[adisag]

The Tata cars have moved from being anthropometric nightmares (With hard to reach buttons and awkward controls) to actually being comfortably usable by most (Hyundai and Honda have the best ergonomics IMHO).

MSIL however has made no attempt at improving in car comfort and ergonomics; t he Ritz - is their first attempted improvement and while it's a step in the right direction, MSIL need to pull their socks up in this department.

Maruti, while a car every 16 seconds is great, and no doubt you have the most widespread ASS (Unintended)...do concentrate on the finer points which are what finally make or break the deal

(BTW- waited 3-4 months for the Astar, and bought an i10 Kappa the day after I experienced the Astar in flesh)

[hiren959]

Note from the Team-BHP Support Staff : Abusive language – whether used directly or indirectly - is STRICTLY prohibited on Team-BHP. A decent communication protocol must be adhered to. Foul language and use of abusive words/photographs in posts/avatars/signatures/topics is STRICTLY prohibited.

Originally Posted by GTO

Maruti now needs to heavily focus on internal R&D. Lets have some innovation in electric / fuel cell powerplants, small capacity turbo-charged petrols (an emerging trend), safety features & initiatives, cutting edge automatic transmissions, next gen traction control systems and the like. Maruti has 3 times the market share of Tata in passenger cars, yet it is the latter who we see investing in new technologies (and learning along the way).

[quote=tsk13;1791557]Maruti has improved on certain matters but I expect a lot from them now since Suzuki has majority control over MSIL. I simply can't understand why they shy away from innovating, seems they're contented with the cash registers rolling and feel no need for improvements. They talk of Kaizen but don't practice it to the level the market wants them to.



I would say that MSIL has started taking the Indian market for granted than seriously....they have been using similar quality plastics in their line up over the years and minimal equipment as standard and standard equipments in other brands in same price range as options..

[anmol2k4]

Look I am a supporter of freedom of speech and IMHO there is nothing wrong in using Swastika(Hindu,Jain, Buddhist version) but this particular symbol is not appropriate. We must remember that the ideology behind this symbol led to death of millions, and if we cannot sympathize with the Jews then at least we can sympathies with descendant of people of India who were also massacred by the very same people.

[tsk13]

Originally Posted by amitk26

May be irrelevent on this thread but just a correction a first sub 6 or 5 lakh or first hatch or first mass market with ABS and EBD was Tata Indica Turbo , Sadly it never sold in any numbers and subsequently disappeared from scene.
This was much before Swift was launched , refer to SidIndica's thread fr details on various variants including this.

Thanks for the correction Amit.

Originally Posted by adisag

The Tata cars have moved from being anthropometric nightmares (With hard to reach buttons and awkward controls) to actually being comfortably usable by most (Hyundai and Honda have the best ergonomics IMHO).

MSIL however has made no attempt at improving in car comfort and ergonomics; t he Ritz - is their first attempted improvement and while it's a step in the right direction, MSIL need to pull their socks up in this department.

Maruti, while a car every 16 seconds is great, and no doubt you have the most widespread ASS (Unintended)...do concentrate on the finer points which are what finally make or break the deal

(BTW- waited 3-4 months for the Astar, and bought an i10 Kappa the day after I experienced the Astar in flesh)

Great choice buddy. Maglev will be happy as his Ritz has been praised by you.

Originally Posted by SSkreeee

I would say that MSIL has started taking the Indian market for granted than seriously....they have been using similar quality plastics in their line up over the years and minimal equipment as standard and standard equipments in other brands in same price range as options..

Right. I remember in one of the Reviews (either of A-Star or Ritz) the reviewer from TBHP pointed out to the plastics issue.

Originally Posted by anmol2k4

Look I am a supporter of freedom of speech and IMHO there is nothing wrong in using Swastika(Hindu,Jain, Buddhist version) but this particular symbol is not appropriate. We must remember that the ideology behind this symbol led to death of millions, and if we cannot sympathize with the Jews then at least we can sympathies with descendant of people of India who were also massacred by the very same people.

[shantanumishra]

Some Facts about Maruti

• First in India to provide ACC in a sub 6L car.
• First in India to provide Rear Fog Lamps.
• First in India to provide ABS & Electric ORVM in a sub 4L car.
• First company in India to mass-produce and sell more than a million cars.
• Only Car Manufacturer in India to have a Driving School as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
• First and only car manufacturer in India to launch a Certified Used car division which is still running successfully since 2002. It still is the biggest in Organized Sector.
• First Car Manufacturer in India to have a tie-up with Insurance Companies and launch its own Car Insurance. Because of this, you actually get Real Cash-less facility at any Maruti Centre across India.
• First Car Manufacturer in India to associate with Motorsports and that too for all segments of the society be it women, families, motorsport enthusiasts, an amateur, professional or just for fun.
• Santro & WagonR were the first and the only 2 Tall Boy designs launched, While Santro has now almost faded in the history with only 2 models under production, WagonR is still one of the best selling Hatchbacks for Maruti, with continous Improvements and changes to its design. It is still one of the largest selling Hatches even after 10 years of launch. Highly practical.
• In 2001-02, Maruti's market share in Passenger cars was 59.6%, although it has reduced to 55% in 2008-09 but still Pretty Healthy considering the number of manufacturers who have opened shop in India.
• It has been rated first in customer satisfaction among all car makers in India from 1999 to 2009 by JD Power Asia Pacific. None of the car Manufacturers were able to grasp this from Maruti even once in last 10 years. I would call this as a great achievement.


Why did I mention the above facts.

It does not mean that I am a big Maruti Fan, I have only owned 2 of their products out of the 15 currently available and 4 products being discontinued. I know Maruti's cars rattle a lot more than the competitors, they do not have good plastics, good interiors, Build Quality is low, etc. but no car manufacturer is without flaws and before we begin clobbering around any one of them, we need to have some facts cleared,

The point that I wanted to raise here is that with time Maruti itself has raised the bar for all its competitors to offer better cars.

Think it this way, had it not been Maruti's dominance in the Small car Segment for last 25 years, none of the other car manufacturers would have dared to bring in world class products. If you go back to history, all manufacturers came to India with Dead or Outdated models for the Mid-Size Sedan and the Luxury Segment but did anyone dared to bring an outdated model in the Small Car/Hatchback segment. We all praise Punto/Polo/Figo/i20/Jazz and compare them to Maruti Stable, but look at the bigger picture, you still compare them to Maruti Swift. That is already a benchmark. You take any new small car being launched in India, the first comparison of it is always done with the Maruti Stable.

Hyundai has the second largest service Network in India after Maruti, but it still sells far lower cars than Maruti, It has only 3 Models in the Hatchback category with Santro's production being reduced drastically whereas Maruti has 6 Models, all of them with strong sales. Strong Sales cannot come until the product is well established and accepted by the Public.

People say that Maruti is gimmicky in launching a lot of Limited Editions, but atleast they are lot better than Ford who launches a Limited Edition each month and Hyundai who do not upgrade their cars at all or very minimal,

• Santro only got upgraded last in 2003, post that still running the same, only recently did it get Beige Interiors.
• Accent - same car since launch, only 1 update in 2004 with Beige Interiors and changed Front and Rear Lamps.
• i10 launched in 2007, still overpriced after 3 years with no upgrade at all.

Atleast Maruti dared to stop production of some of its best cars aka Esteem, Baleno, Zen and launch new products.

I agree to this fact that unlike its other Japanese Counterparts like Honda/Toyota or other Global Manufacturers, Suzuki is a lot behind in terms of bringing new technology and they really need to pull up their socks in this regards, but we must consider this fact that unlike others, Suzuki never really tried to pester out of the small and highly fuel efficient cars (KEI cars).

All I want to say at the end is we should just not clobber around someone just for the sake of it, but as sensible Petrol Heads, think and discuss logically.

P.S. Apologies in case I hurt the sentiments of anyone or sounded rude anywhere above, these are just my thoughts about Maruti in India.
Any of the facts/figures mentioned above are either taken from Maruti's website/wikipedia.

[tsk13]

SM, nice piece of information there. Appreciate your research.

• Tall Boy Design has been carried forward by the i10, which is India's 2nd highest selling car. Santro's trim levels were reduced to accomodate the i10, a strategy similar to Maruti's when it discontinued 800 5 Speed for Alto and discontinued Alto's 1.1 to ensure Zen's and WagonR's success.

• Hyundai is the largest exporter of Cars from India, followed by Maruti.

• Hyundai is amongst the first entrants from the East to set up a Fully Owned Subsidiary. The tie-ups from the East include Honda SIEL, Toyota Kirlosokar, Maruti Suzuki, DCM Daewoo (Defunct), Nissan Renault. The Fully Owned Subsidiary was a high risk decision but Hyundai is now enjoying the fruits from the Subsidiary they nurtured over the past decade.

• Hyundai i20 is amongst the hot-selling hatches in the country loaded with features which were never thought of in a hatch. Swift because of its competitive pricing and cheap Diesel outnumbers the i20, but feature wise the i20 is simply ubercool.

• Swift was a Benchmark. I think i20 is the new Benchmark. In future, some other car may take this title.

• Maruti enjoys the First Mover Advantage but that doesn't mean that the market is purely Maruti. Even MTNL enjoyed first mover advantage in telephony but its share like that of Maruti's is dwindling. Sheer lack of initiative to be pro-active now.

• Hyundai's R&D is nowhere comparable to Maruti's.

• Hyundai's CRDi, if I correctly remember was a world class initiative in Indian Automobile industry.

• The hottest selling hatch is the i10 (No.2 in total sales after Alto). With 3 models in hatchback category, the dominance lies with Hyundai against 6 models by Maruti. And I already mentioned the reason why Santro has been sidelined. Even then, the new change is fresh and welcoming particularly interiors. i10's leadership proves how well accepted it is by the Indians.

• Hyundai does upgrade its cars. The revolutionary change was the Kappa engine. Limited Editions have been there for Santro XO with fog lamps, body coloured door-handles, Rear Spoiler, Body coloured ORVM's and Alloy Wheels.

• Hyundai i10 launched first in India and i20 being made only in India.

• Hyundai Genesis, holder of the prestigious North American Car of the Year Award, 2009.

• i10 is noway overpriced. If this would've been the case I don't think i10 would've steered its way to the No.2 spot. And the upgrade to i10 was 1.2L Kappa engine.

• Accent still appeals to those who want to upgrade/ buy a base level sedan.

• Maruti dared stop its good selling models. Hyundai discontinued a great sleeper car, Getz CRDi 1.5L.

• Maruti is successful in small cars because of its Japanese roots as the concept of Kei-Jidosha (Small Cars) is followed in Japan owing to limited land and these small but tall cars occupy less space.

• Accent Tornado (GTX) was a powerful engine during those days.

• Hyundai was the first manufacturer to come up with a Wheel Cap design resembling Alloy wheels.

It's sad that India will lose valuable forex due to i20's European production commencing in Turkey, all because our Indian Government doesn't have a particular Trade Agreement (I think FTA) and this makes Hyundai i20 cost more. I gave you all the points which overshadow MSIL; Hyundai has its own drawbacks but a one sided picture did no justice to Hyundai. I've had the Swift and have i20 and Santro Xing XO; Swift was nothing less than a nuisance. Though my Santro is underpowered when compared with Swift but it is more fun to drive and more comfortable.

[shantanumishra]

I do not want to bash up Hyundai or for that matter any other car manufacturer. Just wanted to share my feelings on Maruti in India,

Nevertheless, here is my take. I hope this discussion remains as healthy as before.

Originally Posted by tsk13

• Tall Boy Design has been carried forward by the i10, which is India's 2nd highest selling car.

I own both i10 and WagonR and can for surely say that WagonR's 110 mm taller height than i10 helps a lot in its practicality. Also, because of the boxy matchbox design of WagonR, it appears more tall boy than i10 and provides more space inside. I still love it a lot,

OT: Can i10 replicate this, mine could not

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post1795272

Originally Posted by tsk13

Hyundai is the largest exporter of Cars from India, followed by Maruti.

Originally Posted by tsk13

It's sad that India will lose valuable forex due to i20's European production commencing in Turkey, all because our Indian Government doesn't have a particular Trade Agreement (I think FTA) and this makes Hyundai i20 cost more.

Hyundai setup a dedicated export unit for i10 and i20 in India, albeit because it saw profits here, low manufacturing costs, low labour,etc. If you remove this aspect, Maruti still is the largest exporter of cars in India, else, if you count A-Star, then the whole equation would change.

Originally Posted by tsk13

• Hyundai i20 is amongst the hot-selling hatches in the country loaded with features which were never thought of in a hatch. Swift because of its competitive pricing and cheap Diesel outnumbers the i20, but feature wise the i20 is simply ubercool.

• Swift was a Benchmark. I think i20 is the new Benchmark. In future, some other car may take this title.

Exactly what i wanted to say, while designing i20, Hyundai had Swift as the benchmark, Swift is now a 4 year old model and it was a rave when launched, whereas i20 has just come around, lets wait for the new Swift that is currently undergoing trials. Also, i20 although loaded is still not a match to the sporty nature of the Swift, it is more tuned for comfort.

Polo/Figo are compared more to Swift rather than to i20, it is rather Jazz which is compared more to i20.

Originally Posted by tsk13

Hyundai's CRDi, if I correctly remember was a world class initiative in Indian Automobile industry.

Yes, indeed it was perhaps the first CRDi in India, but do not forget, Hyundai had to wrap it rather quickly and launch it in a new avtaar in Verna as an upgraded 4-pot motor because of the numerous complaints.

Originally Posted by tsk13

Hyundai does upgrade its cars. The revolutionary change was the Kappa engine.

Maruti was perhaps the first manufacturer to launch 32 bit Microprocessor and 16 valve engines in india, Santro's and i10's iRDE engine is still running with 12 valves, It is only with Kappa engine that they have done a revolutionary change,
Also, Maruti was also the first Indian Manufacturer to offer EPS on all its cars since 2001, i10 is probably the first Hyundai with EPS.
Further, Maruti was also perhaps the first to offer Automatic Transmission in 1996 with its Esteem in India,
It also pioneered in providing specialised disabled friendly cars.

Originally Posted by tsk13

Limited Editions have been there for Santro XO with fog lamps, body coloured door-handles, Rear Spoiler, Body coloured ORVM's and Alloy Wheels.

I only mentioned this to let all those people know who say that Maruti only launches a Limited Edition with just cosmetic upgrades and nothing else.

Originally Posted by tsk13

i10 is noway overpriced

I bought my i10 Era model for about 3.85L in May 2009 but my WagonR VXi costed only 3.7L in Dec 2006, the trim level in WagonR seems to be better than i10 Era.
Also, incase somebody wants to buy an i10 with ABS+Airbag, he will have to shell out 4,91,512 Ex-showroom (base version of Asta with ABS only) whereas an ABS+Airbag WagonR is just 3,96,327 Ex-showroom Delhi, A difference of about 95K which in my opinion clearly indicates i10 to be overpriced.
Agreed that the trim level of an Asta might be more than WagonR, but here I am talking only in context of ABS+Airbag.
Even if you take out all Bells and Whistles and opt for the lowest model of i10/WagonR, i10 is about 20K expensive.

Originally Posted by tsk13

Maruti dared stop its good selling models. Hyundai discontinued a great sleeper car, Getz CRDi 1.5L.

Originally Posted by tsk13

Hyundai was the first manufacturer to come up with a Wheel Cap design resembling Alloy wheels.

I simply love these, only 1 thing to say about them ,

Originally Posted by tsk13

Accent Tornado (GTX) was a powerful engine during those days.

It was launched more as a competitor to Baleno/Ford Ikon 1.6,
However, it failed to excite because of the suspension and handling characteristics of the Accent.

BTW, few things to cheer you up

Hyundai was the first Indian manufacture to offer ABS at less than 7L with Tornado and VIVA which was also incidently India's first stylish notchback car under 7L.
It was also the first Indian car company to have DOHC engines.


I again clear up that this is not a Hyundai basher but it just highlights some differences between the first and second largest car sellers in India.

[tsk13]

Originally Posted by shantanumishra

I do not want to bash up Hyundai or for that matter any other car manufacturer. Just wanted to share my feelings on Maruti in India,

Nevertheless, here is my take. I hope this discussion remains as healthy as before.

It shall remain, we're not here to fight. Leave that to Lok Sabha.

I own both i10 and WagonR and can for surely say that WagonR's 110 mm taller height than i10 helps a lot in its practicality. Also, because of the boxy matchbox design of WagonR, it appears more tall boy than i10 and provides more space inside. I still love it a lot,

OT: Can i10 replicate this, mine could not

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post1795272

Buddy, since I'm myself a 6" Sikh both the cars have been comfortable with me. Although, I never checked the specs but if a car can comfortably accomodate a tall Sikh, it can accomodate every Average Indian.

Hyundai setup a dedicated export unit for i10 and i20 in India, albeit because it saw profits here, low manufacturing costs, low labour,etc. If you remove this aspect, Maruti still is the largest exporter of cars in India, else, if you count A-Star, then the whole equation would change.

That's pure business, even Nissan Renault have the same plans. For this case the Manesar plant of MSIL directly transports cars to Mundra port via Railway. Talking of numbers, Hyundai is the largest followed by MSIL. Whosoever may be the first, its India which gains.

Exactly what i wanted to say, while designing i20, Hyundai had Swift as the benchmark, Swift is now a 4 year old model and it was a rave when launched, whereas i20 has just come around, lets wait for the new Swift that is currently undergoing trials. Also, i20 although loaded is still not a match to the sporty nature of the Swift, it is more tuned for comfort.

i20's USP is comfort and biggest flaw is the 1.2 Kappa engine. Since the Swift and i20 now fall in the same Engine bracket, i20 has edge over it when it comes to features but at the same time it's expensive.

Polo/Figo are compared more to Swift rather than to i20, it is rather Jazz which is compared more to i20.

Correct.

Yes, indeed it was perhaps the first CRDi in India, but do not forget, Hyundai had to wrap it rather quickly and launch it in a new avtaar in Verna as an upgraded 4-pot motor because of the numerous complaints.

Buddy, you provided me another example of how Hyundai changes its offering.

Maruti was perhaps the first manufacturer to launch 32 bit Microprocessor and 16 valve engines in india, Santro's and i10's iRDE engine is still running with 12 valves, It is only with Kappa engine that they have done a revolutionary change,
Also, Maruti was also the first Indian Manufacturer to offer EPS on all its cars since 2001, i10 is probably the first Hyundai with EPS.
Further, Maruti was also perhaps the first to offer Automatic Transmission in 1996 with its Esteem in India,
It also pioneered in providing specialised disabled friendly cars.

I remember the WagonR with EPS sticker on the rear windscreen. I had a 1998 model Esteem AX (New Shape). This car had power window motor issues and was a fuel guzzler but it was a great initiative.

I only mentioned this to let all those people know who say that Maruti only launches a Limited Edition with just cosmetic upgrades and nothing else.

All manufacturers introduce Limited editions with changes in cosmetics only. May be a limited edition might have been there with Engine changes, but such a cost-intensive change can't be temporary. Does anyone have an example of a Limited Edition trim with Engine change?

I bought my i10 Era model for about 3.85L in May 2009 but my WagonR VXi costed only 3.7L in Dec 2006, the trim level in WagonR seems to be better than i10 Era.

I had the offer of i10 Magna 1.2 Kappa for 3.90L on road in June 2009.

Also, incase somebody wants to buy an i10 with ABS+Airbag, he will have to shell out 4,91,512 Ex-showroom (base version of Asta with ABS only) whereas an ABS+Airbag WagonR is just 3,96,327 Ex-showroom Delhi, A difference of about 95K which in my opinion clearly indicates i10 to be overpriced.

This trim level is surely overpriced that's why we get to see Magna the most, followed by Sportz. Anyone who wishes to buy i10 Asta (for 4.92L on road) has the tempting option to opt for a i20 Magna for 5.30L on road.

Agreed that the trim level of an Asta might be more than WagonR, but here I am talking only in context of ABS+Airbag.
Even if you take out all Bells and Whistles and opt for the lowest model of i10/WagonR, i10 is about 20K expensive.

In context of ABS+Airbag I understood but what are the other features in i10 Asta over WagonR?

Buddy, you know I've this habit of taking into account i10 1.2 Magna when I talk of i10 and this makes me forget the 1.1 Era and Dlite (is this still available?). 20k seems okay if you're going for a Hyundai. Dlite in 3.42L ex-showroom Delhi. Moreover, i10's top end trims are insanely prices considering i20 from the same stable and the competition as well.

BTW, few things to cheer you up

Hyundai was the first Indian manufacture to offer ABS at less than 7L with Tornado and VIVA which was also incidently India's first stylish notchback car under 7L.
It was also the first Indian car company to have DOHC engines.


I again clear up that this is not a Hyundai basher but it just highlights some differences between the first and second largest car sellers in India.

I like the Good points, hehe.

Moreover, you forgot another major point about the WagonR. The first small car to have Electrically Adjustible ORVM's. Funny that the Swift, Ritz and A-Star lack this and are more expensive than WagonR.

Whosoever may be the No.1, we only care of how well they pamper us as in the end, it's our hard-earned money.

[shantanumishra]

Originally Posted by tsk13

It shall remain, we're not here to fight. Leave that to Lok Sabha.

Agreed, let us just sit together and enjoy them fight for our rights.

Originally Posted by tsk13

I had the offer of i10 Magna 1.2 Kappa for 3.90L on road in June 2009

wow, you got a good deal,

Originally Posted by tsk13

This trim level is surely overpriced that's why we get to see Magna the most, followed by Sportz. Anyone who wishes to buy i10 Asta (for 4.92L on road) has the tempting option to opt for a i20 Magna for 5.30L on road.

See, here you are in agreement with me, exactly what I meant with i10 being overpriced. I mean except Magna, all other i10 variants seems overpriced to me.

Originally Posted by tsk13

In context of ABS+Airbag I understood but what are the other features in i10 Asta over WagonR?

Majorly Rear Power Windows, Integrated Stereo, Leather Wrapped Gear lever & Steering Wheel, Digital Clock & Rear Wiper/Washer.

Originally Posted by tsk13

Buddy, you know I've this habit of taking into account i10 1.2 Magna when I talk of i10 and this makes me forget the 1.1 Era and Dlite (is this still available?). 20k seems okay if you're going for a Hyundai. Dlite in 3.42L ex-showroom Delhi. Moreover, i10's top end trims are insanely prices considering i20 from the same stable and the competition as well.

Yes, last week only I saw an i10 DLite model on road in Bangalore, although it is similar to WagonR LX model, black bumpers, non PS, only A/C etc. DLite and Era models come with the 1.1 iRDE engines. However, what I feel is the iRDE engine in i10 is bland in terms of performance, however, because of one of the smoothest gear shifts in Small car segment, this is negated. Although, the 2nd gear in an i10 is complete passe.

I have always felt more comfortable and fun driving the WagonR instead of i10 Era just because of its bland engine, although WagonR's gear shift is cumbersome.

with WagonR LX, you get iCATS in 20K less price.

Originally Posted by tsk13

Whosoever may be the No.1, we only care of how well they pamper us as in the end, it's our hard-earned money.

100% agreed, BTW, lets wait for the new Improved WagonR, lets see how the story unfolds,

[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by tsk13

Though my Santro is underpowered when compared with Swift but it is more fun to drive and more comfortable.

That means you are a special 'kind' of driver. Can you explain your driving style?

[tsk13]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

That means you are a special 'kind' of driver. Can you explain your driving style?

My driving style is a mixed bag. With utmost respect for the car, no burnouts or excessive revving. A happy go lucky driving style and choice of less packed routes so that I extract the best fuel efficiency by cruising between 60-75 km/h. Under normal conditions the highest speed I touch is about 85 km/h. My uncle advised me not to brake excessively and since I prefer cruising I slow down by releasing the accelerator. Once in a bluemoon I do accelerate hard and brake excessively when I'm in a hurry and very rarely I touch 95km/h. But one thing I like is cornering at about 45km/h, the 175/60 R13 tyres inspire confidence. PS: I only do this when the road is empty. I follow all Traffic Rules (except overspeeding; it's nearly impossible to cruise at 50km/h when on a wide and long road).

The Swift I had made it impossible to get into 5th Gear and cruise for long. Moreover, it was difficult to hold the car in 4th gear and a downshift was required on the same routes on which I drive the Santro. The suspension was poor and the car rattled a lot, these were some issues which forced us to dispose off the Swift.

Shantanu, I was offered the i10 deal but I didn't buy. Moreover, this offer was open to all and not especially to me.

[sureshkishore]

Originally Posted by tsk13

Buddy, since I'm myself a 6" Sikh both the cars have been comfortable with me. .

I'm sure you meant 6' and not 6".


Maruti had been sleeping up to the late nineties. But since then with the markets opening up, the all Manufacturers has had a level playing ground.
With competition eating away about 30% of the market share it was time for Maruti to wake up.
For a PSU thriving in a protected economy this change would have been painstaking.
Maruti Story since 2000 is about making this change happen.
The figures posted earlier in the thread is ample proof that Maruti was successful in doing the same. Kudos to Maruti for that.

In value proposition probably Maruti Products are ahead of competition.

But still the customer in me wants more:
-improved quality levels: tighter panel gaps, plastics.
-better looking cars: better interiors
-And if its not asking for too much :A diesel Grand Vitara for <10 lakh.

[freakmuzik]

@shantanumishra - i would just like to mention something about the feeling that i10 is overpriced.

Most of the people never go for the version with ABS and AIRBAGS. I had booked a wagon-r before a few months. It was VXI and the on road price( with discounts and some additional features+i10 sportz) around 4.05-4.10 lakhs.

In the mean time, the offer we got for i10 sportz was around 4.30 lakhs.
I would never mind to spend the extra 20 k for the i10 for its tougher build, better interiors with excellent quality, ability for seating 3 people in better comfort and better stability at speeds ( not about speeds above 120 n all).

The asta is definitely overpriced, but people go mainly for sportz and magna ( or even era) trims, so while comparing with the general trim levels that go on sale, i feel i10 cannot be termed as an overpriced product!

these are just my personal opinions and this is not to hurt or provoke anyone! :-)
thank you

[mpksuhas]

Maruthi has crossed the 'One Million Car per year' mark today with launch it seems. Saw an article in TOI online.

Please check the TOI link for detailed news : Maruti Suzuki rolls out first millionth car in a year - India Business - Biz - The Times of India