All about Maruti 800: The Most Popular Car of India

Posted by Mehdi Hassan on August 16th, 2008 in Cars | 2 Comments

India is one of the emerging car markets of the world. Rapid economic growth and rising income of people have increased the demand of cars in India. However, the country has a reputation for using small compact cars and when you think of small Indian car, the first name that comes to mind is Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.( BOM:532500). Formerly known as Maruti Udyog Limited, the company was established in 1981. Famous Japanese automaker, Suzuki Motor Corporation (TYO:7269) and Indian government were the major shareholders of the company. In 2003, Indian government offered a public hearing to sell its share and sold all its shares within 2007. From September 2007, the company changed its name to Maruti Suzuki India Limited.

Maruti Suzuki India Limited is the first company to mass produce cars in India and revolutionize the Indian car market. It is the first company to produce over a million cars in India. Maruti 800, the flagship car of the company, is the highest selling car in India since its launch in 1984. A rebadged version of Suzuki Alto, Maruti 800 was first made with 100% imported components. Aside from serving the domestic needs, Maruti 800 is also exported to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Chile. From 1988 to 1992, Maruti 800 was also available in selected European markets. In Chile, Morocco, it was sold as Suzuki Maruti. A small car with tight space, Maruti 800 is known for its fuel economy.

Dropping sales of Maruti 800:

Overall, the company sold 2.5 million cars in India and exported 183,000 units. However, the scenario of the country has changed a lot. Changing lifestyle and increasing buying capacity of people attracted many car makers around the world. Still a compact car market, now, there are many car models which has affected the Maruti sales. In the first quarter of 2008, sales went down by 7.4% to 16,649 units against 17,994 units in the same period of last fiscal year.

Dimension of Maruti 800 & Maruti 800 Duo:

Length: 3335 mm

Width: 1440 mm

Height: 1405 mm

Wheelbase: 2175 mm

Distance between two front wheels: 1215 mm

Distance between two rear wheels: 1200 mm

Kerb weight (non-AC LPG): 683 kg

Kerb weight (AC LPG):698 kg

Gross vehicle weight: 1000 kg

Seating capacity: 4

Fuel tank capacity: Petrol 28 litre and LPG 19.2
Features:

The Maruti 800 is available in two different versions: AC and non-AC.
The Maruti 800 has 4.4 meter turning radius. Its small size makes it ideal for driving in crowded busy streets and park in tight space.
The Maruti 800 comes with outside rear view mirror.
The Maruti 800 has green tinted glasses (available in AC only).
The Maruti 800 comes with lockable fuel lid.
The Maruti 800 has back door lock.
The Maruti 800 has reclining and sliding front seats.
The Maruti 800 has dual tone interior upholstery.
The Maruti 800 has new head restraints.
The Maruti 800 comes with glove compartment.
The Maruti 800 comes with center box with lid.
The Maruti 800 comes with coin receptacle.
The Maruti 800 has sun visors on both sides.
The Maruti 800 comes with front and rear assist grips.
The Maruti 800 has front door pocket (available at left handside).
The Maruti 800 comes with floor and luggage room carpets.
The Maruti 800 comes with moulded roof lining.
The Maruti 800 comes with stay type fuel gauge.
The Maruti 800 has inside rear view mirror.
The Maruti 800 has front wipers.
The Maruti 800 comes with cabin light.
The Maruti 800 has windshield washer.
The Maruti 800 comes with airflow controls.
The Maruti 800 has clear lens headlamps.
The Maruti 800 comes with clear lens rear combination lamps.
The Maruti 800 has halogen bulbs.
The Maruti 800 comes with side impact beams.
The Maruti 800 has laminated windshield.
The Maruti 800 comes with additional body reinforcements.
The Maruti 800 has high mount rear stop lamp.
The Maruti 800 comes with collapsible steering column.
The Maruti 800 has front and rear seats belts.
The Maruti 800 comes with Head lamp leveling device.

Maruti 800 Duo:

Aside from the regular Maruti 800 model, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (BOM:532500) has launched Maruti 800 Duo. The main feature of Maruti 800 Duo is that it comes two fuel options: regular fuel and LPG fuel. Maruti 800 Duo has all the features of the regular Maruti 800 cars but it is more fuel efficient and has minimal emissions.Developed by a group of 24 engineers, Maruti 800 Duo was launched in June 2008.The car is available in both Ac and non-AC model.

Features:

The Maruti 800 Duo comes with easy to reach and easy to switch fuel modes (LPG/Petrol).
The Maruti 800 Duo has 20 ltrs LPG cylinder. Installed by the company, it is safe and takes very small amount of space.
The Maruti 800 Duo also has “easy-to-fit LPG inlet value” which makes LPG refilling very easy.
The Maruti 800 Duo comes with clear multi- reflector headlights.
The Maruti 800 Duo has attractive tail lamps.
The Maruti 800 Duo comes with “specifically placed crumple zones” that absorb the force of impact.
The Maruti 800 Duo has an upgraded security system. The new iCATS security system enables the car to be started with original key.
Like the compact Maruti 800, the Maruti 800 Duo is ideal for the small roads and crowded city streets that are very common in India. The car has a turning radius of 4.4 m.
The Maruti 800 Duo has high mount stop lamp.
The Maruti 800 Duo comes with collapsible steering column.
The Maruti 800 Duo comes with rear seat belts.
The Maruti 800 Duo has side impact beams.
The Maruti 800 Duo has headlamp leveling system that allows the angle of the headlamp beam to be changed according to the level of the load.

Price of Maruti 800 Duo:

The price of Maruti 800 Duo ranges from Rs. 2.05 lakh to Rs. 2.26 lakh.

Maruti 800 Uniq:

In order to push up its sales figure, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.( BOM:532500) launched a new variant of its flagship model, Maruti 800. The new model, Maruti 800 Uniq, was announced on July 25^th. From August 4, 2008, it was available in showrooms. This new model is available in AC version only.