Maruti Suzuki

Ever since Maruti Suzuki set up shop in the Indian Market in it has gone onto revolutionise the Indian car market. When it started out back in 1984 with the 800 Maruti Udyog set up a bench mark for quality and reliability in the passenger car market in India. And unlike most companies who tend to slip with their own standards overtime, nothing of the sort happened to Maruti, their quality since then has been top notch. So the basic requirement from a manufacturer has been looked after then. Oh, and they do have the widest service network in the country, a fact acknowledged by the sales figures.

Research and Development

The Boffins at Maruti Suzuki were clearly asleep for just a little over a decade since the launch of their first car here. They did absolutely nothing to modify their cars or make them safer or add any new features whatsoever.  Actually come to think of it I don’t think they had a R&D department at all. Then the Indian Government kicked in and enforced the Euro II emissions norms. Suddenly the people at Maruti cleared the recess room and set it up into an R&D office. Here they did many exciting things such as introduce VX versions of some of their cars which featured power windows and power steering and so on.

And their efforts have to be commended. Since they set up that room, they were the first car maker in India to offer climate control, airbags and antilock brakes in a car which cost on the happier side of the 10 lakh price bracket.

The Change

Yes, I ‘am talking about the Maruti Suzuki Swift. With the Swift Maruti revolutionised the Indian car market. It offered to the public features that no car below the 10 lakh price mark could offer. 

After the Swift’s success Maruti upgraded all of their cars that could carry off those USP features. As a result, today Maruti has the Indian car market gripped by the plums. Their efforts have to be commended. The whole of the hatchback market is in Maruti’s background. Their cars are well made, well equipped and have good engines. And they are cheap to maintain, because all their cars share components and are produced in bulk competitors cannot match their spare parts pricing to Maruti. What impresses me is that despite the mass production their quality is still very good and everything in their cars are built to last.

The dip in the curve

However, the down side is that the company feels hideously inbred. I mean just look at all their stuff the stereo, the buttons and knobs, the steering wheel, the seat fabric. Everything is exactly the same in almost every car they make. The seat fabric on the Swift is fine for a 5 lakh car but the exact stuff on the Vitara’s seats, come on.

Then there are the cars themselves. In order to capture the market share Maruti has gone and launched multiple models on the same platform, so they can capture the market share with different models. While it is always a good thing to cut costs, their design department has suffered, result the new Zen and Ritz. The Swift and Wagon R are fine, I get their point, but the Zen and Ritz?? If you want to do it then at least do it well.

And the Swift Dzire, what in God’s name is that. The back looks like a million bees have stung the backside of a monkey. And the handling of the car is, I’m sorry I can’t stop laughing, but its rubbish.

Back to the Swift, it’s a great car and I get the cheaper variants of it. But why did they have to go and fit the tyres from a peddle car on the Vxi and Lxi versions? Fine I get it, alloys are expensive. So what’s the matter with giving steel rims the size of the alloys on the Zxi?? If Maruti say the tyres are cheaper, why don’t they buy the wider tyres in bulk for all three versions considering the number of Vxi and Lxi versions sold, and this is only a hunch, the cost is bound to turn out to be the same, if not less. It’s not too late Maruti, come on you can still redeem yourself.

The SX4, a car that competes in its segment with seat fabric fit for a 6 lakh car, no leather anywhere and plastic borrowed from its hatchback siblings. Coupled with a bumpy and unsporty ride (no idea how they managed both at the same time) and an engine whose mid range is great but everything else isn’t, the car only sells because of its somewhat odd but popular looks and high ground clearance, which you have to admit is good for Indian roads. I love the spacious and airy cabin though it's a nice place to be in, shame about the materials used.

So, there you are the best car maker in the country with plenty of room for improvement. Let’s hope for the best then. Come on Maruti it’s nothing you can’t do.