Way back in 1984, Maruti Udyog (A government Of India Undertaking) in collaboration with Suzuki Motors of Japan broke the monopoly Of premiere automobiles and Hindustan Motors by Launching 2 new cars in Indian Car Market.
They were the Maruti 800 and the MAruti Omni or populalrly known as the Maruti Van. This gave the Indian Car Market a much needed relief after 35 years of getting the same model of cars from the former giants which were already outdated. Most importantly, they could be afforded by the normal middle class earning person.
I was 5 years old when my family purchased the first Maruti Van, and believe me, when we went for a drive, everyone looked at us in awe. My family got the 2nd maruti van which was given to my dad in 1986. It was the popular sky blue colour at that time which we changed to Blue in 1993 and purplish-blue in 2001.
Features
>> Since the car had the original Japanese Suzuki Engine, The average was very good. At peak, the maruti van gave an average of 12-13 Kmpl. This was a very comfortable car with capacity of 5 people and a huge luggage space at the back which was 4-5 times bigger and larger then a normal car. Since my dad had lot of factory deliveries to do and later on in my life when I started my own business and I had lots and lots of deliveries to do, the maruti van was a blessing in disguise and saved us lot of money which would have otherwise gone in transportation.
>> My dad made a very sensible decision of not attaching seats in the rear and utilizing it for luggage/goods/delivery purposes. There were so many occasions when people in my family have asked my dad for the car to receive someone at the airport so that all luggage could fit comfortably. Even a car like Tata Sumo or Toyota Qualis, sue to seats at the back, cant fit that much luggage/goods like a maruti omni can. This was the single biggest disadvantage of the car.
>> Apart from that since the car didn?t have bonnet, it was very easy to have make a u?turn or reverse in the car. I still say that maruti omni is the most easiest car to learn driving due to that. It is also very comfortable because it?s a car where people don?t have to bend up to move out of the car. Try sitting and getting out of a car in a Santro, accent maruti 1000 and try it in car like maruti omni and you will know what I mean. At the time when my dad got the car, there was no AC or a stereo which till the day he sold it, he didn?t keep it.
>> I don?t know about the stereo but it was a sensible decision not to have an AC fitted as the volume of the car is so huge that a single AC would not be efficient for everyone and a double AC would mean the car average would go drastically down to 7-8 KMPL and this would also deteriorate the efficiency of the engine which is 800 cc. There is another problem, since the engine is below the seat in the front, it gets very hot after sometime, and if u dont keep the windows open, you sweat like crazy. This is when one misses the AC. Since it does not have electronic steering wheel and electronic ignition, getting the car started in winters tends to be a hassle at time.
>> The car also gives lots of small problems, like punctures, oil leakage, over heat of the engine but then after 18 years of usage, this is a known issue with most cars. But all in all, its a total value for money car. The best oart is that maruti spare parts are easily available at every car mechanic in India and the repair costs are not skyy rocketing.
Price
>> The most important factor. In 1986, dad got the car for about RS 55, 000. In July 2004 when we sold it we got Rs 22, 500 for it. Today the car would cost anywhere between Rs 190, 000 and Rs 240, 000 depending on the model you are purchasing. The cheapest is the maruti Omni CARGO LPG (Non Metalic) which is RS 188920 (Ex showroom ? Mumbai). The best brand is the Omni Flat Roof 5 str Bharat II (Metalic colour) which is Rs 233, 472 which is again ex-showroom price. The octroi charges (if applicable), insurance charges and sales tax charges are extra.
When dad sold the car, it was a slightly sad moment. The car had served us for nearly 18 years. My Grandparents (yes, even my grandma), all my uncles and aunts, so many of my friends, my brother, dad and me have had good memories and sometimes not so good memories with the car.
I took my date out for a drive and dinner and movie for the first time in the car. I even had my first accident in the car when dad was driving, but thankfully no one was critically hurt. My Brother got a fracture but nothing critical. But all said and done, it was a wonderful experience driving the car. But as time changes, so do we. We have now purchased a Hyundai santro and a hundai accent. But deep down in my heart and in our heart, there is a special place for the car.
PS - Please visit the site https://marutiudyog.com
This is the official site for Maruti India and its the most comprehensive company site for an autombile in the Indian Market.