Can AMT shift past Manual?

t’s been about two decades since automatic transmissions started trickling into India through the likes of the Daewoo Cielo, Opel Astra and the Maruti Esteem AX. Today, most of the high-end cars are 100 percent automatic, but in the mainstream market, this transmission system hasn’t really gained traction with Indian buyers. In fact, despite a proliferation of automatics by premium brands, the total sales of cars with automatic transmission still accounts for less than five percent. However, that scenario may soon change.

The Auto Expo 2014 played host to the launch of the Maruti Celerio, which comes with an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). And, more importantly, it’s the cheapest auto car you can buy in India today.
 

According to market sources, there has been an overwhelming response to the Maruti Celerio. Some dealerships claim that the Celerio EZ Drive or AMT version accounts for 70-80 percent of enquiries in certain dealerships.

 
Predictably, other mainstream carmakers are now embracing AMT tech. Though passed on in Europe for newer transmission technology, it is set to see a resurgence in India. Tata showcased the Nano Twist Active that, apart from the recently fitted power steering, also features an AMT ’box. This should help the Nano unlock its true potential as a city runabout. Tata also showcased the new Zest saloon AMT that, interestingly, is mated to the diesel engine. Mahindra too showcased an AMT-equipped Quanto ‘auto shift’, indigenously developed with help from Ricardo.
 

AMT technology was pioneered by Magneti Marelli (MM), the component arm of Italian carmaker Fiat. Unsurprisingly then, Fiat too is mulling the introduction of an AMT-equipped Grande Punto hatchback and Linea saloon. However, this won’t be the first time it uses this tech – it had featured on the old Punto (not the Grande Punto) previously.
 

So why the sudden renewed interest in a relatively old technology? It’s primarily down to the economics AMTs offer that makes them difficult to resist. They appear to have addressed the two main hurdles that stunt the demand for automatic cars: price and fuel efficiency.
 

The Celerio EZ Drive, just around Rs 38,000 more than the equivalent manual version, is a breakthrough in terms of price. To prove the point, the cheapest manual Honda Brio costs Rs 3.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) while the automatic ’box is available only on the top VX trim and starts at Rs 5.99 lakh. This means the consumer has to essentially fork out an additional Rs 2 lakh just for the automatic box – an uncomfortably high percentage of the car’s price.
 

By offering the AMT ’box on even the base LXi Celerio, Maruti has made the automatic transmission an affordable option, rather than a luxury feature. The manufacturer has unequivocally addressed fuel consumption concerns by claiming that the AMT Celerio delivers identical fuel efficiency as its manual counterpart – the ARAI fuel economy figures for the Celerio manual and automatic are identical at 23.1kpl!

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Maruti Alto K10 AMT to be launched by 2014 end

Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the country’s largest auto makers, is sure to enhance their position in the compact car segment following the successful launch of Celerio. Offered in a choice of manual and automatic manual transmission (AMT), the new Celerio booking numbers have surprised everyone, including the maker itself.

Raking in 1000 bookings everyday, Maruti Cerlerio is well on its way to become of the the best selling cars in India. The surprising factor of these bookings, is that compared to the manual variant, the AMT variant has received more bookings.

AMT technology is much in demand at present due to the fact that if offers the conveniences of automatic transmission and making clutch pedal or changing of gears redundant. It is also priced more economically as compared to other automatic technologies and the Celerio is priced at INR 4.14 lakhs making it the cheapest automatic car in the market.

With the new Celerio compact hatchback successfully launched last month, and noting increased demand, the company is now working on an AMT variant of the Alto K10 which is expected to be launched by the end of 2014, reveals Financial Express. Once the new Alto is launched later this year, Maruti Suzuki will be one step ahead of Tata Motors who are also planning to launch AMT variants of Tata Nano, Indica and Zest. Other manufacturers like Mahindra, Hyundai, Volkswagen etc are also working on launching AMT variants in India.


Maruti Suzuki Alto with AMT will be ideally suited for buyers in urban areas due to its attractive features at an affordable price. This would also enable the company to revive sales of Alto which have been declining during the period April to January 2014.

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Maruti strikes order bounty with Celerio

Within a month of its launch, India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki’s latest small car Celerio has garnered bookings of over 22,000 units, with more than half of the share accounted for by the automatic gear-shift variants.

Launched during the Auto Expo last month as a replacement of two of Maruti’s underperforming cars — A Star and Estilo, Celerio is the most affordable gearless small car in India.


“There is a lot of buzz around the car across the country and we have received over 22,000 bookings so far,” said Mayank Pareek, chief operating officer, marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. “Around 51% of the bookings are for the automatic variants and it is much higher than what we had anticipated. The demand for that version is not restricted to urban centres alone and even in smaller cities we are witnessing high interest for the technology.”

At the time of the launch, the company had said nearly a fourth of every small car consumer in India looks at the option of an automatic gearbox but in actual sales, the number falls to low single-digit percentage because a higher cost, relatively lower fuel economy and more expensive maintenance detracts consumers. Celerio uses less sophisticated technology in its automatic version but costs only Rs. 30,000 more than the geared versions with no loss in fuel economy. 

“I think the share of auto gear shift will stabilise at around 35% in the future but that is more than what we had thought,” Pareek added.


The initial response to the Celerio is in line with that of Honda Amaze, Hyundai Grand i10 and Ford EcoSport last year.

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Maruti Suzuki announces Celerio Expo for customers across Odisha

 

Maruti Suzuki India Limited, India’s leading car maker, is organizing the Celerio Expo to reach out to customers across 19 cities in India over the weekend (15 and 16th February 2014).

 For the first time the Company is organizing a mass test drive on such a large scale to enable customers to connect with the newly launched car and test drive the Celerio and experience the revolutionary EZ Drive technology.

With best in class fuel efficiency for both manual transmission and Auto Gear Shift, a first for India amongst passenger cars, Celerio was exceedingly well received by the visitors at the recently concluded Auto Expo in Delhi. In sync with this successful global launch at the Auto Expo, Maruti Suzuki will now unveil Celerio in the public. 


Announcing the Celerio Expo, Mr. Muneesh Bali, Regional Manager- Odisha and Chattisgarh, Maruti Suzuki India said, “We wish to unveil Celerio to the people across India so that they can get a feel of our new EZ Drive technology. Celerio is a revolution which promises a new, convenient and EZ drive experience along with best in class fuel efficiency of 23.1 kmpl for both Auto Gear Shift and Manual transmission. Through the Celerio Expo, we want our customers to experience this new technology.”


Adding a fun element at the Celerio Expo, the company has planned various engagement activities for family members. Themed around EZ these activities include EZ Dance, EZ Fit, EZ Dekho and EZ Fun. The Company will also offer assistance in finance, insurance, exchange etc., at the Celerio Expo.

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Maruti awards Celerio's creative duties to Publicis Capital

The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is all set to launch its new model Celerio at the Delhi Auto Expo 2014 and the brand has awarded its creative duties to Publicis Capital. The agency is working on the launch campaign that is expected to release within a month. Sources close to exchange4media have confirmed the news, however, no official confirmation was received at the time of filing the report. The company is betting big on this new launch because the car comes with improved technology. Sources have also informed that the dimensions of the car are similar to the A-Star, but it will have better features. This is expected to be a game-changer in the mass car segment with its affordable price-point and also help the brand in creating a leadership position both in the urban and rural markets. Maruti Suzuki offers 17 brands and over 150 variants ranging from the people’s car Maruti 800 to the latest Life Utility Vehicle, Ertiga. The portfolio includes Maruti 800, Alto 800, Alto K10, A-star, Estilo, WagonR, Ritz, Swift, Swift DZire, SX4, Omni, Eeco, Kizashi, Grand Vitara, Gypsy, Ertiga and Stingray.

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Maruti Suzuki Celerio is an affordable offering in comparison to fully automatic cars

Maruti-Suzuki being one of the oldest brands in the country has built a strong reputation for itself. The Indian car manufacturer knows exactly what a regular consumer would require. Reliability and efficiency have laid a strong foundation for their cars. The Celerio shall feature an innovative technology called as the automated manual transmission. It is said that the gears would be present but minus the clutch pedal, this would give the driver a feel as though they are driving a vehicle with automatic transmission system.

As per sources, the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Celerio hatchback has been rechristened as 'EZDrive'. In the past cars powered by fully automatic gearbox technology were known to deliver lower fuel efficiency. Reports also stated that cars with fully automatic mechanism struggled with heavier overall body weight. The Celerio comes with a 1.0 litre, 3 cylinder K-series petrol engine that churns out amazing power output of 67 bhp with 90 Nm max torque.

To break the social stigma associated with such cars, the new Celerio has claimed to deliver a better efficiency and has boasted to be lighter in weight. Sources within the company reported the car to be 5% more efficient than a regular manual version car. Moreover, the absence of clutch pedal makes the car even more interesting and comfortable within the city where you may be stuck for hours in a stop-and-go traffic situation. Furthermore, the driver gets to shift gears in a fully automatic mode or sequentially. This car's unique hydraulic system allows the driver to shift gears without needing a clutch. A recent television commercial states that the hatchback delivers around 23.1 kmpl.

The new Celerio offers ample headroom and legroom for the buyers. Higher ground clearance is also something that has been typical of Maruti since years, allowing you to navigate over high bumps with ease. The suspension has also been designed as per Indian road conditions, it isn't smooth sailing as anticipated, but indeed is good enough for local conditions. The front grill is smarter than the other current line from Maruti, and features bold headlamps that give it a distinctive look. Furthermore, the external body contours are fairly decent for an economical hatchback, the body-paint and shades offered is also perfectly in-sync with the local conditions.

Though this car isn't fully automatic one, it isn't a fully manual version either. Hence, a recent expected price tag states that the basic version may be available at 3.8 Lahks, wheras a top end may cost around 4.9 Lakhs. Post launch, if this is the price to go-by, we say this car is definitely worth a consideration!

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Maruti to take on arch-rivals with its new compact model Celerio

Market leader Maruti Suzuki India Ltd ( MSIL) is betting big on its new compact model Celerio with automatic gear shift to take on arch-rivals Hyundai's Grand i10 and Honda Brio. The new compact car, scheduled for launch on February 6, is expected to be aggressively priced to attract customers in the price- sensitive market.

According to MSIL, Celerio, with a fuel efficiency of 23.1 km per litre, will be offered in six petrol variants- four with manual transmission and two with automatic gear shift.

The car comes loaded with several features like alloy wheels and Bluetooth connectivity across variants. Celerio, which sports 1- litre K- next engine, would be available in seven colours.

Celerio auto gear shift variants will have the flexibility of both manual mode and auto drive mode in the same car with a mere shift of the gear lever. While such a facility exists in premium sedan models, this is the first time that a compact model will be offering the option.


MSIL chief operating officer (marketing and sales) Mayank Pareek said, " The company has worked on addressing three key issues associated with automatic transmission cars- high cost of acquisition, low- fuel economy and maintenance hassles.


With Celerio, which has been developed at an investment of around Rs  570 crore, having our EZDrive technology, we have addressed those issues." While Pareek did not elaborate on how much the Celerio with automatic gear shift will cost, he said that the difference in price with a manual transmission will not be significant.

Currently, an automatic transmission (AT) version of a car in the domestic market is priced around Rs  1 lakh higher than the manual transmission version, Pareek added.


The Grandi10 and Brio have automatic transmission versions priced at Rs  6.04 lakh and Rs  6.19 lakh respectively ( ex- showroom, Delhi). Both the cars are selling well in the niche compact car segment and MSIL is eyeing a share of this market pie. Maruti has already started taking bookings for the car although prices will be announced only at the time of launch.


In the past, MSIL launched AT version of its compact cars, including the Zen and A- Star, but their high prices turned out to be a deterrent for customers.

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Maruti ready to unveil Celerio; affordable automatic version may be the draw

Maruti Suzuki is gearing up to launch the latest small car from its stable. Due to be unveiled next month, the Celerio will replace the A-Star globally. However, in India, it is expected to sell alongside the A-Star and the Estilo for now.

The Celerio is likely to take on B-segment peers such as the Hyundai Grand and i10 and the Nissan Micra. It will also seek to woo customers looking for a small car with an affordable automatic transmission.


The Design : The Celerio is unmistakably Maruti. Featuring a tall-boy design and a short bonnet, the car speaks Maruti’s new-age design language.

It has been built on a completely new platform and will only be offered with a petrol engine — the K10B engine (currently in the Alto K10, Wagon-R and A-Star). A diesel version is not expected anytime soon.

With large headlamps on either side of a two-slat grille and the Suzuki logo prominently displayed at the centre, the Celerio has a good road presence. The rear design is simpler but contemporary while the cabin and dashboard layout focuses on providing a modern, upmarket feel.


The Mileage : The story of a Maruti hatchback always revolves around the mileage it can deliver. So, Maruti’s engineers have tried to ensure that both the automatic version and the 5-speed manual transmission variant deliver a high 23.1 kmpl.


This has been achieved by keeping the weight low – the heaviest variant is just 830 kg. The car’s aerodynamism has been optimised. Also, the engine has been tuned to reduce frictional losses. Low rolling resistance tyres enhance the fuel efficiency further.

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Maruti awards Celerio's creative duties to Publicis Capital

The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is all set to launch its new model Celerio at the Delhi Auto Expo 2014 and the brand has awarded its creative duties to Publicis Capital. The agency is working on the launch campaign that is expected to release within a month. Sources close to exchange4media have confirmed the news, however, no official confirmation was received at the time of filing the report.


The company is betting big on this new launch because the car comes with improved technology. Sources have also informed that the dimensions of the car are similar to the A-Star, but it will have better features. This is expected to be a game-changer in the mass car segment with its affordable price-point and also help the brand in creating a leadership position both in the urban and rural markets.


Maruti Suzuki offers 17 brands and over 150 variants ranging from the people’s car Maruti 800 to the latest Life Utility Vehicle, Ertiga. The portfolio includes Maruti 800, Alto 800, Alto K10, A-star, Estilo, WagonR, Ritz, Swift, Swift DZire, SX4, Omni, Eeco, Kizashi, Grand Vitara, Gypsy, Ertiga and Stingray.

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Ertiga Green: Maruti launches CNG Ertiga at Rs 6.52 lakh onwards

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India today launched CNG variant of its multi-purpose van 'Ertiga' priced up to Rs 7.30 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Christened as 'Ertiga Green', it will be available in two variants with the base version available at Rs 6.52 lakh, while the top-end version is tagged at Rs 7.30 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the company said in a statement.

"We continuously work to offer products that are high on fuel efficiency and low on overall cost of ownership. Ertiga Green, with a factory fitted CNG system, is another step of Maruti Suzuki to meet today's need of our customers," company's Vice President (Marketing) Manohar Bhat said. 

The Ertiga has been a success with over 87,000 units sold since its launch in April, 2012, although its sales have tapered off in the recent months in a sluggish market.

'Ertiga Green' is the sixth vehicle from MSI (Maruti Suzuki India) with factory fitted CNG kits. Alto, Wagon R, Eeco, SX4 and Estilo are already offered with factory fitted CNG option.

The new vehicle will be available in states with CNG infrastructure, including Delhi NCR, Gujarat, Mumbai, Pune, and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the company said.

With this, Ertiga will now be available in all three fuel variants: CNG, petrol and diesel.

The launch of the CNG Ertiga is yet another step by the company to drive up its sales. In May MSI's total sales dropped by 14.4 per cent at 84,677 units. Its domestic sales also slipped by 13 per cent at 77,821 units form the same month last year.

The company has already announced June as the 'exchange month' offering its existing customers discounts on exchange of old cars for its new vehicles.

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Maruti sales down 14.4% in May, Kizashi disappoints

New Delhi: The country’s largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India today reported 14.4 percent decline in total sales in May this year at 84,677 units.

The company had posted a total sales of 98,884 units in the corresponding month last year.


For May 2013, the city-based firm reported 13 percent decline in domestic sales at 77,821 units, over 89,478 units in May, 2012, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement.

MSI’s exports last month went down by 27.1 percent to 6,856 units from 9,406 units in the year-ago period, the company said.

However, sales of the company’s mini segment cars, including the M800, A-Star, Alto and WagonR, rose by 5.1 percent to 31,427 units from 29,895 units in May, 2012.


In the compact segment (comprising the Estilo, Swift and Ritz models), MSI witnessed 29.4 percent fall in sales at 17,147 units as against 24,290 units in the same month a year ago.

Sales of MSI’s DZiRE model fell by 2.5 percent to 17,265 units from 17,707 units in the corresponding period a year ago.


The company’s mid-sized sedan SX4′s sales increased by 24.2 percent to 503 units from 405 units in the year-ago month, MSI said.


Luxury sedan Kizashi witnessed no buyer last month compared to sales of 12 units in May 2012, it added.

Sales of utility vehicles went down by 44.3 percent to 4,307 units from 7,734 units in the year-ago month. Sales of vans dipped by 24 percent to 7,172 units from 9,435 units in the same month last year.

MSI’s total passenger car sales declined by 8.3 percent to 66,342 units in May from 72,309 units in the same month in 2012, it added.

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Maruti to inspect car ACs for free at weekend service camp

Maruti Suzuki's "Beat The Heat" campaign will offer a host of free services to its customers including free inspection of the air conditioning systems of its cars across the company's 3,000 service workshops in the country between May 25 and 26

With the mercury soaring to 47 degree Celsius in cities like New Delhi, Maruti has decided to step in with a cool campaign to reach out to its customers. The company will host its “Beat The Heat” campaign this weekend, which will offer Maruti car owners a range of services including free check up of the air-conditioning system, free top wash, TrueValue evaluation of vehicles and their exchange deals. 


The “Beat The Heat” free check-up camps will be handled by Maruti Suzuki’s service team, who will inspect the air conditioning systems in the cars and suggest remedial measures as required to achieve optimum cooling performance and maintain a comfortable cabin temperature.


Maruti Suzuki’s Beat The Heat campaign will be held between May 25 and 26 across its entire national service network consisting of 3,000 service workshops in 1,400 cities in India. 


Speaking on this mega initiative, Mayank Pareek, Maruti Suzuki’s Chief Operating Officer (Marketing and Sales) stated, “At this time, with summer at its peak, customers obviously want air-conditioning in their cars to deliver top performance. We want to address this for as many customers as we can, as soon as possible. We are, therefore, using the entire national service network of Maruti Suzuki to service customers over a single weekend. It is also our way to sensitise customers about regular maintenance at Maruti Suzuki network, for a comfortable and satisfying use of our cars.”


Maruti Suzuki will also capitalise on the Beat the Heat campaign by promoting its current model range and offering test drives, offering extended warranty packages along with a range of accessory options for its cars.

“In the last 3 decades, customers have highly valued the cost of ownership, service and maintenance of Maruti Suzuki range of cars. We will continue with our resolve to bring best value to our customers in terms of total ownership experience. We thank our customers for their continued trust and for ranking Maruti Suzuki as Number One in “Customer Satisfaction every year, for last 13 consecutive years,” said Pareek.

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Maruti Suzuki Eeco Smiles limited edition has 7 new features

Maruti Suzuki Eeco Smiles is a new limited edition variant of their Eeco van which was launched in Indian markets in 2010. What makes this limited edition stand out from the regular Eeco van, is that it gives buyers 7 new features to smile about.

The new Limited Edition Maruti Suzuki Eeco comes at an additional price INR 9,490. Maruti Suzuki Eeco starts at a price of INR 3.05 lakhs for its five seater model while the seven seater model is priced at INR 3.22 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).

The limited edition Eeco Smiles features come by way of purely cosmetic updates in the form of a new DIN music stereo and well designed dual tone seat covers on its interior along with new door mats. The Smile also gets wheel covers, mud flaps and Smiles stickers on its sides and rear. It is powered by a 1.2 liter petrol engine with Maruti Suzuki also offering a CNG kit option. Its 1.2 liter petrol engine offers maximum power output of 73 bhp and 101 Nm of peak torque offering mileage of about 15 kmpl. Its CNG kit option promises mileage of 20 kms/kg.

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2013 Maruti Suzuki Omni Limited Edition launched in India

Maruti Suzuki India has launched a limited edition of its three decade old van, Omni,This new edition sports features such as floor mats, new seat covers and a CD player with 4 speakers.

Maruti Suzuki Omni is based on the Suzuki Carry pickup truck, which was first launched in 1961. The sixth generation of Carry, was the one that entered Indian auto industry as the Maruti Omni in 1984.


Speaking about the special limited edition here, Team-BHP reports, it will be powered by the same old and reliable 796cc petrol engine offering 37 bhp power and 62 Nm torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a four speed manual gearbox. Enhanced space and available in five variants, Omni comes in at a price of Rs.2.5 lakhs. This basic minivan offers a cargo variant, ambulance variant and family variant and comes with five seater and 8 seater layouts. Omni has its engine placed under the front seats and powering the rear wheels of the van.

The Omni generates fuel efficiency of 14.7 kmpl where its petrol version is concerned while the LPG version generates fuel efficiency at 10.9 kmpl. Suzuki Omni is offered in a choice of six colors.

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Maruti launches refreshed Wagon R

Maruti Suzuki, on Monday, introduced a refreshed version of its Wagon R, with a price tag of Rs. 3.58 lakh (ex—showroom Delhi).

Although the new Wagon R would be costlier by about Rs. 10,000 across variants when compared to the outgoing version, it would be more fuel efficient by 8 per cent at 20.51 kmpl.


“The changes introduced are in line with the customer feedback received through our regular engagement programmes,” Maruti Suzuki India Vice President (Marketing) Manohar Bhat said in a statement.


The car, which comes with new exteriors and interiors, would be available at Rs. 3.58 lakh for the base variant, Rs. 3.88 lakh for the mid-level and Rs. 4.13 lakh for the top-end variant. The CNG version is priced at Rs. 4.42 lakh, the company said.

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Small cars strengthening Maruti Suzuki's grip on the Indian market

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), the country's largest car maker, has enjoyed a dominant market share in the domestic auto sector with many breakthrough and iconic products for decades. Evidently, small cars have always been the Maruti Suzuki's bread and butter segment in the Indian automobile sector and have fuelled the company's unparalleled and highly enviable market share.

Top industry critics and experts regularly cite Maruti Suzuki as the car maker that thoroughly knows and understands the needs of Indian car enthusiasts with a remarkable precision. The company has identified itself as a firm that manufactures products for the average domestic buyers, who aspire to own a low cost and fuel efficient four-wheeler in their garage. Maruti Suzuki has an unbeatable share in the small car space but has faced failures few times in the past, when it tried to enter new vehicle segments.


MSIL has witnessed some glorious success in the small car segment, with influential models like the iconic Maruti 800 city car (now discontinued), Omni, Zen, Alto, Swift and WagonR. Currently, the company is on cloud nine with the immense success and demand witnessed among domestic car enthusiasts with its recently launched products like Alto 800 entry level small car and Ertiga Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) in India. Maruti Swift is the present champion in premium hatchback segment, while Alto 800 enjoys an unparalleled share in the entry-level small car space of the Indian market.

Maruti Suzuki's high-end products like the premium Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Grand Vitara and premium luxury saloon Kizashi, have been pronounced failures in the country. Both Grand Vitara and Kizashi were intended for the high-heeled Indian clientele but failed miserably, because MSIL has a limited reputation as a premium luxury car maker in the country. Evidently, Maruti Suzuki is mostly identified as a manufacturer of low-end and affordable passenger vehicles.

Further, Maruti Suzuki is the country's favourite passenger car maker and focuses mostly on the small car segment of Indian market. The strategy has worked brilliantly so far for the company and has also influenced other auto majors, such as Hyundai, Tata Motors and General Motors, to direct their energies and work efforts towards the small car segment. The immense popularity of affordable Maruti Suzuki small cars also leads other companies like Honda, Ford and Toyota to introduce their products in the segment, which helped them record some decent sales numbers as well. Prominent examples are premium hatchbacks Honda Brio, Ford Figo and Toyota Etios Liva, all of which ensures that their makers witnessed impressive sales in the country.

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Maruti Suzuki likely to introduce the CNG model of new Alto 800

Considering hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, industry experts believe that the largest car maker of the country, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), will offer a CNG fuel option with its new Alto 800. The fuel price hike has affected the sales of several car makers and thus, MSIL is not expected to join the list.

With the passing of each day, the launch of Alto 800 is coming closer and therefore, a lot of speculations and rumours are revolving around the launch stand of the model. Believed to be a ‘People’s Car’, MSIL has pinned high expectations with its upcoming model, which will efficiently square off against the likes of Hyundai Eon and Tata Nano.

Reportedly, the introduction of a CNG model in Alto 800's line-up is quite necessary for pacing up the sales as the car maker just delivered 17,500 units in July 2012 against the 24,000 units sold in corresponding period last year. Interestingly, the sales of Alto were overtaken by Swift hatchback in April 2012 and thus, it became the highest selling model of the country for the period. Sources close to development process stated that the CNG model of Alto 800 will be around Rs. 25000 costlier than the regular model.

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Maruti Suzuki launches refreshed Ritz diesel starting at Rs 5.31 lakh

MUMBAI: In order to bring in some excitement in the market, Maruti suzuki, India's largest car maker has launched a refreshed Ritz diesel starting at Rs 5.31 lakh ex-showroom New Delhi.


Maruti Suzuki claims the new Ritz diesel offers 10% higher fuel efficiency at 23.2 kilometers per litre and comes packed with 52 changes such as new front design, new dual tone interiors, multi-information display on instrument panel, new audio system with USB, electrically adjustable rear view mirrors, body side moulding amongst others.


For the first time, the company has also introduced an all new ZDi variant at Rs 6.23 lakh in the Ritz Diesel with top of the line features such as Alloy Wheels, Dual Front Air Bags and steering audio controls. 

Manohar Bhat, vice president (marketing) Maruti Suzuki India said, "Numerous changes being introduced now will make the Ritz brand more vibrant. Most important, the new Ritz is more fuel-efficient with enhanced driving comfort. This makes it even more attractive for the customer and also gives us confidence to generate additional sales."


Ritz which has already crossed a sales mark of over 2,00,000 units in a span of just 3 years, will now sport three new colours- mystique red, granite grey & breeze blue. 

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