I would like to introduce you to a four-wheeled version of a scooterette. With 796cc piston displacement, this petite beauty’s 3 cylinder, 4 stroke, water cooled SOHC engine packs a mean 37 bhp at 5000 rpm. That may not sound much, but taking into account her unladen kerb weight of only 665 kg (AC BS III), this fly-weight packs a mean punch (59 Nm at 2500 rpm) on city streets.
Her bonsai design, and a max. fuel capacity of 28 liters (BS III) makes the 800 ideal for weaving through narrow roads packed with stray pedestrians and 2 wheelers. The 800 is not very impressive when driven flat-out on the highway, because at top speed her light weight works against the driver. Cross 100 kmph, and you feel you might fly. This sounds poetic, but it makes the car wobbly, and the steering dangerously light. Solution: Get rear air spoilers fitted for damping the air flow over the rear.
In practice, as you go faster, more air flows through the spoiler gap, thus pushing the rear of the car down, keeping it in place (i.e it stops it from lifting up due to air flow beneath the chassis). Hence, instead of lightening up, the steering remains firm, the wheels are more stable, and the car is a lot more driveable. Strong winds buffeting the sides of the teeny chassis can veer you dangerously off course.
No need to drive, just park this car on Marine Drive (Mumbai) on a windy day, and you’ll see what I mean.Space is a limitation, and definitely not enough for a normal Indian family. however, if you spend a bit extra, the 800 can be converted into a very nifty, sporty, 2-seater, with large storage space at the back. Fuel efficient at 17-18 kmpl (on average), the 800 is a great option for first-time car buyers with shoe-string budgets.
Although Maruti has discontinued manufacturing this line of models, spare parts are cheap and quite easily available. A wide range of accessories and add-ons, allow you to customize this car any which way you like. Also, most mechanics know how to fix problems on an 800. (All-in-all, good portability) Italian curves are missed when we see the sharp edges to its outside shape, but remember...
The designer’s are Japanese.Rumor has it that the 800 bears the engine of one of the Suzuki 750+cc sports bikes, but the jury is out on that.Overall, Maruti 800 is the one car that changed the face of Indian roads, and introduced us to the next generation of cars. Happy journey!