Ritz is also available in the commercial segment.
Several reports have stated that Maruti-Suzuki has stopped production of the Maruti Ritz. However, speaking to Indian Autos Blog over the telephone today, a Maruti spokeswoman denied such reports, and stated that production of the Ritz continues as per demand.
Launched in May 2009, and priced lower than the Maruti Swift, the Maruti Ritz is available in petrol and diesel variants: the petrol is the 1.2-liter K-Series capable of 87 PS and 114 Nm of torque, while the diesel is the Fiat-borrowed 1.3-liter DDiS churning 75 PS and 190 Nm of torque. Both engines are paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Though demand for the Maruti Ritz has slumped in recent time, the company has found a new customer for the hatchback in the form of cab operators. Driver partners of Ola and Uber, the two biggest cab aggregators in India, use the Maruti Ritz in its LXi (with CNG) and LDi variants in their respective small car categories.
Also read: Maruti Ignis shows interior in new spyshot
According to a recent report on the Economic Times, Uber India is reportedly considering purchasing 200,000 cars over the next two years, and this could be a contract worth over INR 13,000 crores. Tata Motors and Maruti-Suzuki are reported to be the top contenders for this deal, in which case the Maruti Ritz (hatchback), Maruti Dzire Tour (sedan) and Maruti Ertiga (MPV) could see a spike in sales.
