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.