INTRODUCTION:
The Maruti 800 wasn?t India?s first modern automobile.That honour goes to all the contemporary Chevys,Cadillacs,Dodges,Plymouths,Fords,Peugeots and Fiats of the vintage era when all automobiles were imported to India via the major ports of the country(Calcutta,Bombay and Madras) in CKD kits and then assembled and sold.All these cars truly were contemporaries in their era.And truly?modern? in those early and mid 1900s.
Later imports were stopped in order to protect the domestic auto industry(!) and a boring diet of Ambassadors and Fiats began.These two cars sold in huge numbers as personal and commercial vehicles and understandably so; since there wasn?t anymore choice. And imports were restricted to a few handful of rich persons and high ranked Government officials,who never stopped importing good high end cars.But then MUL appeared on the scene and introduced the then Suzuki SS80(or the Alto in overseas markets) as the first Maruti 800 in December 1983.
It proved to be an instant success and a low price of Rs 48000 helped matters.This ?vintage? 800 was a fully imported CBU unit from Japan.It was lightyears ahead of the then competition in the form of archaic Ambys and vintage Padminis which really were more suitable for display at the museums than be seen on the roads.It was a refreshing change.It(the SS80) was also doing well in Europe at that time.
Later in1986,the all-new Suzuki Alto (SB308)was introduced in India as the new (second) generation Maruti 800.It was a totally different car from the SS80.Localisation content increased.This model was continued upto August 1997,with minor changes in 1994.The present Maruti 800 arrived in 1997 (a facelifted SB308)and right now,it is facing a stiff competition from its stablemate,the Alto(the 2004 international Suzuki Alto) whose reduced price is beginning to threat the 800?s very existence and industry watchers believe that MUL will eventually replace the 800 with the Alto.
THE CAR:
The current Maruti 800 (1997---present) is a tiny, smart looking front wheel driven hatchback.It is a modified SB308.It measures just 3335mm in length,is 1440mm wide,height being 1405mm.Front disc brakes 182mm and rear drum brakes 180mm. The front has Macpherson strut suspension and the rear has coil springs with gas filled shock absorbers.The bodyshell is a monocoque i.e body-on-frame construction.It incorporates four passenger doors with roll-down window panes and one liftgate with a fixed glass pane at the rear.In the SS80,only the rear glass pane could be opened,but there wasn't any liftgate.In the SB308,it is just the reverse.
The interior is understandably cramped and has the basic and essential features (in relation to India) a car should have,like manual window winders, adjustable seats (not height adjustable),folding rear seats(and hence a good loading area),a manual driver?s side mirror and unpainted bumpers(even on the AC model,to keep costs down!).There are two models?one with air conditioning and one without, the price difference between two models being just around Rs 24000 ( at least in Kolkata).However,the AC version gets the honours for being the cheapest AC car in the world!
ENGINE:
The petrol engine is a cast iron 800cc unit(in exact terms, it is796cc) which produces a power output of 45 bhp,having 4 valves per cylinder in a 3 cylinder in-line configuration mated to a 5-speed Japanese gearbox.This is quite sufficient for an automobile weighing only 620Kg (There isn?t any diesel engine for the 800) and gives a great mileage of 14 kpl in the city and around 18 on the highway.It produces 62Nm of torque at 3000rpm.Ignition is by MPFi system(Multi Point Fuel Injection).
But now the 45bhp version isn?t being produced.You can have the 37bhp version whose heart is the same,but produces 8bhp less and has 3 cylinders.It produces a torque of 6.3 and has 4 manual gears.
The gearshift is slick,and shifting gears while wading through city traffic is never a problem.The gearbox is the best part of the 800 and even better than some premium and costly hatchbacks (compared to the 800) available in our country.With such a low weight,45bhp under the hood combined with a slick gearbox,the 800 isn?t a bad car to drive at all.The engine is quite peppy and rev-happy.
PERFORMANCE:
Fantastic performance from a car which has a sub-1000cc engine,producing just 45bhp.The steering has a positive feel to it.Performance is good because,the car weighs a lot lesser than a similarly sized car. Acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph takes about 20.8 seconds.However do not burry the throttle as the braking is inadequate and once I had a hair-raising experience.Braking from 80 Kmph to 0 takes about 41 metres.Top speed is 130kph. The 800 will keep running like new,provided you have maintained it perfectly as per the owner?s manual and expert advices.
INTERIORS:
Again the price factor drops in and this main constraint make the interiors a very ordinary,no-luxury place to be in.There is this borrowed-from Zen steering wheel (rack and pinion steering),good dashboard and instrument panel.The gear lever however,could have been better,as on the Alto.It is nothing more than just a rod with an ordinary grip knob.But the gearshift is smooth and it is a pleasure to operate.
The seats itself are okay but the interior is very cramped.You sit with a little legroom and not-so-good headroom which makes the car uncomfortable.And there?s that poor ride quality which filters potholes and other irregular surfaces right into the cabin instead of doing just the opposite.
The roof is very low.Headroom:91cm.Width:117 cm..Put in 5 people inside the car and the 800 is like a very crowded bus.The luggage space provided is good and the liftgate operates smoothly.The electricals are reliable and should that autorickshaw knock off anything from your 800 you can have it replaced for a minor amount.The cost of spare parts is very low,resulting in an overall low cost of ownership.
WHY THE 800:
This review itself has the answers.Actually the 800 does its duty perfectly for what it was designed to be.It is very frugal (fuel tank is of 30 litres,which gives a good range),looks smart,peppy,has a good steering feel,needs a small parking space,has acceptable levels of quality,easy to drive,has effective support in the form of widespread MUL dealerships and service centres, costs just Rs 210000 to Rs 245000,and there is immediate delivery.All you have to do is to visit the dealer and deposit an initial amount of around Rs 30000 and drive back home in your own new 800.There are attractive finance schemes,to handle the remaining part of the purchase price,facilitated by easy EMIs starting from as low as Rs 2499p.m.
Ground clearance is 170mm,which makes it perfect for our roads..You will agree that several constraints rule the 800 which act as compromises in an otherwise excellent package.The ride is bad,the car is actually not meant for the highway,does NOT have proper safety features,is a 20-year old design,has a downmarket 4-speed gear box and is very common.
However, the price is the only forgiving factor and at this price you cannot go wrong. Also, MUL sells the maximum number of cars in India and tops the JD Rower CSI(Customer Satisfaction Index) study.You have the peace of mind when you buy a Maruti product.Still remains India?s sweetheart.This is a great little city car,perfect for the first time buyer.But really, if you can afford,the Alto is a better choice than the 800.Why?Well?.that?s another review!
