Going for a work at the peak hours or maybe for a get together at a shopping mall with family on weekends, getting you frustrated inside your vehicle, but here we now are bestowed with solutions of such problems, and it means going clutch free. Well it was known to the world since long back but we Indians are now introduced to it very recently. Whatever it maybe, later or sooner, the thing which does matter is, many automakers are keen on rolling out their automatic version in India, and most probably the youths are inclining to be their soft target, who falls especially in the category of young professionals and so. But though, there isn’t any restrictions on owning a one, automatic is a cool chic to hang out with, leaving you fuss free, with complete peace of mind, even in bumper to bumper traffic and rush hours.
Lest of all, recently Maruti had rolled out Swift Dzire and A-Star in the same category and now finally its most adored charmer ‘Ritz’ had also been dealt with that same smartness in its drivetrain– the four speed automatic gearbox. Informing you a bit before the actual ride starts, Ritz had also gone under a facelift where it had been tweaked with one-piece front grille, up risen fender and sharper headlamps, whilst of minor updates on interiors too.
Inside is lashed with two tone interiors, being occupied with fabric upholstery, an additional storage box on front AC vents, and a tachometer being placed on the speedometer cluster, relieving its sports image for a very close shoot out. The door panels are too seen covered in the similar red dressing, making you feel pampered at all the times when it picks you staring at them.
Let’s leave interiors till that only, we were much excited on the drive; let us tell you it was a complete fun driving in the city, and putting our whole day long inside hadn’t left us exhausted even through the sticking 9-5 or 8-10 traffic specialty hours.
The gearbox of Ritz is similar to Dzire and A-Star, making you move very swiftly when just stepped on the accelerator, and to an extent it doesn’t feels under power, all thanks to its 1.2L K series petrol engine, which had proven tactical results even in the ordinary avatar as well. The throttling extravaganza is sufficient enough to make right moves while overtaking, but somewhere we do feel that the responding time is got a bit delayed, as can be slated due to longer gear ratios divided just among the four gears only. On the other side of flip, VVT (variable valve timing) is also found in the facelift edition, giving a refined and classy output even in top notches, but very differently the higher RPMs at lower gears make the engine more noisy and cranky, maybe it is because of unusual gear distribution, hence the overall travelling yielded us with big gleam on our faces.
Scuffling the highways in between too wasn’t a disappointment, red lines seems nowhere to be a barrier in between, making to cruise till the point where roads are visible, and yet no ends to our route, but somehow we managed to ourselves to get out of this addiction and returned to the starting point.
There is not much to say than this much as it was already a star in the horizon, on conclusions, prices lends a voice of Rs. 6.19 lakh (ex showroom Delhi), and is made available only on one variant i.e. VXi ABS, whereas Maruti had a bundle of trims in this model plate, then why only the one out of them is selected is still not gotten into our mind. Moreover, the interiors and all are much practical, just like we don’t have any complaints from its previous generation; this one we think is an over-priced hatchback, and was unexpected that too from the makers who is known for the very-well Indian blooded, in sense of efficiency and low pricing segmentation. Mind our words, many of us may be driving out shocking mileage, in positive terminologies, in the manual gearbox under the same hoods but it is learnt, a drop in the fuel efficiency of automatic trim a must crimp for the pockets. Well, if anyone who is willing to spend an additional Rs. 92,000, on comparison with manual ZXi, then it is must on their list.
Ratings: The drive was good, but had left us starving due to the price asked for. Suits better at 6.5/10.