Maruti Ritz (2017)

In the year 2009, Ritz from Maruti Suzuki debuted in India. It’s known as Splash in other international car markets. At Delhi Auto Expo 2008 it was showcased for the first time in India with the similar name. People were eagerly waiting for this modern hatch from Maruti. Though it didn’t get that extraordinary reception like Swift but soon it picked up the pace in the market. Swift has always enjoyed long waiting periods due to which many buyers have to opt for any other brand’s premium hatch. Maruti desperately needed an alternative for Swift which can hold those buyers.

This car is specially crafted and positioned in such a way that it prompts two segments of hatch buyers. First those buyers who don’t want any regular Santro, WagonR, i10 and want a powerful hatch than cars like Chevy Beat and Ford Figo but it has to be a Maruti car and Secondly for those who find premium hatches like Swift, Polo, i20 to be very expensive and big in size. Actually Ritz is a younger version of Swift which comes with Maruti’s trust. The plan till now has worked in the favour of Maruti and recently looking at the rising competition and demand for the diesel version, Maruti has launched the face-lifted version of its diesel variant. With this Maruti expects the sales of Ritz to get better than before.

Exterior

The design and styling of Ritz is a fresh breath of air. The car is remarkably unique in terms of appearance. It doesn’t resemble to any other car. Maruti Suzuki has reduced the wheelbase of the chassis used in the Swift and increased the height of Ritz. After WagonR it’s the second tall boy designed car from Maruti. Unlike WagonR this car doesn’t seem too boxy and manages to grab your attention instantly. Its front and rear styling is one of its kind. The new diesel version has just got better. The bonnet of Ritz is relatively shorter than swift but it’s longer than WagonR. The bonnet has nice edgy lines on it which gives it a prominent V shape. The new bonnet is more angular with nice, elongated front headlights. Front bumper is revised which now resembles to that of Swift. Wheel arches neatly merges in to the front bumper along with new surrounds for fog lights. Its grille is the catchiest thing in its front styling. There is no usage of chrome at all yet it manages to look extremely sporty.

It has a long grille including an air dam which is separated by the number plate and it has a big Suzuki logo in its center. The nose of the car looks long and deep due to its extended grille and bonnet. The side profile of this car has macho wheel arches .They start from its front bumper and goes all the way till the rear bumper which along with 14 inch alloy wheels makes it look charismatic. The top model of Ritz also features body colored door handles an outside mirrors. Its high roof at its front suddenly slopes down at the back and you reach the most unique part of this car; its back. Frankly speaking, We just love its rear designing. Though it’s tall yet it’s elegant. It’s notably rear wider hips along with long tail lights makes it an attention seeker. Boot gate is fitted with sporty rear glass and wiper. Its rear appearance has received mixed responses from people as for some it’s hard to accept its unconventional styling and for some it’s the matter of exclusivity.

Interior

Maruti Suzuki Ritz uses dual tone interiors most of which gives the grey effect. The new version of Ritz features vibrant blue colored seats which reduce the dull effect. It has silver finishing on inside door handles. The car feels premium inside and its interiors are surely a step ahead from Maruti. Fabrics along with the overall quality of material used inside the car are competent and you do get the feeling of being in a premium hatch. What you won’t like is some of its hard plastic including window rollers in the base model. Otherwise some pieces like three spoke steering wheel and gear knob are from its elder premium siblings. The car also has a distinctive water fall inspired console.

Comfort and Convenience

Maruti Ritz is undoubtedly a comfortable car with lot of conveniences. Those blue colored seats are very comfortable with adjustable front and rear headrests. There is ample amount of under thigh and back support which confirms you cheerful long journeys. Driver seat is height adjustable with power steering available for tilt adjustment. Outside rear view mirrors are electrically adjustable. The new Ritz has Multi Information Display on instrument panel which gives important information to driver. Its instrument cluster is very nicely designed and easily readable with separately placed sporty, round shaped tachometer. The tall design of Ritz grants you generous amount of headroom for front and rear seating. Legroom should not be an issue as its rear knee room is more than what you get in Swift and other competitors like Beat and i10. Ritz has a powerful AC and heater which is very effective. Top model comes with all four power windows and central locking.

Dashboard and Storage

Maruti Ritz has a long dashboard offered in dual tone colors. The heavily textured dashboard is partly blue in color which mixes up really well with its seats. It features simple shaped AC vents with tidily fitted V shaped waterfall centre console which are surrounded with silver finish. It also has an oval shaped white colored speedometer which is very unique. There is a glove box in this dashboard with storage compartment just above the centre console. There is only one cup holder in Ritz but it has a big storage tray under the front passenger seat to compensate. Door pockets are available with back pocket on front seats. For more storage there is a parcel tray at the back. Its boot capacity of 178ltr is a let-down as you can only fit two small bags in to it however you can increase it by folding the rear seats.

Music System

The top model of Ritz comes with an audio system integrated in the centre console. It’s a radio, CD player and the new diesel variant also comes with USB port in it which allows you to play your music gadget directly. There are four powerful speakers with this music system. For easy accessibility of this system audio control buttons are mounted on the steering wheel. It also has a 12V accessory socket.

Engine and Gearbox

Maruti offers Ritz in two fuel options with two different engines. Ritz shares these engines with its elder sibling Swift. Both engines are world acclaimed and are known for their performance and fuel efficiency. The petrol unit is a 1.2L K series engine. This K12 engine is slightly tweaked for Ritz and its specifications are almost similar to that of Swift. It produces a peak power of 84 bhp at 6000 rpm while the torque output is of 113 nm achievable at 4500 rpm. The diesel variant is available with Fiat’s Multijet engine. This four cylinder 1.3L engine yields out a power of 74 bhp coming at 4000 rpm while at 2000 rpm you can avail a maximum torque output of 190 nm. Both engines of Ritz are equipped with five-speed manual gearbox.

Acceleration and Performance

The K12 petrol engine is one of the fastest engines in its segment. With 84 bhp under the belt, Ritz is always ready to be tested. It’s an extremely refined and powerful engine. In fact this unit was originally designed to mate this car; Swift got it only after its arrival with Ritz. Due to its heavy weight and taller gear ratios than Swift, it feels on the slower side although it’s hardly noticeable. Once pass 2000 rpm, it is hard to stop this enthusiast. It does 0-100km/hour in nearly 14 seconds and after that in no time you will find yourself crossing 150km/hour without losing any confidence. It certainly doesn’t feel as peppy as Swift or i10 but that’s only in the initial phase. In city no doubt you will have to work on its gearing to pull out the adequate amount of torque.

It’s not that slow either as when you compare it to cars like Beat, Figo and Toyota Liva, its far better in terms of performance. Similarly the diesel version is also fun to drive. In fact it’s hard to differentiate the performance of petrol and diesel. Except its initial turbo lag there is no reason to say that it’s the best engine in its segment. You can reach 100km/hour mark between 15-16seconds and after 2000rpm its butter smooth. It never feels short of power and you can reach 150km/hour without much noise and vibration. This engine feels far more responsive and refined than what you get in its competitors.

Mileage

The 1.2L petrol engine returns a fuel efficiency of around 13-14km/ltr in city while on highways it can return around 16km/ltr. Its taller gear ratios help it to achieve these respectable figures. Its diesel engine is also very impressive. Expect a fuel efficiency of 16km/ltr with this engine in city conditions and around 20km/ltr on highways that to without compromising on power.

Ride and Handling

Maruti Ritz has a high seating position which gives you a perfect visibility and makes it easy to drive. With its turning radius of 4.7m, it handles like any other small hatch. It has a very light and responsive steering and perfect for city commuting. Its high ground clearance along with worthy suspension, it’s absolutely safe to drive this car on our Indian roads which are full of pothole and speed breakers. It digests most of the bumps and fell quite settled. With its fatty tyres and weight, the car sticks firmly on road and gives you impeccable confidence. Though around sharp corners body roll is evident due to its tall styling but it’s always under your control which we miss in the other tall cars like WagonR and Santro. Overall ride quality and the way it handles leave no room for you to complain.

Braking and Safety features

Maruti Ritz is enabled with disk brakes at its front and drum brakes at the back. Moreover the top model also has ABS and EBD (brake assist) to make its braking more accurate. It also has vital safety features like Front Dual airbags with iCATS immobilizer making it one of the safest cars in its segment.

Variants

Maruti Suzuki Ritz is available in ten variants: LXi, VXi, Automatic VXi, VXi ABS, Automatic VXi ABS, ZXi, LDi, VDi, VDi ABS and ZDi.

Shades

Maruti Suzuki Ritz is available in six shades: Superior White, Silky Silver, Bakers Chocolate, New Granite Grey, New Breeze Blue and New Mystique Red.

Warranty

Maruti gives a 2years/40,000kms warranty on its new cars which can be extended further.

Verdict

Maruti has competitively priced this car; it is surely worth as at this price. Maruti offers brilliant engines with modern styling. It has all those qualities which make it a car a perfect hatch. It has the style and power to attract the youth; it has the proper space and comfort for families and most importantly its fuel efficient for everybody. We agree it’s costlier than its competitors and you can opt for cars like Beat and Figo which are not that bad either but don’t expect yourself that sense of power and exclusivity with those cars.

Moreover we all know about the difference in the resale value and maintenance cost of other brands and Maruti. For us undoubtedly it’s a complete value for money car. Maruti Ritz is an economical option for those waiting for diesel version of Swift or thinking about other less powerful and expensive cars. With face lifted diesel version of Ritz We expect this car to do much better and become a reason for many to ‘live the moment’.

Maruti Ritz Diesel vs. Ford Figo Diesel