Indian Autos blog

You can catch our Maruti Suzuki Ritz Special segment to learn the earlier developments and the car

Just hours ago, MSIL (Maruti Suzuki India Limited) launched the Suzuki Ritz (Splash elsewhere) in India in petrol and diesel variants. The Ritz is the seventh small car in Maruti’s portfolio, positioned in the A2 segment.

The Ritz will be available with two engines- you choose either the K-series 1.2 litre, four-cylinder, 85PS Petrol engine or the 1.3 litre, 16-valve DDiS, 75PS Diesel engine that Fiat and Tata customers are happy driving.

The diesel variants cost Rs 4.65 lakh and Rs 4.99 lakh, where as the three petrol variants cost between 3.90 lakh to Rs 4.80 lakh.

Petrol Versions –

Lxi – Rs.3,90,000/-
Vxi – Rs.4,20,000/-
Zxi – Rs.4.80,000/-

Diesel Versions –

Ldi – Rs.4,65,000/-
Vdi – Rs.4,99,000/-

(All prices Ex-Showroom Delhi)

Suzuki designed the Ritz on the Swift‘s platform, and the high degree of localization additionally helps bringing down the costs.

The company was able to achieve 85% localization for this car.

The Ritz is also India’s first BS IV compliant hatchback. Maruti’s spokesperson declined to comment on the number of cars they were targeting to sell due to the twisted market conditions, but assured it was equipped to meet any level of demand.

Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi-

“Ritz is our parent Suzuki’s fifth global model and it will be the first Bharat Stage-IV emission norms compliant Indian car. We have launched it at the beginning of the fiscal and we hope it will bring excitement in the market”

We’ll update you when more information is available.

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Japanese automobile legend Toyota is getting aggressive ahead of its small car launch in India, scheduled for late next year. According to reports and sources Toyota has planned to bring in two engine choices with a 1.2 liter petrol and a 1.3 liter diesel engine.

The success of its two hatchbacks – the Aveo U-VA and the Spark and new releases from other automakers – has spurred GM India to think of bringing the Chevrolet Mini sooner than ever!

GM is now working out all odds to bring in the ‘Mini’ and heat up the premium hatchback space. The Chevrolet Mini which is based on the Beat concept (showcased two years back in New York Auto Show) will come with frugal Petrol and Diesel engine options; expected to be positioned above the Chevrolet U-VA and priced around that range.

The Chevy Mini as it appears (in pictures), would be a large hatchback- possibly the largest hatchback India has seen (we’ll leave out the SRV for now)! But this is just a speculation (a visual perception), as no dimensions have been revealed yet.

A renewed VW Polo hatchback and a sedan based on the Polo will roll out of VW’s Chakan Plant in Pune in 2010. VW’s Chakan plant will start functioning in April, producing sister compan Skoda’s Fabia, a year before original intentions. The underlying structures of the Skoda Fabia will be used to make the Polo and Polo sedan.

The Fiat Palio Stile 1.1 had been launched here in 2007, with hopes that it could bring back the glory days of Fiat and Palio’s hatchback dominance. But unfortunately for Fiat, it had been an instantaneous failure, obviously due to a recipe failure-Great looks, solid comfort, reasonable price, but a catastrophically impotent 1.1L petrol engine. IAB thinks that the Fiat Palio Stile(petrol) seriously needs an engine makeover. Read on!

The Skoda Superb has won ‘Car of The Year 2009′ award in its home turf Czech Republic. It has won the first place in ‘Middle and Upper Middle class’ Category, beating 42 competitors.

The Skoda Superb is a very popular car amongst locals. Every Skoda is a class topper in Czech to be exact. It also won the towcar awards earlier last year, and then came Sky’s Best Gadget award for its Parking Assist.

Regardless of the lethargic sales of passenger cars in India and a forecast that’s even more cloudy, Ford has announced it’s small car plans remain undisturbed.

“We have a strong plan for India, and we intend to go forward with it,” said Nigel E Warke, executive director, marketing, sales and service, Ford India.

Ford’s new small car will be based on the Verve Concept, a sub four meter, 3-door hatch shown at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. Earlier, reports claimed this small car would be produced in Ford’s other international plants such as the one in Brazil. The car will be available in both hatchback and sedan variants, meaning a platform would be developed to derive a range of vehicles.

Fiat Linea – A car that had been launched internationally two years back has finally hit the Indian market and Fiat seems to be banking on Linea sales for a complete image transformation. But when are the other Fiat models joining the troop? Does the Grande Punto have to do Linea’s job of enhancing Fiat’s reputation? All your Fiat questions answered. Read on!