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View Poll Results: Should the government force Maruti to stop production M800 & Omni on Safety grounds?
Yes 38 38.00%
No 60 60.00%
Can't Say 2 2.00%
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Old 9th November 2008, 19:33   #1
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Should the Maruti 800 & Omni be stopped

My question here is
Should the Indian Government force Maruti Suzuki to stop production of the 800 and Omni on safety grounds?

These 2 cars were developed over 20 years ago and were not developed to meet today's Safety Standards.

I know that these cars cater to thousands of Indians and forms an entry level or stepping stone to these individuals but should this come at the cost of their lives??

Has the time come for the Alto to take over the mantle of the 800?

Yes / No
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Old 9th November 2008, 19:38   #2
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in one word, no.

i rather see school kids travel in an omni than an old rackety 7 seater auto.

i rather see a family of four in a 2nd hand 800 rather than balancing themselves on a scooter.


in the end, safety also matters on a people, imo a family of seven would be relatively safer travelling in an omni than when compared to an wagon r.
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Old 9th November 2008, 19:48   #3
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Improve Yes.

Stop NO
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Old 9th November 2008, 19:52   #4
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@aadix
Agree with you on your points.
but the price on an Alto is now not that much compared to a 800.
Plus the Versa makes a good alternative to the Omni.

Both these cars though a bit more expensive are a lot more safer.
I would rather pay a bit more than suffering from a life long injury in an accident and I have see so pretty messed up 800's and Omni from fairly low speed accidents. [my opinion here]

Carrying more than 2 people on a scooter / motorcycle is illegal and should not take place in the first place. Same for the auto rickshaws.

At least it is good to see the use of Helmets and Seating belts being made compulsory.

Last edited by dude131 : 9th November 2008 at 19:55.
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Old 9th November 2008, 20:13   #5
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No.

They are still a lot safer than any of the two-wheelers around. Period.
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Old 9th November 2008, 21:08   #6
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No.
`But Why?'
I used to feel much much more safer in my Omni while moving in the city than on my bike.
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Old 9th November 2008, 22:01   #7
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NO.
There are more than one reason for this.
If we crib about the safety of Omni, then what about the passenger version of Tata Ace ?
If we crib about the safety of Maruti 800, show me one proper car that can keep up on highway and offer more security than this car at the same or less cost.
I have seen three adults on a two wheeler, I would love to see these people in Maruti 800, even if its third user or fourth.
Maruti 800 still gives middle class humans the " necessity " of car.

These two offerings are old but have more life left in them. 800 might be selling low, but still helps out many. Maruti Omni is the only 6-7-8 seater car for less than 3.5 lakhs price on the road.

And if we are cribbing about these offering, then what about the busses that are nothing but trucks with rigid chassis. What safety do they offer ?

So till our Indian standards improve, we still have a right to produce and buy Maruti 800 and Maruti Omni.
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Old 9th November 2008, 22:09   #8
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YES.very valid point the OP said.
M800 and omni are like toys.better dont get them onto busy highways.These cars must be phased out ASAP.
Alto is there to take care of the part of M800.similarly ,Omni is not gonna miss .there are lot of other alternatives.

I Hope Gov Must force suzuki to stop production of M800.already Alto is outselling 800.still suzuki is biting to squeeze the last drop of profit.

I am saying this as a 97 M800 owner myself(no other car).
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Old 9th November 2008, 22:17   #9
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Somebody please tell me why government should interfere in Maruti's internal matters. If people stop buying 800/Omni, Maruti will stop making it. There are lot more problems on our roads that are more dangerous.

First let the government enforce the existing traffic rules, stop overloading, and give us better roads. Those are government's legitimate activities rather than stopping Maruti from making certain cars.
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Old 9th November 2008, 22:35   #10
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No, Production of the 800 & Omni should continue till such time that there is a demand for it.

Face it - Indians dont have the purchasing power of the west, and its wrongful to deny the masses an affordable means of transportation, and that is exactly what the 800 and Omni are doing, and doing well.

Safety standards are very important too, and I would ideally like each vehicle to have better impact resistance, ABS, Power steering, seatbelts, collapsible steering columns, wider tyres etc...., but we all know that this is not going to happen in a hurry, and you cant do away with these two models and ask the people to fend for themselves without ensuring an alternative. If they can manage to produce a safer car at the same price point, then by all means do away with these two, but till then, let the market decide.

Also, most accidents in India happen on account of bad roads, one lane highways, and bad lighting. You wanna improve safety, do something on those areas first.
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Old 9th November 2008, 23:01   #11
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I shall not comment on the Omni. But is the Nano safer than an 800? Because if Govt. shall stop the production of 800, they better stop the Nano also.

Probably the 800 and Omni might sound unsafe to people who can afford ABS and Airbags, but to people who can afford only a scooter, the 800 and Omni are million times safer! Just my opinion.

Last edited by blue_pulsar : 9th November 2008 at 23:14.
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Old 9th November 2008, 23:26   #12
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rather than stop production, just make safety more stringent. that way, all cars will benefit
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Old 10th November 2008, 09:23   #13
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No, each one caters to its own segment and are better off than many other modes of transport. Not to forget that they current meet the govt norms tested by ARAI.

If and when the govt decides to scale up the safety and motor standards in this country you will yourself see many of the motors vehicle models being stopped from every segment.
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Old 10th November 2008, 09:27   #14
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Yes the omni should be stopped.
I've seen innumerable omni accidents where the drivers have lost their legs!
That car has non-existent front end safety!

M800 should improve their safety features though.
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Old 10th November 2008, 09:34   #15
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What has Govt got to do with this?

Let the demand-supply force take care of it.

As for safety, in a country where families travel on bikes and scooters, I see no reason why to deem a 800 or Omni as being unsafe. They are surely safer than the bike with a kid (or two) on the tank and one in between the parents!

Quote:
Originally Posted by blue_pulsar View Post
... But is the Nano safer than an 800? ...
Isn't it? From what I recollect, Nano has been thru some good set of tests and cleared them. Check out u-tube and there should some video's of the same.

EDIT:
OT: My post count number 1,111! Nice!

Last edited by HappyWheels : 10th November 2008 at 09:36.
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