Yesterday I test drove the much hyped maruti Ritz. The first thing I notice is that its look is not so Ritzy as shown in the motor shows like Paris. It seems to be customised to a cost. Again a step-mother treatment from maruti. But the rear is COOL too.
Lets take a look at the exterior of the car. The look of the car is good though. Headlights seems to be out of proportion of the size of the car. Quite large but gives a slight resembelance of the swift. Actually from front Swift looks better and from rear Ritz looks better. From rear Swift looks like a MAINDHAK. Rear of the Ritz gives it amore fresh look and a bit of small SUVish proportions. Front grill is good and smart with adequate air intake to keep the engine cool. Tyre size is also in proportion.
Waistline and other curves makes this car a handsome small boy on the block. Interior of the car is a blend of some contemporary notes with some stylish inserts. I am (personally) not so comfortable with the tachometre being placed at the top right of the dash. The illumination of the dials are good and pleasent. Size of the steering and its placement is just about perfect. Space is adequate for a 5.8 but a six footer may find it difficult to find a good driving posture. Shoulder space is adequate in the front but three well built people in the rear may find their shoulders rubbing each other as ell as the window panel. It may be good if your companion is a sweety, but the other way round it will be a tight fit. Seats offered good comfort and adequate support in the required areas.
In all the interior of the Ritz is good and spacious enough. Drive of the car is a definate boon. I have driven both the petrol as well as the diesel version. Both the engines are smooth and responsive. The fuel economy is expected to be good as this engine belongs to the ’K’ series from maruti and the A-star from the same technology is already offering decent mileage.
I expect it to be around 13 in city and 15-16 on highways. This is good enough for a car with this performance. The AC unit of this car didn’t really impressed me. Though it is decent with minimal affect on the performance of the car, but in the hot summers of India it is not that effective. This is not a perfect aerodynamic car so don’t expect the long drive mileage figures to differ a lot from city driving. Now the diesel option is about eighty thousand expensive than its petrol counterpart. Though the diesel engine is expected to offer around 18 kmpl in city but is advisable only if you drive about atleast 2500 to 3000 kms. If your monthly driving is less than this then go for petrol version. Please feel free to comment me as it will help me to give better reviews in future. A big thanks to all of you to take time and showing your interest in this review. Regards Ashutosh Agarwal