Maruti Ritz Review

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has launched global hatchback, christened as Splash during first half of 2009. In India though this has been given another name called Maruti Suzuki Ritz.

The Ritz first came out of wraps at the 2006 Paris Motor Show; however, it came out as a concept car named Project Splash. But the response Project Splash received at the show prompted the production and subsequent launch of it as Splash in the outside markets and as Maruti Ritz here in India. It should be noted that it's the 5th International model for Maruti Suzuki India after Swift, Grand Vitara, A-Star and the SX4.

Looks, design and Styling of the Maruti Ritz
The Maruti Ritz was built on new platform, however, getting the cues from the Swift and the SX4. Quite contrary to other hatchbacks from Maruti, Ritz has a large C-pillar in the rear that gave provision for constricted quarter glass which of course isn't quite varying from that of the Maruti Swift.



Although the Ritz looks a small car with a width of 1.68 meters, it is in fact 8-cm wider than the Maruti Wagon R. The placement and the shape of headlights is quite smart and exudes friendly appearance. The headlights with the trapezoidal grille in the front neatly give the Suzuki a new family identity.

The Suzuki emblem is boldly incorporated at the center of the grille. The front of the Ritz has the energy-absorbing components that are meant for protection of pedestrians. With a streamlined body, it doesn't compromise for spacious interiors as well as functionality and configurations.

The rising nose blend to form roof and the roofline slopes slowly and subtly towards back and ends as a vertical tailgate. The inward angle of the tailgate of the Maruti Ritz has been a let down to the beauty of the hatch if I may say that.

While you see such obtuse angle inward in some French hatches, it wasn't appreciated for the whacky kind of an appearance it gives to the rear of the car.

Interiors of the Maruti Ritz
As regards the interiors the Maruti Ritz boasts of comfortable and spacious seats and plush dashboard styled like what you see in the SX4. The Ritz also continues to adopt same Suzuki's parts from steering wheel to gear knob to the door handles to the indicator switches as you see in the Swift or the SX4 which helped to keep the pricing of the Ritz competitive.

The top end petrol and the diesel variants of the Maruti Ritz also boast of steering-mounted controls and security-stepped-up features such as ABS and airbags. The high-end models feature leather upholstered seats and luxurious interiors. The AC vents and the knobs are big as well as neatly placed. The placement of the tachometer and the gear-knob gives a sporty feel and it's similar to Hyundai i10 and i20 cars.

Ritz is roomy inside, in particular the headroom is big enough to accommodate even a six footer comfortably. The rear seats are set a little higher than front ones so passengers will not feel claustrophobic and catch good view of the roads. While the Maruti Ritz is a 4-seater hatch it can accommodate 5 upon some squeezing. There is a decent-sized glove box and tray for the front seaters, and the front also has flip lid box over the dashboard.

The Maruti Ritz is going to disappoint you once if you lift the boot as it appears small, but wait you have a surprise there. The boot is layered and there is a compartment latent with false floor and that spreads from front-to-rear to keep things such as spare tyre and the car gives a sporty overall feeling and has offers from technology advancements too especially in the mini car segment. The colored dashboard surfaces of the Maruti Ritz gives a casual yet very youthful look.

The interiors do reflect the quality of the materials used, and the silvery borders on the console appeal to eyes giving it refreshingly great ambience. Small is big is what you feel if you see the cockpit; no gimmicks and no superfluous cheats. The easy-to-read speedo dial with indicator lamps around it located just behind steer wheel.

The lower half of the speed has the liquid crystal display (LCD) which provides much-needed additional information. It should be noted that in some variants the tachometer is mounted on dash. And Maruti has kept the buttons to bare minimum so to keep the safety at desired level but distractions to the least. The Maruti Ritz has the gear lever mounted high and the driver seat height adjustable. The suspension of the Ritz is quite good if not the best and the turn and corner maneuverability is just accurate.


Engine Options of the Maruti Ritz
Maruti Ritz comes in 3 engine options: the 1.0 liter petrol, 1.2 liter petrol and 1.3 liter diesel.
The 1.0 L petrol engine version will have a K series engine displacing 1000cc delivering a power of 65bhp and is similar to the engine that is used in the Maruti A-Star hatch.
The 1.2 L petrol version comes powered with a 1197cc, 4-cylinder, K12M engine that produces 85 bhp @ 5500 rpm and peak torque of 117 Nm @ 4200 rpm.

The 1.3 L Ritz Diesel version comes powered with common-rail diesel engine displacing 1248cc and delivering a power of 75 bhp. This variant of the Ritz gives maximum fuel efficiency while not compromising on the power output in the city drive conditions.

But all of the Ritz engines are mated to 5-speed gearbox.

Color options and pricing of the Maruti Ritz
The Maruti Ritz is available in a choice of 8 colors:
1. Superior White
2. Fire Brick Red
3. Silky Silver
4. Blue Blaze
5. Bakers Chocolate
6. Midnight Black
7. Racing Green
8. Glistening Grey

Different variants of the Ritz
Maruti Ritz comes in five variants: In the petrol version, there are Maruti Ritz Lxi, Maruti Ritz Vxi and the Maruti Ritz Zxi. In the diesel version you will see the Maruti Ritz Ldi and the Maruti Ritz Vdi.

The petrol version Ritz is priced between Rs. 3.9 and 4.8 lakhs (Ex-showroom Delhi) and the diesel version Ritz is priced between Rs. 4.65 and 4.99 lakhs, respectively.

Final word:
Looks are subjective though but the unusual shape of the rear is its let down factor. So do the interiors which actually lack the fun element. Coming to the many pros, engine refinement of the Ritz wins hands down. The interiors are quite roomy, and the K series engine also gives much needed fuel economy for city driving and Maruti brand of cars always give great peace of mind with low maintenance costs and good resale value. The Ritz is a truly VFM car.