Maruti Suzuki Ritz User Reviews

I own a Ritz ZXI from over 2 months now and i have driven over 1100KM. Some of my observations : - I paid 5.64 on road Bangalore. In this price i will only get the base version of i20 not the fully loaded. (Airbags, EBD, Alloys, Music System) - I have always got 12kmpl - 15.5kmpl depending on traffic - Front and Rear head leg room very comfortable. - Car seems very spacious from inside - Its ground clearance and solid road presence makes bangalore speed breakers feel ashamed :-) - Engine Peppy enough for City and Highway drive - Boot Space not enough but Split seats helps - Low noise inside cabin - The car rolls a bit more at turnings with speeds>60 - Quality of Plastic is OK, not very great. However please note that the availability is poor and some of my frinds are still waiting for the delivery of their Ritz and this is not communicated by the Dealer at the time of booking.Good Fuel Economy, Good Style, Good Road Presence, Great EngineSome people dont like the rear looks, Boot space inadequate

Ritz ZXI 300 KM – Runing experience Engine – The car is super silent and extra smooth. You can’t really make out whether the car is started or not in idling. Absolutely no vibration and no sound. Gear shifts are absolute pleasure and I’m enjoying each time I change gears. Clutch is bit tight but now I’m adjusted to it and found it very effective. Brakes with ABS, didn’t get a chance to test it really, but definitely confident aspiring. Drivability - is too good in city conditions and steering is very responsive. Seating position is just perfect and very commanding even I didn’t have to adjust the height. A-Piller is bit thick and blocking vision especially on tight right turns. I found it difficult in one night in a cut road with no street light. Ride quality is better than many cars in the same segment. Suspension is also better, even the rear suspension. Horn is good and effective. I drove the car on highways for some time, took it to max 80 KM/hr speed and found very confident aspiring, took some U turns with some speed, found body roll is minimum considering the height. Music system - is better than I expected and sound quality is reasonable enough to keep the system intact. AC- is too good and the best part is, after switching on AC on level1, immediately the rear passengers are getting the cold air, due to good (high) positioning of the AC vents in the center. I never had to put the AC to level 2. (Thanks to Bangalore weather too) Interiors/Exterior - I’m loving the shape of the car and I feel the looks especially the rear has a character. I’m enjoying the onlookers smile and frown. Interior is good and I feel Ritz has one of the best interiors among Maruti cars. The dashboard is big and gives a feel of a big car. The instrument cluster with big white dial looks beautiful especially with the small warning icons around the dial. The pop out tachometer is just superb and looks very sporty. Even the tachometer is easier to read once get used to it. Only minus is clock, which is inside the instrument, readable only to the driver. The electronic fuel indicator looks small but not infective. The car is very roomy and the tall head room gives the car an absolute easiness for ingress and egress, both front and rear. I feel the rear seating also have adequate space and not that cramped. Boot space is good and more useful due to height factor. Overall one feels much spacious inside. Blue colour seats matches with some body colours especially with the blue, but a big turnoff with other colour like Bakers chocolate and Red. Seats feel more spongy which add a bit to the comfort level. Overall I’m very much satisfied with the new car and now the only thing to test and find out is the FE. I’m doing a tank to tank method and waiting for the next topup. Fuel Update at 800 KM running. First 360 KM - 70% city with AC always, it returned 14.2KM/L. Last weekend i had a trip to Mysore which covered 376 KM, returned 18.3 KM/L. I'm using Shell regular petrol. Hope this figures will improve after first serviceGood Fule economy, spacious and good interior, Super silent engineMisplaced clock, AC controls positioning, behind gear lever

A Complete Review  RITZ ZXI & a Guidance for Buying New Car.**

I am working in Research organization. I have being doing detailed analysis  for buying a car for last  one year. Since  I undergone lot of stress& confusion in finalizing  and selecting a car I want to give a  sincere, unbiased and reliable  guidance to the readers . Due to this my review may be little long , but  I hope the readers shall excuse me for the  Content  it contain. As a new car buyer important  doubts are.

1.Which BRAND I have to buy.

2. Which  MODEL  I have to buy.

3.Wether  PETROL or DIESEL.

All the above questions are reasonably addressed in this review. It took  me nearly one year to finalise the above doubts. Hence I can authentically discuss with anyone  and clarify their doubts.

My yearly usage is around 5000-6000 Km. I am  180 cm height and normal built body. My first&foremost requirement was a car with  reasonably high seating position. I fixed my budget as 4- 4.5L. I have short listed the following cars . Maruthi NewWagor R,  Hyundai I 10,   Test drive both the cars and like the style ,comfort and interior quality of i 10, but the tall boy design, new style, K series Engine  and brand value of Maruthi. Finally I booked the New WagonR.

My real analysis started after the booking of the  Wagon R only . I have revised my requirement as.

“SAFETEY,COMFORT,ECONOMY”.** I decided to buy a car  with  ABS and Airbag. Considering the cost VS safety factor and  I realized paying around 50K is worthy.I cancelled my first booking and continued to do the researching  and analysis.

Based on inputs available to me short listed the following brands. Budget I have not restricted or  fixed, depends  on the specification and features. I have short listed Swift,Ritz,120 Magna, Scoda Fabia,Volkswagen Polo,Ford Figo, Tata Vista, Feat Punto and Toyota LIVA.

**Due** the  height concern  and  very low ground clearance  initially itself I ruled out the   Polo,Figo and Fabia.All this cars are fairly good and comfort to drive. But always prick your heart when you pass hump or pot hole. Second thing I don’t like  the“ PIT” like seating position of above said cars during my test drive. Tata vista is good  car in terms of space, comfort, internal materials and average on fit and finish. Bur I   dislike the service& careless behavior of  Tata guys. More over now a days Tata is not focus on quality of product or business ethics, but they are only interested to make money in all means. Punto I rejects only because of  infamous Tata service. i20  is a great car by LOOK and interior, but I have friends who is not at all happy with the mileage so it is ruled out.  In Toyota Liva  I observed only “Toyota emblem of Q class”. Most of the   big leaders who is good in premium cars are  selling their hatch back cars with outright cheap  and inferior quality  product and there is motive to push their product to India by hook or crook.  After lot of survey and analysis finally I fixed  my brand “ Maruthi Suzuki”.

**Now my question is only SWIFT  or Ritz.**

Finally I end up in  Maruthi Swift and Ritz. Both cars are doing well. New Swift launched. The car was inspiring and  attracted  to many, but it disappointed me. I don’t like the  stretched   new bonnet, very small boot space and low level seating position of new Swift. One more interesting thing is that  before modification the petrol swift took 2 months and diesel swift took 3 months for delivery  But now you can get petrol swift  immediately  and diesel in 3 months  I think  many prospective buyer of  Swift is switched over to other models.

***I  decided to Buy Maruti Ritz *** the most favored car of the web with 2 million fans. I like the K series Swift rocket engine, tall boy design, spacious interior, European rear design, sporty  tachometer, easy ingress and digress bold and masculine appearance. My wife is not at all happy with my decision, she dislike the rear design of the Ritz. I told her to give importance to performance not appearance.  Considering the safety  aspects I decided to buy Ritz Zxi and I booked the car.

After booking the car again lot of confusion. Whether to go for Petrol or Diesel?. By just paying one lakhs extra I can get a Ritz  VDI, but there is no Zdi option at that time. I used many software’s and calculation to find petrol or diesel confusion.. Finally again I cancelled my Ritx Zxi and  decided to do  more detailed analysis. My policy is that till we buy any thing we can study about it, but after buying it we shouldn’t  regret about it. So my second car booking also cancelled. But spend lot of hours  in net, various forums and also my own excel sheets to finalise about Petrol or Diesel . After so much of analysis I understood that a person with annual usage of less than 6KKM can very well go for a patrol car.Calculation I"ll post later.

I called the ABT Guindy  guys to my home and  booked Silky Silver Ritx Zxi on August 2012.Sales executive started telling about the features and advantages of Ritz with his limited knowledge, then  I given a detailed lecture about Ritz and really he astonished to here this much information from a new car buyer. This time there was no dilemma, no ambiguity, no confusion. I paid the booking  amount and told the sales guys to keep the vehicle ready at  showroom. I was so happy to see the car. I took some photos of the car for my wife and daughter. Made the full payment in time.

**Ultimately  the day has come..**

The most awaited and may be most delayed but most studied & experienced car purchasers day. The above incidents taught me lot of information and knowledge about cars. It took nearly one years to complete this process. During this time I visited many car show rooms, many test drives, many discussions, many booking and cancellations. But none other than RITZ is tantalized me so much .  During this one years  especially after the cancellation of my  second booking  day by day my love towards Ritz Zxi  increased . Really I want to acknowledge  my sincere  thanks to the Manager of ABT Guindy  for their prompt action, not only during car booking time, but even during service and other time also. ABT done all the PDI inspection. I prepared my own  checklist At 6.10 PM on 23rd August we took the car to my home Via Chennai Pondy ECR and real.

Spce,Comfort,Contemporary StyleNIL

Completed 3000KM in my Ritz ZXi. Overall I would rate it as a good package, with very comfortable in driving, good suspension, fuel economy and the kind of features on offer for the price. You will have feeling of driving a big car while having good manuverability in the city. Styling initially i did'nt like it , started liking it after getting used to it. Same was the case with me for swift :) Good to drive in city as well on highway. Boot space is one negative but there is an option of folding the back seat if only 2 are travelling. In city milage was around 13-14KM per litre with AC on.

Issues faced with the car.

A few usual maruti specific glitches exists such as rattling noise coming from the left back door side. Dealer tried fixing it but didn't succeed in it. Swift had the same the problem it seems for cars released before 2006, which was fixed by Maruti later.

Space, Fuel economy, suspension, Handling, feature richBoot space, Rattling noise from left door side, Shape takes time to digest

Hi Friends,

I own a Ritz ZXI since one and a half-years now.

Ever wondered why advertisement of Ritz is not done aggresively.

Just like in old days i have never seen an ad of yamaha rx 100 which was a jewel indeed. I guess the same thing is with Ritz which is a best kept secret.

I never thoght of buying this car initiallty and had my eyes on Polo , Swift , Figo and Punto. Everyone around me kept me de-motivated about Ritz because of rear looks.I was confused over other options also after test drive as well. Then one day i took a drive of Ritz of one of my friend on the highway. That convinced me totally that this is the car for me.

Forget negetive thought about rear looks which anyway won't matter after 1-2 months. All you will think about is performance and comfort.

Therefore,got myself a Ritz ZXI (Blazing Blue color with Alloy wheels (. Here is an account of my one and a half year of experience of this fantastic machine.

Exterior Exteriors are not that bad as many people put it. It has got a tough look and the tail lights look superb at night.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) I guess this was a suprise for me. The seating height makes you feel like driving a SUV. I was suprised to see so much space in inside. Very comfortable Lot of trays and utilities to keep things inisde. Gear box is nicely within reach. ZXI comes equipped with air bags as well. Oerall you will feel cozy while inside the car.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox I have travelled long distances with this car - Shimle , Narkanda , Jaipur , Mussourie , Chandigrah from Delhi. Boss this is the car to beat on highways . Not even a single car could touch its speed . Somehow after 60-70Km / hr this car can speed real quick to 160 km/hr . The engine responds brilliantly when you demand more power.

The engine is very silent and you won't notice any difference in sound or power with a/c or without a/c. Within city with a/c in peak summers , i ahve seen mostly a mileage of 13-14 km/litre. But on optimum drive in city gives me around 17 km/ litre and on highways around 20 km/litre.

Ride Quality & Handling I have driven for hours and never felt cramped wherever i stopped. The stability on high speeds is very good

Final Words I have driven variety of cars but Ritz is definitely special. I guess this car always amazes me with its performance and comfort. This is a great value for money car and definitely a best kept secret waiting to be revealed only for its lucky owners.

Areas of improvement A nice set f cup holders will add more excitement on long drives.

Stability , Top Speed , Silent Engine , ComfortNo Cup Holders

Exterior

Going by the slew of cars we have in the Indian market, looks shouldn't really matter, but when you get a view of of the car for the first time, when you reach somewhere near the rear, you will definitely say - hey, where's the rest of this car??? But ofcourse, you won't say its a superb looking car at first sight (some say its a little ugly also), but give it some time, and you will definitely find this car rather cute and good to look at too. So it grows to become a rather good looking car, which is a very good thing.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

For starters, the hieght of this car is simply brilliant. Its superbly easy to get in and out of the Ritz, and tall people will simply love it. And in spite of the car being small to look at from the outside, every1 who has stepped in, find it incredibly roomy and spacious inside. The leg-room could have been better, but hey, its decent and better than other cars its size. A bit tight when you have 5 people sitting, but the spacious and airy cabin, completely makes you forget that. The AC is really good too and the driving console and dials are very easy on the eye (the fuel gauge should have been better though), and the rpm meter is positioned in a nice place giving it a racey look. The steering mounted stereo controls on the top-end makes it even more easy to use, an already easy stereo system, and the sound too is decent. The gear box is positioned simply brilliantly, which makes gear shifts an ease with the gear knob placed right where your hand would want it to be. Storage compartments are also many and placed at very ergonomic locations in the car. The car too is pretty comfortable except for the fact that it is a little stiff on bumpy roads with a little bit of the road noise creeping in. At high speeds, you can hear the wind hitting against your car, but you can't complain about that, due to its height. The interiors too are very subtle and welcoming, making you feel at ease in the airy cabin. One thing to note is the car does have a blind spot or 2 (and a rather small rear windshield), but then, that should encourage you to be a better driver, and not blame the car (because every car has its blind spots!!).

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

The car is very peppy for a 1.2 engine. It is very easy (and pretty fun) to drive in the city. Very! In the 4th and 5th gear however, the pick-up doesn't seem the same. As in it slacks down considerably, but this tuning has been done by the Maruti Suzuki fellows to return decent mileage figures. You will find the need to change to lower gears (especially on the highway) while overtaking, after which the car simply zips past your opponent. Basically, the car offers more than enough power for your city needs and sufficient power for the highway. But if your in the mood to race, you might as well go buy yourself a race car!!! Because this car, is no snail, but no cheetah either. The engine is a bit noisy though and gives a slight race car noise at higher revs. Fuel economy is nothing close to what Maruti claims(17-18 to a litre! in the city! ridiculous!!). It returns about 11-12 in the city and about 15 (to a litre,petrol) on the highway which is not great, but ok. The gearbox is nice and easy on the hands, but could have been a little smoother on the feel, just a little. The gear ratios also are well set, making this car a very good performer.

Ride Quality & Handling

Ride quality is not something you can boast about in this car,but it is ok. It feels a bit bumpy on bad roads, and so the suspension could have been softer. The back seat also could have been better, but no complaints as it is good for city drives. The car has good handling and the breaks also are pretty effective for it. As i said earlier, it is very easy and fun to drive around. Steering the car into corners also is nice and for a car this tall, you feel nice and stable and safe even at high speeds. Only a few minor vibrations in the initial revs, with the ac on, but not a disturbing thing at all. On the whole, the car has a nice feel to it.

Final Verdict

The guys who gave it the car of the year award, were far from being idiots. A very nice car and definitely the best buy in its class.

Areas of improvement  

An anti-glare mirror is required, slightly stiff ride, noise from the engine and noises that creep into the cabin (road noise, noise from the breaks and certain other sounds).

 

Height, very european looks, nice interiors, good pick upsuspension a bit stiff for bad roads, engine noise, road noise

I finally purchased Ritz ZXi and have travelled 900 KM and I am fully satisfied with the machine. After all it is Maruti. I compared it with i20 which is quite big and then I compared it with i10, which is a good car but somehow it did not apeel me much. Actually all cars in the same category are equally good with little difference. I don't compare how fast it goes in 10 sec or stops in 5 sec etc. I am not going in any race or so. I just want a car comfortable enough for my family. After sale srvice, spares etc matters a lot which are much cheeper than Hundai, etc. and I living in Himachal (Shimla) have to see for the authorised service stations, which are easily available of Maruti and not for other brands.. Finally Ritz is best.10010

Exterior

Fine with me. Some may not be happy with the rear look. Its matter of time and people will get used to the rear looks. Remember Santro when first launched?

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

Excellent. Ample leg space for average Indian height. Some reviews speak of less leg space but I cant understand why they say so ? May be they are very tall. 

Boot space adequate for a small family. 60:40 split rear is convenient

The width of the car is bigger than i10 and almost matches that of i20 or Jazz. Both are wider by few cms 2-3 cms approx. You cannot expect the space of a sedan in hatchback. 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

Gear shifts are fine but still not very smooth. I hope it can be made more smooth. Not checked on fuel economy. Pick up is good. Nicely powered. Do not feel the lag when AC is switched on.

Ride Quality & Handling

Excellent front view. Nice power steering. Comfortable rear seating.  

Final Words

Its an excellent buy. ZXi has almost all the goodies. AC/heater/power steering/power windows/2 air bags/ABS and EBD/ driver seat adjuster/tilt steering/alloy wheels and tubeless tyres/stereo with 4 speakers and other small lil things. Tell me any other car at this price where u get all these things. I am sure you wont be disappointed after buying this car. I personally feel that this a good car-space, comfort and safety.

Areas of improvement  

Wish the rear view from driver side was wide. Maruti engineers need to work on this rear aspect. It needs restructuring of tail lamps and widening of the rear glass.

I wish they had fixed a better sounding horn. Automatic climate control can be added if cost does not rise too much.

I wish the box around the gear shift can be narrowed a bit to give more space to spread the legs while driving.

 

Space and ComfortRear View From Driver's Seat

 

Exterior Neat looks. Though initially it looks like a geometrical disaster yet the look gels in well in a while and you appreciate the features.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Very spacious. the only car I have sat in till now in the mid-segment where a guy of 5'11" could sit directly behind a guy of 5"11' inches without any discomfort. Intelligent placement of  Dash and music system. Gives you a very roomy feeling and at no t ime do you feel claustrophobic. Sounding alarm if keys left in car and driver door opened and sounding alarm if Headlights are left on and driver door opened are two nice features.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Doesn't lag with the AC. Decent fuel economy(though only driven 720 kms). Good placement of gear box and a smooth gear change. The Reverse gear takes some time to be smooth but it evens out. 

 

Ride Quality & Handling Excellent ride quality, Was on a 800 before and had test driven Figo, i10, Alto and i20 but Ritz took the cake when it came to ride quality. All the mentioned cars were driven on the same stretch of a dusty , broken up and potholed road and Ritz was the best when it ame to overall ride quality. Exceptional performance on highways. Really smooth.

 

Final Words I am driving a ZXI version and it is a beauty. Great ride quality and excellent interior space. For people who are not concerned about ABS, airbags and Height adjustment on driver seat can also go for GENUS - which is a special design variant costing about 50K lesser. Genus comes only in one colour - Emerald blue but a really nice buy as well.

 

Areas of improvement Such a car deserves a higher high speed and maybe the engine can be worked upon to take it to 180kms. Colour combinations could be improved.

 

Interior space, Ride quality,Would have preffered to have more colours. Horn could have been better.