Maruti Suzuki 800 deserves a 21-gun salute as it finds its resting place in the Indian Automotive Hall of Fame. While the 800’s successful tenure lasted over two-and-a-half decades, its design has become outdated in today’s era of curvaceous cars. It has also been unable to meet current emission norms and hide a boxy exterior. This
was despite efforts to hide its age, going through as many cosmetic jobs as Rakhi Sawant. The 800 will, however, remain available in select regions of the country to meet its still-high demand. But what made this Maruti conjure up over two million sales? It had a near-perfect blend of price, efficiency and easy-to-drive USPs compared to the crude Ambassadors and Fiats that the Indian consumer had to put up with at the time.
The 800 was no boring car by any means. Though the skinny footprint and pronounced body roll limited any Vettel-like aggressiveness, Maruti truly arrived with the 800. The 800 was the ideal city car, with its small dimensions, and super-efficient and reliable 796 cc three-cylinder engine. Today, Maruti has the Swift models.
Maruti 800 is being phased out, perhaps aptly because it does have its drawbacks. The safety features practically ended at seatbelts and one’s common sense. The brakes do not retard momentum well enough. With only 35 horses neighing to transport its load, power is an issue. The dash is clearly not sleek and has a plastic feel to it. And the amenities were as Spartan as Mallika Sherawat’s dress sense. Space was also an issue with it being able to seat only four very thick friends.
Our family in Kodaikanal has been relying on a white ‘03 Maruti 800. Seven years on, we’re still slightly cramped, but happy. Although this car is basic in every sense, one can't but help having a soft spot for a car that was the only colourful ‘young’ car amidst all the options available then. Maruti 800, you will be missed.
The writer is a car enthusiast based out of Kodaikanal