1. Maruti Ritz TestDrive & Review | VickyConnect Expert Reviews http://vicky.in/connect/expertreviews/maruti-ritz-testdrive-review/
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Maruti Ritz TestDrive & Review
Posted by TeamVicky under Car, Maruti and Ritz. 0 Comments
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
What if your competetiors are pounding you through all means, strengthen your portfolio! Maruti Suzuki –
market leader has come up with its eighth new model Ritz in past 48 months With the addition of Ritz.
Maruti now offers 7 models in small car segment. Is Maruti confusing customers with too many models?
can the Ritz march ahead without dooming the sales of Swift?? Is Ritz, Maruti ‘s answer to upcoming
Honda Jazz, Fiat Grande Punto and Volkswagen polo. We check out the Maruti Suzuki’s Ritz along the
sea-shore of Bay of Bengal in Vizagpatnam
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
Globally Ritz (Splash) is designed to replace the Wagon-R. Ritz is targetted towards young but married
male between the age of 25-35. Clearly the word to the designers is to come up with a roomy hatch that
can carry a family. Ritz has a short snub nose, wheels set far apart and a non-existent rear overhang. The
taller stance, big wheel arches, rising waistline and almost vertical tail exudes the functional styling of ritz.
However its not without sex appeal, it is good looking with plenty of cheekiness. The angled rear lamps
are designed to look like splashes of water, apparently!
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
Under the bonnet, engine choices comprise 85bhp,1.2-litre petrol or 75PS 1.3L diesel units. The diesel is
the most familiar one which already powers a long list of cars – swift, swift Dzire, Fiat Palio,Fiat Linea
and Tata Indica Vista and much more in the days to come. However the petrol is very new to India and is
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2. Maruti Ritz TestDrive & Review | VickyConnect Expert Reviews http://vicky.in/connect/expertreviews/maruti-ritz-testdrive-review/
part of Suzuki’s advance K-series engine. Like its sibling, the K10B engine which is used in A-star, plastic
parts have been extensively used in the K12M engine to reduce the weight. The K12M engine is a light
weight unit with rocker-less DOHC cam shaft, plastic intake manifold and Smart Distributor Less Ignition
(SDLI) system. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard for both the engines. Maruti Suzuki sees very
little market for automatic hence no autobox in India though the european splash comes with an automatic
transmission. Maruti says that the gear ratios have been optimized for the Ritz to match Indian driving
conditions and to offer best driveability.
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
Switch on the ignition, open the throttle, the 1.2L K12M make a happy, low-pitched hum and it’s very
smooth. Splash might be the extremely quieted in this class. The engine is barely audible and i have to
check often whether the ignition is switched on. Even though the motor displaces lesser than the swift, the
power on tap is sufficient to pull through the motorway and even the mountains of Vizagpatnam. The
gentler driving is ensured across all speeds. But it need few rev to bring the engine to life and to accelerate
seriously the accelerator must be firmly depressed. The light clutch is effortless to use and the standard
five-speed manual makes smooth, slick changes.
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
Coming the 1.3L diesel wonder, this Multijet time and again proves that why its an award winner. The
sudden rush of acceleration once you move past 2000rpm gives you the liveliest drive. The oil-burner is
impeccable mid-range punch makes you feel more energetic on the road, and you can overtake with
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3. Maruti Ritz TestDrive & Review | VickyConnect Expert Reviews http://vicky.in/connect/expertreviews/maruti-ritz-testdrive-review/
confidence. However, Ritz petrol scores over the diesel in performance, it reaches 100kmph in 14
seconds compared to 15s for diesel. Though our test drive landscape did not allowed us to test the top
speed, we managed to push the Ritz petrol to 140kmph and diesel to 130kmph.
While the K12M engine is by default complies BS IV, Maruti has modified the diesel engine configuration
to meet the forthcoming BS-IV emission norms. Ritz will be the first passenger car in India to be
compliant with the BS IV emission norms, in petrol as well as diesel variants. As per the CMVR (Central
Motor Vehicle Rules) , Ritz petrol delivers a mileage of 17.7 kmpl and Ritz diesel an impressive 21.1
kmpl. These figures are taken under standard conditions and the real figure would be lower than this.
However we expect a impressive fuel efficiency from both these motors.
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
On the road, the Ritz doesn’t quite have the Swift’s agile responses. But it surprised us with its better than
expected handling chracteristics. The steering in the Ritz petrol is precise and light but few times it lacks
the natural feel of the road. On the other hand, the heavier diesel engine puts up extra weight and calls for
firmer front suspension. This results in natural feeling steer and tells you how much grip is left at the front
wheels. But on the downside, the diesel Ritz thuds into sharp bumps that the petrol-engined cars soak up.
Both the Ritz are easy to thread through town traffic, simple to park and perfectly competent and
comfortable on country roads. On hard cornering, there is a discernible body roll but it remains safe and
friendly around corners. Brake pedal is well weighed and brakes offer a firm and progressive feel. Except
the top end Zxi petrol variant which rides on larger 185/70 R 14 tyres, all the variants of Ritz uses 165/80.
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4. Maruti Ritz TestDrive & Review | VickyConnect Expert Reviews http://vicky.in/connect/expertreviews/maruti-ritz-testdrive-review/
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
Ritz is available in eight colours- fire brick red, bakers choclate,blue blaze.silky silver,racing
green,glistering grey,midnight black and superior white. For the first time in the segment, Ritz comes with
two sets of dual-tone instrument panels - blue panel and grey panel, that match with the body colours.
Pictorial Review of Maruti Suzuki Ritz – Interiors
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
Ritz is based on swift platform and but with a shorter wheelbase (30 mm lesser than the Swift). However
it is roomy with sufficient legroom for adults on all seats. The magic lies with the Ritz high roofline which
makes the cabin feel more spacious than it actually is. The overall height of Ritz is 1620mm which
enabled Maruti engineers to raise the seating position by 54mm in the front and 47mm in the rear. While
the headroom is overwhelming, the legroom at the rear is quiet decent. The rear seat is set higher than the
front seats so all occupants get a good view but at the rear claustrophobic feel remains. But the high
roofline and seating postion makes the ingress and egress easy
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
The tall build of the Ritz necessites the taut suspension to lean over in corners but its not stiff as in the
swift. Maruti Suzuki has carried forward the suspension setup – Mcpherson strut at the front and torison
beam at the rear from the swift. But the spring rates are tuned to suit the 1.5tonne Ritz. Result, the ride is
composed and superior to swift but it gets unsettled on rough surfaces..Overall, Ritz which is geared for
comfort has a sporty undertone. I believe Maruti Suzuki engineers has got the good blend of ride and
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5. Maruti Ritz TestDrive & Review | VickyConnect Expert Reviews http://vicky.in/connect/expertreviews/maruti-ritz-testdrive-review/
handling with the Ritz.
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
The ergonomics is good, the dash is not too high mounted as in the A-star. The windshield has been placed
extremely far forward enabling excellent overall view. The centre control panel is nicely designed, the
gearlever sits high on the dash and the driver seat is too high, even at its lowest setting. The steering and
driver seat are height adjustable. The interiors are pleasant and is clarely best of the Maruti lot. But the
problem with sharing of components between cars makes you less exciting. Steering wheel, gear lever,
control knobs and music player are carried forward from the swift.
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6. Maruti Ritz TestDrive & Review | VickyConnect Expert Reviews http://vicky.in/connect/expertreviews/maruti-ritz-testdrive-review/
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
The large speedo that sits straight ahead of the driver and circled by warning lamps is simple and easy to
read. The retro tacho pod sits on the dash left side of the steering wheel. Cabin storage is good, there are
lot of stowage spaces but i wish few of them could have non-slip inserts. The 178litre 236 litre boot is only
just adequate for the weekly supermarket shop but with the flat folding 60:40 rear seat can amplify it to
voluminous 537litres.
Maruti Suzuki Ritz:
The ritz petrol is available in three variants – Lxi,Vxi and Zxi and the diesel variant in Ldi and Vdi.
Maruti’s exciting new Ritz packs in all the equipment you wish. 60:40 foldable rear seats, anti-glare
mirror, rear fog lamp,digital clock,power steering, dual tone interiors, under-seat tray and coin holder. The
top of the varaint – ritz Zxi gets built-in music player, ABS airbags,rear window defogger,rear wiper, alloy
wheels,steering wheel mounted audio controls and tiltable steering. The diesel top end lacks few of the
above listed features like CD player. Maruti says a diesel customer is very price sensitive and hence these
features are offered as optional.
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