Maruti 800 production comes to an end

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has discontinued production of its 800 hatchback. However, the company has said that it will continue to provide spare parts for the model for the next 8 to 10 years.

The last Maruti 800, one painted in Firebrick Red, rolled off the production line on January 18, 2014 and was dispatched to a dealership in Shillong, Meghalaya.

The car that revolutionised the Indian automobile industry had been in production for more than 30 years and sold over 2.5 million units. When it was launched, it cost Rs. 50,000 (approximately) and became the preferred choice for most of India's population. Its performance, economy, reliability and driveability gave it an edge over the ageing Hindustan Ambassador and Premier Padmini.

The Maruti 800 became and remained Maruti's best seller for many years till more modern products took over. Additionally, stricter emission norms were implemented, which meant the car could not be sold in metropolitan and tier 1 cities. Maruti stopped selling the car in 13 cities in April 2010.

The Maruti 800 came with a 796 cc, 3-cylinder, petrol engine mated to a 4-speed gearbox. A 5-speed gearbox was made available for a brief period as well. LPG fuelled versions of the car had been introduced as well.