Maruti 660cc small car for India, but not soon

Business Standard is reporting that Maruti will launch a 660 cc small car in India. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that it won’t happen till Maruti has tackled two factors. One is the big investment in the K12M engine for the Suzuki A-Star and the upcoming Suzuki Ritz. Then, the plants at Gurgaon and Manesar have to be recalibrated for the purpose – which is not possible due to the high demand for the Suzuki Swift and DZire.

Japan, Suzuki’s home, is famous for its 600cc Kei-cars. Little but fast pocket rockets which stick to the 600 cc limit for small cars, but offer brilliant performance.

If the car is light enough, 660 cc is enough for most purposes in India where going above a speed of 100 kmph is a rarity.

The Tata Nano, for which bookings have just been closed, is powered by a 624 cc petrol engine that produces 35 bhp – and none of the auto journalists who test drove the Nano had a complaint with it.

Like with all underpowered cars, if you have a 660 cc car, you will have to stay within the limits. But ‘underpowered’ is relative. For most driving purposes in India, a well-designed 660 cc small car would do.

But would there be a demand for a small 660 cc car, say, in 2012? Yes. That’s where the difference between the big cities and small villages come in. While it is quite likely that the the metros would have become jaded to the idea of little Nano cars puttering around, villages would look upon a small car from Maruti favourably. In India, priced right and made well, there will always be a market for affordable products.