Passenger car market leader Maruti Suzuki will launch its sixth global car, Ritz, in May. The mass market car will be launched in the popular small car segment with a 1.2 litre KB series petrol and 1.3 litre multijet diesel engine simultaneously. The Ritz will be built on Marutis successful Splash platform and will be priced between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, which is just below the Swifts price tag. It will be shorter than the Swift (by 30 mm), but will be spacious due to high roof structure.
The Ritz will be positioned between the A-star and the Swift, and will counter Hyundais i10 and i20, Skodas Fabia, Fords Fusion, Fiats Palio and Tata Motors Indica Vista. This car is Marutis ninth small car that will consolidate its position in the crowded market. Dubbed as a multi-purpose vehicle, it will cater to small urban families and sport BS-IV engines and a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The Ritz, known as Splash in Europe and other developed markets, will coexist with the ageing WagonR platform, just as the newly-launched A-Star is thriving with the Alto. A Maruti spokesman confirmed that the car will be launched sometime in the first half of the year. We have not decided the date, but it will be launched as per schedule, he said.
According to dealers, the Ritz will be launched prior to Hondas small car, Jazz, which is slated to hit the roads in June and Fiats premium hatchback, Grande Punto. The Ritz has cleared all the homologation tests and has been approved by the International Centre of Automotive Technology (iCAT) at Manesar in Haryana last week for launch in the Indian market.
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