Maruti Ritz: A cool city car
03 Aug 2009 8:21 AM by
Adhish Alawani
in
Single review,
Maruti,
i have always been fond of small cars. The reason for this is quite straightforward. When you reside in a country like India where the roads are narrow , potholes are in abundance , parking spaces are inadequate and the traffic is as disciplined as stray cattle roaming around in search of hay , small cars offer a practical solution. To support my theory are the sales figures of the last fiscal showing that the Alto has been the highest selling car in the Indian market. It is One of the cheapest and decent cars available in the country today. However , recent trends indicate that while the masses are still buying small cars , they want more than just a vehicle to go from point A to point B and are ready to pay a bit more for it. Maruti Suzuki has been the strongest player in the small car segment in India. Nevertheless , the company has been facing competition from other manufacturers who have also started exploiting this segment. The Swift worked wonders for Maruti in the medium segment hatchback; however with time , its inadequacies as a small family car cropped up and being in the market for four years , prospective customers now wanted something fresh from the carmaker.
Just when people were willing to shift their focus to other cars , Maruti brought in the Ritz to India. Popularly known as the Splash in the European market , the Ritz is probably the best bet for Maruti in the country at this point. The car is almost the same size as the Swift from the outside. However , the older car’s bulgy design is not seen on the Ritz. The new model has a more subtle , mature yet modern look. The huge vertically stacked headlamp clusters with the 
twin grille bumper define the front end of the Ritz. This short nosed hatchback will remind you of the Swift for a fraction of a second from the front , however , its flat back end is a complete transition from the sporty treatment of the Swift. The leveled and almost vertical tailgate with the huge tail lamp clusters are something that didn’t appeal to me at first sight. Though with repetitive glances , the design has grown on me and I have seriously started liking it – yet I don’t find it as appealing as the Swift. While the Swift captured the hearts of the young generation with its sporty and aggressive stance , the Ritz will do well with a well settled , middle class family man.
From the inside , the Ritz gets the typical grey treatment to the dashboard. A shelf above the glovebox and another one with a lid above the central AC vents give you the option to stow away your stuff at various places. The single dial central instrumentation console packs in a lot of tell-tale lights across its circumference. The ZXi gets a neat integrated audio system similar to the Swift. Interestingly , the real surprise comes in the form of the interior space of the Ritz. I call it interesting considering the fact that the Ritz is built on almost the same platform as the Swift , in fact with a slightly shorter wheelbase , and yet has plentiful interior space. The tallboy design not only frees up a lot of space , giving an airy feel on the inside but is also a boon for taller people.
Now that we know what the Ritz is like from inside and outside , let us see what drives it from its bay. Maruti offers the Ritz with a couple of engine options in the form of a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre diesel. The petrol motor powering the Ritz is the brand new K12M engine masterminded by the boffins at Suzuki with new age technologies ensuring a refined drive with better fuel efficiency. The powerplant produces 85PS of peak power at 6000rpm and a peak torque of 113Nm at 4500rpm. Lending the car an extremely tractable character , the petrol engine ensures a comfortable drive through the urban chaos. However , rev it hard and the car disappoints. This isn’t an enthusiast’s car but in any case , the Ritz was never really made to be like that. It is for the levelheaded family guy 
who wants a comfortable drive through the traffic and at the same time expects decent fuel efficiency. The 17.4kmpl overall economy ensures just that and makes the Ritz a definite class leader. Pulling comfortably right from under a thousand revs , the 1.2-litre petrol engine is a wonder in the stop and go traffic situations witnessed across most of the cities in the country. The oil burner unit on the other hand comes in the form of the highly successful and extremely loved 1.3-litre oil burner from the FIAT’s stable. This is the same engine that does duties in an array of vehicles in the country today including the Swift. However , once again , the Ritz diesel fails to impress the enthusiast in me as much as the Swift diesel did. In spite of having the same motor in the bay , the Ritz didn’t excite me as much as the Swift did. The reason for this lies in the weight of the car. The Ritz is 30 kilos heavier than the Swift which hampers the power-to-weight ratio leading to a slightly sluggish feel. Apart from this , the engine has been retuned to meet the Bharat Stage IV norms and this could also be a reason for the motor loosing out on the peppy feel. A slight surge of torque is experienced after 2000 revs , however , it isn’t as much as the Swift’s , thus giving you a feel of a more linear delivery and ascertains a rather uneventful drive for the torque fanatic. However , with a phenomenal fuel efficiency of 20.8kmpl overall , the Ritz diesel bypasses the benchmark set by the Swift in this segment and makes it a dream machine for everyone looking out for their first car.
The Ritz has sound stability at high speeds. Without a hint of uneasiness , it manages to be rock steady on highways. However , go fast around corners and you start experiencing prominent body roll. Push her more and the car starts feeling nervous , making the driver back out. With the top end petrol Ritz running on the 185 section rubber , the grip is adequate and gives you a lot more confidence than all the other variants (top end diesel VDI included) which run on the 165 section tyres. The tyres , it seems are biased towards a longer life than outright grip and keep screeching all through the hard cornering maneuvers. With the marginally shorter wheelbase as compared to the Swift , the Ritz has lost a bit on the handling front. The right hander - left hander switchbacks , or vice versa , are scary at high speeds , once again proving that the Ritz is not meant for the enthusiast. On the other hand , the drive in the City on the bumpy and pothole laden roads of Pune was a lot more comfortable in the Ritz with the softened suspension damping , probably being up there with the best in the segment. The aim was to make the Ritz a better car to drive in the city and Maruti has certainly struck the right chord with it.
So what do you get from the Ritz as a complete package? A smooth and refined drive , a peaceful cabin , ample room , class leading efficiency and everything you’d desire from an urban tool. Where does it lack then? Apart from the slightly heavy steering which is a bit of a concern when it comes to parking the car in tight slots , the Ritz it seems is perfect for the city and the occasional highway runs. Pricing has always been Maruti’s USP and further tilts the scales in the Ritz favors. To say the least , our long term petrol variant is already winning our hearts.
More photos:
Content courtesy: 
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
When compared to Nissan Micra, Ritz is better because it is from Maruti Suzuki No.1 car maker, hence you need not worry about the customer support and service, spare parts. Secondly, it has the refiened K series engine. With growing fuel prices, diesel is more buyer friendly. Hence, Ritz also outscores in providing a diesel engine. Go for Ritz!
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
i am planning to buy ritz, but i am surprised to know while went through booklets of swift and ritz diesel, dispite the same engine in both cars the milage is less in ritz.
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Ritz is easy to drive and easy to park too.
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
hi, iam romesh, i have a ritz zxi[abs]. i like it. good car ritz so take it test ride and purchase a new car from maruti.
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
happy to own a maruti Ritz vx
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
The car looks quite good, until you view it from the back.....Feels like being bumped by a truck...so take care and chose wisely.
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Looks are subjective.Design of Ritz is presently looking odd to many as we are not used to these type of looks.But,when this becomes a common sight on the roads,it would become as trendy as any other new car designs.Same was the case with Swift when it was launched,now its a well known fact that its considered to be best selling and hottest premium hatch been sold in India.Performace of a car matters the most,and as Ritz excels in that department would slowly emerge out to be the segment leader!
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Thank You for your report,
It helped me a lot, but i am looking for a car for 5 and thinking about Ritz Vxi, U-va 1.2 and i10 Magna.
The car should be fuel efficient.
My useg:city-500 km
Highway-500 km per month
Which car suits me please guide & reply me.....
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
The report was very good. i m planning to buy the car in next 15 days b4 dewali. i m confused between the ritz lxi and swift lxi, after reading so many review i got to know the swift in petrol is not good in fuel efficency (9-11kmpl in city roads) but it's looks attracts me and there is one more threat buying it i.e. if in 6-8 month down the line swift is launched with K-series engine then i will be disharted. about ritz it's overall performace suits my need but it's speedo meter and overall look distract me somehow.
i m totally confused, please suggest me which one z is better for me. my usage is 5-10,000 km per year.
and could you please suggest me about the fuel efficency of i10 era.is it a worth buying that car it is not comfertable and manymore space inside is less.
Please suggest i need your expert view.
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
It's a comprehensive review and leaves it to the reader to decide his car after the facts have been laid bare. thanks
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Ritz is extremely a good machine with a very refined engine and excellent interiors.take no second choice Ritz is the best car and it is the most selling one now
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
ritz is really a good car and maruti given good/beteer servise ritz duration is 10,000km servise time is so good and maruti product sale on his good faith and maruti always fullfill over sales costumers.ritz is a versatile hatch car and its size is too much impresive in delhi traffic jam and conjected parking
total a same wonder machine for small family and east to in/out to our older mamy/papa to sit in ritz.
devinder yadav
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Ritz looks very good. Nice space inside. Powerfull engine. More boot space. Please tell me about its fuel efficency. I am planning to buy Ritz vxi. Still confused between Zen Istelo vxi and Ritz vxi models. Kindly suggest.
Ravinder Singh Bhogal
Jalandhar city.
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
I am the owner of Ritz VXI petrol with the color Bakkers chocolate....and trust me it is very good car in the B ++ segment with advance looks ,good engine ( with zero sound ).With shape definitely you will fall in love after two three observation.Now if you still compare with Beat ( new launched), when u drive Beat petrol , u have to pinch to u that it is petro vehicle beacuse engine noise so high ,it irritated u. However I10 and I20 look like a toys car also concept is use and throw.Definitely I am feeling proud owner of ritz.....
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
I am going to purchase Ritz vxi in feb.2010. Is this a right decision? please guide me.
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Hai this is antony from dindigul in tnadu
I was very much admire by ritz and am in plan to buy vxi of it,but so many peoples including my wife does not like the car and discourage.this going to my first one plz guide me sld i buy this r not
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Hai am antony,
I suppose to buy ritz vxi but al the people r discourage me
Should i buy this one,this going to be my first plz guide me
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
Dear Guys! I have now finally purchased Maruti Ritz VXI on 15 fab, 2010 and I`m completely satisfiy with its performance. Low noise Engine, Good boot space, very spacious & good milage.
on 10 May 12 at 7:21 PM
I own a Ritz ZXI (ABS) which is truly a VFM. It has run 2000 KM till date and the engine is smooth. Really a great car for both city and highways.
Just when people were willing to shift their focus to other cars , Maruti brought in the Ritz to India. Popularly known as the Splash in the European market , the Ritz is probably the best bet for Maruti in the country at this point. The car is almost the same size as the Swift from the outside. However , the older car’s bulgy design is not seen on the Ritz. The new model has a more subtle , mature yet modern look. The huge vertically stacked headlamp clusters with the
twin grille bumper define the front end of the Ritz. This short nosed hatchback will remind you of the Swift for a fraction of a second from the front , however , its flat back end is a complete transition from the sporty treatment of the Swift. The leveled and almost vertical tailgate with the huge tail lamp clusters are something that didn’t appeal to me at first sight. Though with repetitive glances , the design has grown on me and I have seriously started liking it – yet I don’t find it as appealing as the Swift. While the Swift captured the hearts of the young generation with its sporty and aggressive stance , the Ritz will do well with a well settled , middle class family man.
From the inside , the Ritz gets the typical grey treatment to the dashboard. A shelf above the glovebox and another one with a lid above the central AC vents give you the option to stow away your stuff at various places. The single dial central instrumentation console packs in a lot of tell-tale lights across its circumference. The ZXi gets a neat integrated audio system similar to the Swift. Interestingly , the real surprise comes in the form of the interior space of the Ritz. I call it interesting considering the fact that the Ritz is built on almost the same platform as the Swift , in fact with a slightly shorter wheelbase , and yet has plentiful interior space. The tallboy design not only frees up a lot of space , giving an airy feel on the inside but is also a boon for taller people.
Now that we know what the Ritz is like from inside and outside , let us see what drives it from its bay. Maruti offers the Ritz with a couple of engine options in the form of a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre diesel. The petrol motor powering the Ritz is the brand new K12M engine masterminded by the boffins at Suzuki with new age technologies ensuring a refined drive with better fuel efficiency. The powerplant produces 85PS of peak power at 6000rpm and a peak torque of 113Nm at 4500rpm. Lending the car an extremely tractable character , the petrol engine ensures a comfortable drive through the urban chaos. However , rev it hard and the car disappoints. This isn’t an enthusiast’s car but in any case , the Ritz was never really made to be like that. It is for the levelheaded family guy
who wants a comfortable drive through the traffic and at the same time expects decent fuel efficiency. The 17.4kmpl overall economy ensures just that and makes the Ritz a definite class leader. Pulling comfortably right from under a thousand revs , the 1.2-litre petrol engine is a wonder in the stop and go traffic situations witnessed across most of the cities in the country. The oil burner unit on the other hand comes in the form of the highly successful and extremely loved 1.3-litre oil burner from the FIAT’s stable. This is the same engine that does duties in an array of vehicles in the country today including the Swift. However , once again , the Ritz diesel fails to impress the enthusiast in me as much as the Swift diesel did. In spite of having the same motor in the bay , the Ritz didn’t excite me as much as the Swift did. The reason for this lies in the weight of the car. The Ritz is 30 kilos heavier than the Swift which hampers the power-to-weight ratio leading to a slightly sluggish feel. Apart from this , the engine has been retuned to meet the Bharat Stage IV norms and this could also be a reason for the motor loosing out on the peppy feel. A slight surge of torque is experienced after 2000 revs , however , it isn’t as much as the Swift’s , thus giving you a feel of a more linear delivery and ascertains a rather uneventful drive for the torque fanatic. However , with a phenomenal fuel efficiency of 20.8kmpl overall , the Ritz diesel bypasses the benchmark set by the Swift in this segment and makes it a dream machine for everyone looking out for their first car.
The Ritz has sound stability at high speeds. Without a hint of uneasiness , it manages to be rock steady on highways. However , go fast around corners and you start experiencing prominent body roll. Push her more and the car starts feeling nervous , making the driver back out. With the top end petrol Ritz running on the 185 section rubber , the grip is adequate and gives you a lot more confidence than all the other variants (top end diesel VDI included) which run on the 165 section tyres. The tyres , it seems are biased towards a longer life than outright grip and keep screeching all through the hard cornering maneuvers. With the marginally shorter wheelbase as compared to the Swift , the Ritz has lost a bit on the handling front. The right hander - left hander switchbacks , or vice versa , are scary at high speeds , once again proving that the Ritz is not meant for the enthusiast. On the other hand , the drive in the City on the bumpy and pothole laden roads of Pune was a lot more comfortable in the Ritz with the softened suspension damping , probably being up there with the best in the segment. The aim was to make the Ritz a better car to drive in the city and Maruti has certainly struck the right chord with it.
So what do you get from the Ritz as a complete package? A smooth and refined drive , a peaceful cabin , ample room , class leading efficiency and everything you’d desire from an urban tool. Where does it lack then? Apart from the slightly heavy steering which is a bit of a concern when it comes to parking the car in tight slots , the Ritz it seems is perfect for the city and the occasional highway runs. Pricing has always been Maruti’s USP and further tilts the scales in the Ritz favors. To say the least , our long term petrol variant is already winning our hearts.
More photos:
Content courtesy:
When compared to Nissan Micra, Ritz is better because it is from Maruti Suzuki No.1 car maker, hence you need not worry about the customer support and service, spare parts. Secondly, it has the refiened K series engine. With growing fuel prices, diesel is more buyer friendly. Hence, Ritz also outscores in providing a diesel engine. Go for Ritz!
i am planning to buy ritz, but i am surprised to know while went through booklets of swift and ritz diesel, dispite the same engine in both cars the milage is less in ritz.
Ritz is easy to drive and easy to park too.
hi, iam romesh, i have a ritz zxi[abs]. i like it. good car ritz so take it test ride and purchase a new car from maruti.
happy to own a maruti Ritz vx
The car looks quite good, until you view it from the back.....Feels like being bumped by a truck...so take care and chose wisely.
Looks are subjective.Design of Ritz is presently looking odd to many as we are not used to these type of looks.But,when this becomes a common sight on the roads,it would become as trendy as any other new car designs.Same was the case with Swift when it was launched,now its a well known fact that its considered to be best selling and hottest premium hatch been sold in India.Performace of a car matters the most,and as Ritz excels in that department would slowly emerge out to be the segment leader!
Thank You for your report, It helped me a lot, but i am looking for a car for 5 and thinking about Ritz Vxi, U-va 1.2 and i10 Magna. The car should be fuel efficient. My useg:city-500 km Highway-500 km per month Which car suits me please guide & reply me.....
The report was very good. i m planning to buy the car in next 15 days b4 dewali. i m confused between the ritz lxi and swift lxi, after reading so many review i got to know the swift in petrol is not good in fuel efficency (9-11kmpl in city roads) but it's looks attracts me and there is one more threat buying it i.e. if in 6-8 month down the line swift is launched with K-series engine then i will be disharted. about ritz it's overall performace suits my need but it's speedo meter and overall look distract me somehow. i m totally confused, please suggest me which one z is better for me. my usage is 5-10,000 km per year. and could you please suggest me about the fuel efficency of i10 era.is it a worth buying that car it is not comfertable and manymore space inside is less. Please suggest i need your expert view.
It's a comprehensive review and leaves it to the reader to decide his car after the facts have been laid bare. thanks
Ritz is extremely a good machine with a very refined engine and excellent interiors.take no second choice Ritz is the best car and it is the most selling one now
ritz is really a good car and maruti given good/beteer servise ritz duration is 10,000km servise time is so good and maruti product sale on his good faith and maruti always fullfill over sales costumers.ritz is a versatile hatch car and its size is too much impresive in delhi traffic jam and conjected parking total a same wonder machine for small family and east to in/out to our older mamy/papa to sit in ritz. devinder yadav
Ritz looks very good. Nice space inside. Powerfull engine. More boot space. Please tell me about its fuel efficency. I am planning to buy Ritz vxi. Still confused between Zen Istelo vxi and Ritz vxi models. Kindly suggest. Ravinder Singh Bhogal Jalandhar city.
I am the owner of Ritz VXI petrol with the color Bakkers chocolate....and trust me it is very good car in the B ++ segment with advance looks ,good engine ( with zero sound ).With shape definitely you will fall in love after two three observation.Now if you still compare with Beat ( new launched), when u drive Beat petrol , u have to pinch to u that it is petro vehicle beacuse engine noise so high ,it irritated u. However I10 and I20 look like a toys car also concept is use and throw.Definitely I am feeling proud owner of ritz.....
I am going to purchase Ritz vxi in feb.2010. Is this a right decision? please guide me.
Hai this is antony from dindigul in tnadu I was very much admire by ritz and am in plan to buy vxi of it,but so many peoples including my wife does not like the car and discourage.this going to my first one plz guide me sld i buy this r not
Hai am antony, I suppose to buy ritz vxi but al the people r discourage me Should i buy this one,this going to be my first plz guide me
Dear Guys! I have now finally purchased Maruti Ritz VXI on 15 fab, 2010 and I`m completely satisfiy with its performance. Low noise Engine, Good boot space, very spacious & good milage.
I own a Ritz ZXI (ABS) which is truly a VFM. It has run 2000 KM till date and the engine is smooth. Really a great car for both city and highways.