel cars

Not only has advantages, diesel cars also have the following disadvantages:

1. Frequently replacing the diesel filter is a must

To maintain the car performance, the owner of the diesel engine vehicles needs to replace its diesel filter components frequently. A diesel filter which does not function properly will be unable to filter out dirt that enters the common rail channel, thus it will clog the fuel supply. You need to replace the diesel filter every 20,000 kms or it depends on the usage, such as the use of low-quality diesel fuel can speed up the replacement of the diesel filter.

2. High emissions produced

Diesel cars do not belong to eco-friendly cars due to their exhaust emissions produced are still high compared to gasoline cars. You can see it from the exhaust fumes on diesel cars. Moreover, if its maintenance is not done properly, diesel cars often emit large black smoke. 

3. The engine noise is louder

When you start a car with a diesel engine, the sound will sound very noisy compared to a gasoline engine. Even the noise is still heard when you run the car. For some people, the noise in the car is quite disturbing. However, not a few also consider that the noise gives the impression of being fierce. All return to their respective preferences.

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The List of The Best Diesel Cars in Indonesia

After knowing the advantages and disadvantages of diesel cars, this is the time to know the lists of popular diesel cars in Indonesia. There are a lot of diesel car choices, varied from some brands. Here are the lists.

1. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

One of the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) type cars produced by PT Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Sales Indonesia (MMKSI), namely the Pajero Sport, comes with great power which is suitable for driving on all terrains.

This diesel car holds 4N15 2.4L MIVEC Turbocharged and Intercooled engine which is able to generate power up to 181 PS and maximum torque of 430 Nm. Pajero Sport is equipped with a geometry turbo variable which makes the car eco-friendlier and 8-speed automatic transmission which makes driving more responsive, stable, and more smooth gear shifting. The price of New Pajero Sport starts from IDR 537 million OTR DKI Jakarta.

2. Toyota Fortuner

Among the fans of diesel fuel cars, the Toyota Fortuner is well known for its economy and ‘stubborn’ engine. With a luxurious and tough design, the Toyota Fortuner is priced at IDR 548 million OTR DKI Jakarta.

This car is equipped with a diesel engine with a capacity of f2.7L Dual VVT-I petrol and 2.4L 2GD-FTV which is capable of generating power up to 150 hp.

3. Toyota Kijang Innova Diesel

If you search for a family car which belongs to Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) with a diesel engine, Toyota Kijang Innova can be a choice. This car has a capacity of 7-seater cabin which makes this car famous for being one of the best and the most popular diesel cars from Toyota.

Toyota Kijang Innova is equipped with a 2GD-FTV 4-cylinder 16-valve engine with DOHC VNT Intercooler technology and a capacity of 2,393 cc which is famous for its toughness. The price of a Kijang Innova car starts from IDR 369 million OTR DKI Jakarta.

4. Mitsubishi Triton

As discussed before, one of the advantages of diesel cars is its tough engine; therefore, diesel cars are often used as a commercial car or heavy-duty cars. One of heavy-duty cars with diesel engine is Mitsubishi Triton which presents for double cabin.

Although it is not as popular as MPV or SUV, Mitsubishi Triton is often used in mining or gardening companies. Talking about its performance, Mitsubishi Triton can be relied on heavy terrain, such as muddy and gravel terrain as well as uphill road. This car has 4N15 DI MIVEC DOHC 16 Valve in Line engine which can produce 133 tk power and maximum torque of 430 Nm with a price starts from IDR 200 million.

5. Isuzu MU-X

Another list of the best and most popular diesel cars in Indonesia is the Isuzu MU-X, which was presented for the first time at the GIIAS 2021. In its latest generation, the Isuzu MU-Z uses a relatively small engine for a ladder frame SUV-typed car, with a capacity of 1,900 cc only, a power of 147.9 hp, and a peak torque of 350 Nm. Isuzu MU-X is imported as a whole from Thailand which only comes in one variant, namely 4x4 AT with a price of IDR 559 million.

6. Hyundai Santa Fe

Another diesel-engine car in Indonesia is Hyundai Santa Fe which comes with a wide front grille, a specialty of Hyundai. Santa Fe comes with three variants, they are Style, Prime, and Signature which starts from IDR 629 million.

For the kitchen runway, this car is equipped with a diesel engine R 2.2 CRDi typed with a capacity of 2,151 cc and 8-speed DCT FWD transmission with 4-cylindrical 16 vales HLA which can produce 202 PS power and maximum torque of 45 kg-m. Hyundai Santa Fe comes with drive mode choices which are adjustable to people’s needs, as Drive Mode Comfort for daily drive; Eco is for optimum fuel efficiency, Sport is for faster acceleration, and Smart which is adjustable for shifting gear interval.

7. Hyundai Palisade

Besides Santa Fe, Hyundai also has another diesel car that you can be proud of; it is Hyundai Palisade. This car is supported with a turbo diesel engine which gives the sensation of calm and powerful driving and uses less fuel. For a motor mode, this car has four choices, namely Comfort, Eco, Sport, and Smart which can be adjusted depending on the terrains.

8. Toyota Land Cruiser VX/VXR 80

If you are searching for a car with a diesel engine which is able to do some tough off-road activities, Toyota Land Cruiser VX/VXR 80 can be a choice. This car is equipped with diesel engine and the capacity is 4,46 cc Inline 8-cylinder 4 valves DOHC which offers comfortable and the best performance in its class. That is why the price of Toyota Land Cruiser VX/VXR 80 is quite high, around IDR 2 billion.

Those are some information about the list of engine diesel cars that are popular in Indonesia. Before deciding what brands and types of cars you will have, you had better know their specification; therefore, it can be customized to your needs.

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You can rent only in MPM Rent either for short or long terms, since we have more than 13,000 units of vehicles from various brands and variants with 1,500 qualified driver choices. For now, MPM Rent has 8 branch offices and 17 representative branches, so there are 25 touch points in total throughout Indonesia. Renting a car within competitive price is only in MPM Rent. For further information, click here.