Maruti 800 - the ubiquitous small car, has long been considered the sole option for the economically minded car buyer.
But that phase is passe. This vehicle though still priced low does not cater to the growing aspirations of the buyers of this segment.
Foremost on the list of complaints is the fact that so little has been done to position this product as a redesigned or an improved vehicle. There are lot other vehicles like the alto and the Zen which have used the same platform but have been drastically over prized.
Secondly, sufficient brand positioning hasn’t gone in to take away the low income stigma that it has come to represent. Buyers of this segment prefer to move up the price ladder to buy an Indica or Santro.
There has also been no attempt to redo the interiors leave alone the exterior stylings. Recent introduction of body colour bumpers and body coloured stylings are in the right direction. However this introduction should have been nation wide and not limited to few areas only.
However inspite of these brand positioning sluggishness, the vehicle still scores high on performance and fuel efficiency.
So in the end it can be a good choice inspite of the hangover grudges. Its like returning to the bottle inspite of the warning labels !