[Senna4Ever]

After the Tour S and the rumoured Tour V, see, Maruti seems to have silently launched the Celerio based Tour H2.

Apart from the certification document, even the price is listed on official website. Link: Prices

*Dzire based Tour S still doesn't find a mention on website.



Certification:

[GTO]

Considering the practical nature of the WagonR and how ubiquitous it is as a taxi, I'm just wondering why anyone would pick a Celerio over the tallboy.

That's not to take away from the Celerio which I find to be a very all-rounded product. But next to the WagonR as a cab? I don't think so.

[Ramon]

Originally Posted by GTO

Considering the practical nature of the WagonR and how ubiquitous it is as a taxi, I'm just wondering why anyone would pick a Celerio over the tallboy.

That's not to take away from the Celerio which I find to be a very all-rounded product. But next to the WagonR as a cab? I don't think so.

I think it was easier to adapt the Celerio to meet the new crash test norms than the soon to be phased out, nearly a decade old Wagon R platform.

[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by GTO

Considering the practical nature of the WagonR and how ubiquitous it is as a taxi, I'm just wondering why anyone would pick a Celerio over the tallboy.

That's not to take away from the Celerio which I find to be a very all-rounded product. But next to the WagonR as a cab? I don't think so.

• New Wagon-R is coming this year in the Heartect platform, and Maruti may not want to dent its image by marketing it as a taxi vehicle - though used by many extensively.
• As Ritz is out of production, Maruti may want to find an immediate alternative before new Wagon-R is coming to production.
• I guess it is easier to sell Wagon-R to individual buyers than Celerio. The brand Wagon-R is stronger than Celerio.
• Celerio is the Guinea pig for Maruti for all their tests like small Diesel and AMT.
• Celerio is built on a better platform than current Wagon-R's one. This may help it to bear the taxi usage abuses.

[blackwasp]

One point is - the WagonR CNG comes with optional airbags, but the Celerio CNG gets airbags and ABS optional. Maybe down the road, ABS would be mandatory for taxis?

While the WagonR is more appealing from a passenger's point of view, Celerio makes sense if MSIL is going to discontinue the WagonR brand soon, but want to leave something for the taxi market. I've seen Altos and Eecos running in ola, but I'm certain they aren't allowed in uber. Further, the new Swift won't be released to taxi segment soon, hence only the Celerio remains a candidate incase WagonR is discontinued.

[ashis89]

Maruti has plans to have a lineup of taxi-only models. These will be the older designs of each model once the new generation design is launched. From what I heard, the current Ertiga, Swift and WagonR will enter taxi only market once the new models are released. Just like we saw with Dzire, with every new design being launched for these models, the existing taxi model will be replaced with the existing passenger model.

This strategy will help MS in the following ways:
1. Milk the old models for some more years before phasing them out.
2. Separate models for private and taxi use won't bother the private car buyers.
3. Separate supply chain (MASS) for commercial cars.
4. Easy to implement taxi specific changes to certain models once they are identified for commercial use only.

[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Maruti has plans to have a lineup of taxi-only models. These will be the older designs of each model once the new generation design is launched. From what I heard, the current Ertiga, Swift and WagonR will enter taxi only market once the new models are released. Just like we saw with Dzire, with every new design being launched for these models, the existing taxi model will be replaced with the existing passenger model.

Yes, this move will help the company to differentiate between the private and taxi models and prevent new models from being used as taxi which will tarnish the private car image.

But the problem with this approach is that Maruti's production plans will be too complex with the addition of these many models (additional 4-5 models!), without much financial benefit. They are not the ones sitting with idle production lines, but are struggling to meet the demand for certain models. I am not sure whether they will dedicate / switch in production lines for a mere 5-6K (?) additional monthly sales combined from all these models.

I would like to see a one-model-fits-all taxi car from Maruti with the following specs:

• Sub-4m length
• 1650mm wide
• Cab-forward design to release maximum interior space
• 7 seater
• 1.3L 90BHP or 1.5L 100BHP in-house Diesel
• Priced around 5.75 - 6L

• This can act as a replacement for the Tour versions of Ritz, DZire, Celerio and to a certain extend the Ertiga taxis.
• Can maneuver easily in cities because of the shorter size
• Can accommodate 7 people or 5 people with luggage
• Will get the excise benefits.

[da_lowrider]

Originally Posted by GTO

Considering the practical nature of the WagonR and how ubiquitous it is as a taxi, I'm just wondering why anyone would pick a Celerio over the tallboy.

That's not to take away from the Celerio which I find to be a very all-rounded product. But next to the WagonR as a cab? I don't think so.

Fair point, but I guess, the WagonR sells itself. It will always do decent numbers as a city cab, guess this is just Maruti trying push sales of a relatively slow selling model - just like they did back in the day with the Ritz. As always, it's pretty good strategy by Maruti, got to hand it to them. They keep doing this - and doing it really well. They reinvented a dud like the Versa and hit a home run with the Eeco. They got the slow selling (by their standards) Ritz do sizeable numbers with Ola & Uber drivers. Now they seem to be doing the same with the Celerio.

I have - and I guess will always have - doubts about the quality of cars Maruti manufactures & sells to us, but it is really really hard not to applaud them in terms of how they run their business.

P.S. I really really will not be surprised if they've managed to actually lobby the powers that be enough to ensure that city based cabs need not have safety kit & need not meet the upcoming crash safety norms. It's the only way I can explain the Tour V.

[Senna4Ever]

Autocar India article on the launch:

Maruti Suzuki has introduced a new taxi version of its Celerio hatchback, the Tour H2, specifically for cab aggregators at Rs 4.21 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

A highlight of the Tour H2 is that a speed-limiting device is a standard fit on the model.

As it is based on the hatchback’s LXi (O) trim, it shares all the features, from the driver’s side airbag to the naked steel wheels.

[k88k]

What surprises me is the fuel type mentioned in the certificate. If the car is aimed for Taxi operators, doesn't Diesel make more sense? But MS had discontinued the one in Celerio last year. Isn't it?

[QuickLink]

Why can't Maruti provide at least passenger airbag

As k88k rightly said, diesel would have been more economical for fleet operators.

[Prateek19]

Maruti wants to add some products in taxi portfolio after Uber/Ola came into existence. Majority of them is Wagon R. They want to add Celerio so that they can have production plans for varied products and does not totally depend on Wagon R for taxi aggregators.
Regarding diesel variant, many states have regulations that cab aggregators should have only CNG vehicles then only it will get the permit for city application. Hence diesel has been omitted. Instead they have Dzire Tour in diesel for intercity application.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by k88k

What surprises me is the fuel type mentioned in the certificate. If the car is aimed for Taxi operators, doesn't Diesel make more sense?

Nope. Except Bangalore, most cabs are petrol engined and run on CNG kits across most cities in India, hence the petrol homologation and sale.

[NPV]

Couple days ago saw a new car in white (Taxi registration plates) and what caught my attention was the badging on the rear hatch door - Celerio on left side (it's on the right for other variants), no Maruti Suzuki badge and a Silver grey "Tour H2" sticker on the right.

Hadn't heard or followed the news of this launch earlier

[fx45]

To me, Tour H2 name sounds a bit unique and "fresh" as compared to Tour S - based on previous gen Dzire (reminds me of 911 Turbo S, then makes me sad) and Tour V- based onEeco (that again looks like a highly disrespecting rip off of the popular GT-R Spec V)