Maruti Suzuki has planned to launch Maruti Splash in India by early 2009. It will be another hatchback model from the company in the B+ segment. The car will be named as Ritz in India and will be an added model in the expanding small car product portfolio of Maruti Suzuki. The Splash had replaced Wagon-R in the European countries but in India it will co-exist with its earlier model. It is expected to be priced around Rs. 4.5-5.5 lakh. Suzuki had showcased the model at the Paris Motors Show last year but since then the company had made some more than cosmetic changes in the car. The new Ritz comes with bold styling and interiors that may remind of Swift or SX4. It will be available in 1.2 lit
re petrol and 1.3 multi-jet (DDiS) diesel engine. Higher roofline and wider tracks make the model spacious and offer enough leg room as well as head space.
Maruti Suzuki currently occupies more than 50 percent market share in the small car segment. Hyundai is the second largest small car manufacturer in India with its popular models like Santro and i10. India is the largest small car market in the world. 2009 promises launch for quite a few small cars from nearly all the car makers including VW, Ford, Hyundai, etc. as each one of them eyes to capture larger market share in the country.
