Maruti stops M-800 production ?newer
version may not available ?
The car,
that was a breadwinner for many MSL dealers across the country and also first
car for many Indian middle class families, may not be available in newer
version
Bringing
curtains down on the glorious saga of the Maruti 800 model, Maruti Suzuki India has
stopped production of the iconic car brand that had been carrier for millions
of Indian middle class families, since last month, said senior official of the
auto maker here Friday.
C V Raman,
Executive Director MSIL, said though the car production has stopped, spare
parts will be available for customers for the next 8-10 years as per rules.
The car, that
was a breadwinner for many MSL dealers across the country and also first car
for many Indian middle class families, may not be available in newer version
unlike other MSIL brands.
“Now on the
18th of January we have stopped the M-800 production completely. We have to
keep all of them (dies and moulds) for the spare parts requirement. We have to
continuously meet the customer requirements. That is our duty to make sure that
they get all the parts,” Mr Raman told reporters on the sidelines of launch of
its new hatchback Celerio, here.
MSL has stopped
selling Maruti-800, that has revolutionised Indian Auto industry, in 13 cities
including Hyderabad , Bangalore ,
Kanpur , Pune
since April 2010.
“Our policy is
8 to 10 years we have to keep (the spares available). For all the models which
have been phased out till date, we have followed this policy,” Raman added.
MSL redesigned
most of its top selling brands such as Alto, WagonR, and Swift in redesigned
version.
The car, which
was priced at around Rs 50,000 when launched in early 80s is now available over
Rs 2.35 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi ),
according to Maruti-800 official website.
“There could
some stock of M800 at the dealer level and I don’t know the exact number,” Mr
Raman said.
To a query on
the Global NCAP report, he said the test done by UK-based organisation was at
64 kmph, which is at much higher speed than even the regulation in Europe .
“In India , we have
a certain regulation today. All the vehicles that sell in India meet the
Indian norms,” he said.
Some of the
most popular small cars sold in India, including Maruti Alto 800, Tata Nano,
Ford Figo, Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Polo, have failed crash tests putting
occupants at a high risk of life-threatening injuries in road accidents,
according to UK-based Global NCAP.
On sales, he
said this year MSIL may witness 3 to 4 per cent retail sales growth over last
year.(Courtesy :The Hindu / PTI )