Rumour: Maruti Ritz 'Tour' for the taxi segment

Thank you to the Team-BHP fan who sent this information to us (he prefers to remain anonymous). Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts!

After meeting some success with the Dzire Tour - a stripped down base variant of the older generation car, Maruti now plans to push the Ritz' sales in the taxi market with a model that will be called the Ritz Tour. This car will be none other than an Ldi version of the car which features an air-conditioner and a power steering. This car will be aggressively pushed in cab aggregator companies like Ola, Uber and in Mumbai cabs.

The Ritz sells ~2,800 cars each month and while that figure might no where be termed as bad, it is still the least selling modern Maruti in the country. With the Dzire Tour achieving sales of 2,500 - 2,600 units each month, Maruti hopes to increase the volumes of this hatchback. Maruti is soon planning to launch a diesel Celerio which will also include a variant/s specifically for the taxi market.

Maruti Suzuki is revamping its positioning strategy in India. On one side it is focusing on enhancing the customer experience and setting up dealerships exclusively for its present and upcoming premium cars; while on the other side, it is looking to target the lucrative taxi segment.

The Company has strictly decided not to give the Ciaz for commercial use as luxury cabs even after being approached by large aggregators. Maruti seems clear with their focus of maintaining the image of its premium sedan by limiting its sale to private buyers only. The Ciaz has been the Company's only Rs. 10 lakh offering that has been doing well in the market generating a monthly sale of ~4,700 units.