With subsidies for diesel slowly being removed, the attractiveness of the fuel is no longer as strong as before. Tata Motors, which is seen as a diesel car company, is keen to establish itself as a credible petrol engine producer as well. “The Revotron engine is a first step in that direction. This is not a one-off engine, but the start of a range of new engines of around the same displacement,” said Tim Leverton. The much-hyped Tata Revotron turbo-petrol is just the start of things to come and the first in a range of petrol engines from Tata Motors according to Tim Leverton, president, advanced and product engineering.

Compared to motors like Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost and VW’s TSI which sport direct-injection and multi-valve heads, the cast-iron block, two-valve per cylinder Revotron seems relatively low-tech. However, Leverton believes that for a first step, this is the right approach, keeping the cost base in mind as well. “This engine is a straightforward and reliable approach, keeping in mind cost of ownership. When you have a turbocharger, you don’t necessarily need more valves. We’ve done a lot of work to reduce friction and designed an all-new head to optimise forced induction. The block too is completely re-designed for lower weight and more rigidity. So I think there is integrity in the configuration.”

However, Leverton hinted that a hotter Revotron, which is higher-revving and has more power, could be the next step. According to sources, the next step could be a 100-plus-bhp motor with a bigger turbo, more sophisticated electronics and an all-new four-valve head.

The big news is that Tata is working on an all-new engine family with three- and four-cylinder configurations. Unlike the Revotron, which has its roots in the Tata Xeta motor, this family of all-aluminium engines will be developed from a clean sheet of paper.

A 1.2-litre, three-cylinder will be the main configuration to power Tata’s range of future small cars. A 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol is also on the cards for bigger sedans and SUVs.

The Revotron engine impressed us with its refinement, but Tata Motors insiders say that the new family of engines will be even smoother. According to sources, the all-new engine family will use hydraulic lash adjusters and roller finger followers for mechanical noise reduction.

Tata Motors had shown a concept of the new engine family at the 2014 Auto Expo and the production version is likely to be fired sometime next year.