The largest car maker in the country, Maruti Suzuki is clearly making all the necessary efforts to grab the largest chunk in all the segments it deals in. The company has further opened up to risks, gaining confidence from the worldwide success of its latest offering Ertiga, a Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV). In the Indian market, Maruti Suzuki Ritz is preferred by those who want a substitute for the Swift diesel as they do not want to wait for the same. Even though its sales are nowhere close to the volumes of the Swift, Ritz has performed well in the entry-level hatchback segment compared to its rivals. Recently it became one of the very models to scale the sales mark of 3 lac units and the success of the car model can be credit to its trendy looks.
The car maker had been considering to launch a facelifted version of Ritz from quite some time. Though it has been designed in India, this car is deemed as the company's 'global hatch'. It is being sold in Europe and Japan under the moniker of 'Splash'. The facelifted version too has been launched in the two markets and was made available for sale from the beginning of June 2012. It is expected that the model will hit Indian roads by Diwali 2012.
Ritz's newest edition comes with a K12M motor instead of the K12 motor which did duty on the previous version. The powertrain will come mated with a VVT unit in the new car. With the constant rise in the prices of fuel, the car maker may tweak the 1.3 DDiS combustion unit to ensure better mileage. There are two powertrain options available in the 2012 Splash, namely 1.0 L and 1.2 L, which come coupled with manual and automatic transmission options. The company also offers this hatchback in a LPG variant.
The car has been cosmetically modified as well, with a new grille and bumper replacing the earlier ones. The model that will be sold in European countries sports an all-new front fascia housing revised fog lamps and a front bumper identical to that of the Swift DZire. The length of the car has been increased by 45 mm due to a revised rear bumper. Its roof, fog lights and headlamps too have been altered to make them more conventional. Silver Metallic, Gray metallic, Black Metallic, Red, Blue Metallic, White, Green Metallic, Brown Metallic are the colour options available in the new model.
Besides the cosmetics overhaul on the exteriors, the Indian version of the car will come loaded with several new features found in the all-new Swift. Safety package of the Indian version of new Ritz may come with Antilock Braking System (ABS), audio controls on steering wheels, front dual air bags and climate control. Maruti may launch the new model in the range of Rs. 4.5-6.5 lacs.
