Maruti Ritz!

Maruti is on a roll; the Ritz is their 7th new launch in 4 years (after the Swift, Zen Estilo, SX4, Grand Vitara, Swift Dzire and A-star). Maruti doesn’t seem to have a problem with product overlap either : The Ritz is the 7th Maruti hatchback you can buy today, and the 6th in the 3 – 5 lakh rupee range (2.5 lakh 800 excluded)
The Ritz is built on the same platform as the Swift. Let me simplify this entire review for you. In one line : The Ritz is a practical modern alternative to the Swift. While the Swift pulls the strings to your heart, it is the Ritz that’ll make sense to your head. This car is a genuine i10 competitor (though I expect it to pull a lot of potential Swift customers as well). The i10 has the advantage when it comes to sheer interior quality, but the Ritz has a killer weapon in its arsenal : The 1.3 DDIS diesel engine. The brand new K12M petrol engine is outstanding too, but more on that later.

The Ritz’ front end is mature & looks neat. Suzuki obviously wants to maintain a certain family look; in fact, if you half-shut your eyes, you’d think that the front is that of a Swift. The headlamps, in particular, are eye-catching. The MPV-like raked front windscreen does its part in making the interiors feel airy. The side profile is acceptable, while the pronounced wheel arches (seen on cars from the Indica facelift to the S-Class) are well-integrated.

Maruti’s new age hatches are fun to drive. The Swift & A-star proof of this. This car may have a tall stance, but it also has a firm long travel suspension. As a result, the handling is composed for a tall-boy. The body roll is well controlled, surprisingly, it doesn’t lean into corners uncomfortably. This is a thoroughly modern hatchback, even at a 100 kph it feels planted (well, as well as a hatchback can be). The Ritz is not as chuckable as the Swift, but a pretty balanced drive nevertheless. Impressive that it doesn’t feel like a tall boy (massive step ahead of a WagonR for instance).

Ride quality stays consistently good at the front, with a firm side to it. However, on the back seat, it was damn bouncy (city speeds of 30 – 50 kph) on typically Indian roads. As the speedometer climbed, it flattened out to an extent, but don’t expect a comfortable ride within the city over uneven road patches. The electric power steering is well-weighted and direct (but gives no feedback to the enthusiasts amongst us). 170 mm of ground clearance (raised from Euro spec 140 mm) with a firm suspension setup didn’t see the Ritz bottoming out anywhere (with 3 on board). The controls are extremely light, and this combined with peppy engines, makes the Ritz a fantastic drive within the city. The turning circle is tight as well. Nothing to write about the brakes. Standard fare. Brakes are reassuring and have decent feel. ABS available (and highly recommended) as an option on the Vxi / Vdi.

• Launch on the 15th of May.

• The Ritz is better suited for 4 rather than 5 passengers.

• The air-con was very effective, even in the hot Vizag summer. Didn’t need to go over position 2.

• I posed a question to Maruti as to why there isn’t an automatic gearbox offered on the Ritz (when chief competitor i10 does). Answer : Automatic market is too miniscule to focus on at the moment. However, I still believe that an auto Ritz would have given it a positive image & would bring / retain many a customer within the Maruti family.

• No airbags on the top-end diesel

• Maruti has skimped on an internal boot release.

• Logical upgrade from a WagonR. I’d presume a lot of WagonR owners would move on to the i10. Maruti has a product for them to stay within the family now. This car takes the fight to the i10 head on.

• I see people opting for the Ritz (over the Swift) not only because of enhanced practicality, but also for something different. The Swift sells 9000 cars a month and is pretty much a common sight on our roads. The Ritz is fresh off the block.

• FE should be decent in the city due to the engines low end torque.

• 8 colours : Red, Chocolate, blue, silver, green, grey, black and white.

• Maruti wanted to name this car the Splash (as is worldwide). However, Ford has the rights to that name in India.

• Rear is nowhere as claustrophobic as the Swift. But then, neither does it have the personality of the Swift.

• Lousy JK tyres give up way before the chassis does. 165mm / 14 on all but the ZXi which is shod with 185 / 14.

• Weight : LXi = 1005 kgs, LDi = 1100 kgs.

• Wind & tyre noise on the higher side at 100 kph, especially when seated at the back.

• Same family of engine as the A-star, but what a difference one cylinder can make. Way more refined.

• Swift diesel : petrol sales are 65:35. Will the Ritz be the same? Note that the petrol Ritz is more competitive than the petrol Swift.

• The international 1242cc K12 engine is not the one you see in the Indian Ritz. This one is tailor-cut to our sub-1.2 L tax benefits (1197 cc).

• Base versions (165mm) look horribly under-tyred.

• International versions have a hidden tray in the boot for storage. Not so on the Indian Ritz.

• Some parts like the console, rpm meter etc. exude quality

• Price isn’t disclosed yet, with mixed rumours of it being either slightly above the Swift or below. Either ways, I predict a market success.

What’s good
- Practical & thoroughly modern hatchback
- Well-packaged interiors
- Outstanding petrol & diesel engines
- Composed handling for a tall boy
- Maruti’s stellar after-sales service levels

What’s not

- Oddball rear end design
- Bumpy rear seat ride quality in the city
- Boot could have been bigger

In a nutshell, the young unmarried dude will probably still buy a Swift. But for someone with kids / family, the Ritz makes immensely more sense.

Red Emotional Beauty on FIRE - Fiat Linea

Friends,

I got the delivery of my Linea Emotion Pack FIRE on 9th apr, thursday. this was about 3-4 days later than it was expected & planned.

wanted to take delivery during daytime & asked dealer to hastenup & be ready by 4.30 pm. but got into an urgent meeting at work & could reach only by 6.30 pm. first checked all dox with the checklist i carried. then asked the dealer exe to explain everything about the car. well, he was not quite well versed with the car features, he seemed to be an accounts/ backoffice guy as all regular sales guys would have left for the day. also i has understood everything earlier during PDI at stockyard. have asked him which petrol should i use - premium or regular. he said premium. when i queried that for diesel cars fiat recommends regular diesel, he still insisted (along with another guy) that one should use premium petrol or premium diesel. looking at his ignorance i did opposite. left dealership at around 7.30 pm & got regular unleaded petrol filled at nearby pump. (ODO shown 28 kms when i did PDI at stockyard & 123 km at the time of delivery).

(got to know later at night from owners manual that for petrol cars, fiat recommends unleaded petrol with minimum 91 octane. Guess which petrol is this? I googled it & found that IOC's ExtraPremium petrol is 91 octane petrol. BPCL's Speed is not though it is a premium version with additives.)

The drive from dealership to residence is around 40 kms with about 2.5 hrs in mumbai peak traffic.

When I did the TD, I did not feel engine to be underpowered at all. however, i must say that in my 1st drive in my linea, I "felt" it underpowered in 1st & 2nd gear. 2nd gear particularly is "felt" awful. The reasone I put quotes surrounding felt is because fiat's clutch ply is long & I have to get used it it first. probably after 4-5 days when I'm used to fiat's way of clutch-accelerator/brake/gear combine with all 4 fully synchronised, I'll be able to judge it better.

y'day I noticed that steering wheel is not centre-aligned but is tilting just a little towards right hand side (around 5-10 degrees) when car is going straight line. When I align steering to exact centre, car slightly goes to left. called sales exe, he said its ok, its only a little permissible margin. not satisfied & called again that i want it to be corrected. took their service station manager no. & spoke to him. told him that i would be coming tom i.e. today sunday. he said perfectly ok & though he won't be there, he'll instruct his assistant. another reason for service sation visit was i noticed impressions of water drops all over the cars. its like water was sprayed on the car & someone forgot to wipe so drops left impression when dried. i tried to clear it, but they were too stubborn even against mild soap. on chrome when i rubbed persistently on a small area, it got cleared but didnt want to take chance on colored body.

So, today went to service station around 1 p.m. my overall impression of it is they have good intentions, their ability on fiat products would take some time to develop expertise. i got a good reception & treatment there. advisor-1 took a drive of my car & got convinced on the issue. While i waited in their comfortable AC room reading owners manual, another advisor-2 came after 10 minutes, he also just understood the problem & went. Then I met that Assistant, he said the manager did instructed him to take care of my vehicle! They all excused for half an hour as it was lunch time 1.45 pm. Then during lunch hour assistant came & said he wanted to understand all issues. so, we went driving the car to show the steering issue. Coming back I also shown him the interiors plastics which was quite dirty for a fresh car & told him that PDI was not done properly. He promised to complete everything in half an hour. after 45 minutes he came back & said the work is done, we went on a test drive again, i was not satisfied as there was not much of a difference.

So, again he took the car inside & returned with the steering issue corrected. They also cleaned the interior with car interior solution. Regarding the water drop impressions, they tried everything. 1st they washed the car, it didn't go. then they washed the car with diesel, the impressions got fainter but still didn't go. then he said he'll do 3M polish & buffing & tried to call 3M guy who went off without telling him! well, that 3M guy could not come in so he very politely requested me if i can come again day after. I left at 4 pm.

One more thing - as I mentioned in previous post, though my car is emotion pack & has blue n me, the blue & me sticker is not there on the rear glass. am not particularly interested in the sticker but want to know the reason as may be PDI was not done properly. in that case, thinking of getting everything checked on tuesday when I go back ag

From the time that Honda set foot in India in ‘97, the “City” (C segment) has marked the entry point for the brand. All of this changes with the Jazz. Trivia : The “Jazz” nameplate seems to be a favorite with Honda’s head honchos. Depending on the country, the Jazz badge has been worn by a Honda motorcycle, an SUV, and a hatchback.

This is the 2nd generation Jazz - Honda’s world hatch. It is one of the rare cars that is sold in an identical form (save for varying engine options and trim) across the globe; the same car is called the Honda Fit in North America, Japan & China and is sold as the Jazz in SE Asia, Europe & South Africa (unlike say, the entirely different Accord versions for USA & Europe). Japan is the largest market for this car, followed by Europe & then the United States. The 1st & 2nd gen Jazz’, both, have walked away with the “Japan World Car of the Year” awards in their respective introduction years.

The Indian premium hatch segment is tricky, one that the Fabia has failed at and the i20 just about managing to get along. Can Honda crack the premium hatch code?

Sharing its platform with the City, the Jazz is a thoroughly contemporary supermini, introduced to North America & UK in Y2008. It has a near identical wheel base to the City (shorter by only 50 mm), the same width and a taller stance. The car wears an MPV-like profile, especially when viewed from the front & the side, and comes across as a one-box automobile. The design is fresh, the Jazz looking distinctly premium in person. Fit, finish & paint quality are top class. Look at the side profile picture and you can tell that cabin space is stretched as much as possible. “Man maximum, machine minimum”. Yet, in my books, the i20 is the better looker.
The packaging is sheer brilliance. The Jazz’s interior is functional while the storage space is high on flexibility. The dash design is funky, only adding to the modern feel of the interiors. The doors shut with a premium-feeling “thunk” (though far from a “thud, if you know what I mean ). Interior space is more sedan- like, sufficient room for front & rear passengers alike. A large green house does its bit in making the interiors feel even more airy and headroom, in particular, is generous. I found the Jazz better suited to carrying 4 passengers in comfort (and not 5). All doors open wide for easy access, but the seats themselves are set a tad on the lower side (compared to the tall boys) while under-thigh support is below average (especially of the rear seat). On the positive side, the front seat’s awesome side bolstering literally hugs you, and lower back support is good too. The fuel tank is positioned below the front passenger seat and releases room at the rear (lower cargo floor for instance); the boot too is a massive 384 liters size. The “magic seats” – as Honda calls them – are nifty, more on that later.

There are plenty of cubby holes & storage spots for the knick knacks. Interior parts feel durable and overall quality is good (though most plastics are hard on the knock). The air-con controls are chunky & great to use, while the tactile switchgear has a very premium feel to it. Overall, the interiors feel well screwed together and, strangely, better than even the more expensive City! The driver enjoys fantastic all around visibility, driving position spot-on and all controls fall easily to hand. Unique quarter windows in front of the ORVMs & at the rear help in tight turning situations. Steering has only tilt adjustment and – sadly - none for reach. The City's steering wheel (with audio controls) is great to use while the orange backlit instrument panel is easy on the eyes. There’s even a fuel indicator that throws out real-time information on economy (FE lovers will be delighted!). The air-con is an absolute chiller. 20 minutes into the drive, I moved it down to position 1. The Jazz is extremely straight forward to use, in a way that only Toyota & Honda seem to have mastered.

Stung by the criticism in the City, Honda has made amends and equips the Jazz with an MP3 CD player as standard fitment. Aux input present, though no USB. The stereo volume is speed-sensitive. The head unit's unique shape & integration make an aftermarket stereo upgrade difficult.

All Jazz variants come standard with dual-front airbags, OEM sound system + steering controls and ABS / EBD brakes. Yet, no alloy wheels, no height adjustable seat, no dead pedal, no parcel tray, no arm rests, no lumbar support at this price!! C’mon Honda!
Pricing: Honda's pricing has been a shocker and, at 6.98 lakhs (ex showroom Delhi) doesn't offer value. The difference between the top-end Jazz and the entry level City is a mere 48,000 (City 1.5 E MT @ 7.81 lakhs). The Jazz's pricetag actually makes the Hyundai i20 seem like VFM. Even the full blown i20 Asta (O) is a whopping 1.2 lakhs cheaper (ex showroom Delhi), and that's with FAR superior equipment levels (6 airbags et al). Can a clever car & the "H" badge do some magic in the marketplace? Only time will tell.
4 year warranty + road side assistance are standard.

• Turning radius : 4.9 Meters.

• Tall 2nd gear : Good for 90 kph.

• There’s a total of 10 bottle / cup holders! Two cup holders in front of side air-con vents can keep your Pepsi cool. Rear doors come with bottle holders as well.

• 1055kg kerb weight. Safety standards are making cars heavier. The Jazz tips the scales higher than the Palio!

• Rev cut-off at 6,700 rpms.

• Steering is super-light at parking speeds.

• I hope Honda offers a CVT option sooner rather than later. It'd be in line with the market positioning of this car.

• I was happy to see Michelins as the OE tyre on some Jazz’. Make sure to tell your dealer of your preference.

• Potential of a larger engine as an option? Rumour mills are working overtime, I don't think so.

• 5 star safety rating in the NCAP. But that car had better safety features (more airbags etc.).

• Colours : Black, Red, Blue, Light blue, Silver & white.

Variants:

Jazz Base - Dual airbags, ABS + EBD, Immobilizer, Audio system + steering controls, Keyless Entry

Jazz Active - Jazz base plus spoiler, body colour grille, front fog lamps, Chrome rings + panel (interiors), side step garnishes

Jazz Mode - Body side moldings + corner protectors, mud flaps, Chrome rings + panel (interiors), side step garnishes