BEST OPTION in this segment at this price

Got a RITZ Vxi for my better half 2 months back. Ihave outlined the reasons for the choice and our experience with the car so far

MAKING THE CHOICE-

We were looking for a compact car that was easy to manage by the wife mainly for city use and an occasional outstation trip.  Options considered & TD taken were varied across the A+ and B segments- i10, Indica vista, Ritz, Swift, Punto, i20, Fabia  & Jazz

As the expected commute was fairly low (<500km per month) It didnt make sense to consider a diesel

Our budget was around 5L and that immediately put the i20, Fabia & Jazz out of contention though I personally feel the Jazz is a class apart from any hatch presently available and daresay worth the premium it commands.

The Vista though cheapest has evidently very poor quality and frankly TATA relaibility is  suspect considering direct owner feedback and by the sheer probability that the broken down car causing a traffic jam you're stuck in, is an Indica, Indigo or Sumo.

The Punto is a beautiful car and feels solid but the 1.2 engine is too lethargic and not adequate for its weight. Also there are yet issues with FIAT after-sales/service and there has been adverse feedback about poor mileage of the punto as well

The Swift is a proven car but is a 4 + year old design and looks a bit dated now. Also the interior though sporty is a bit too dark & head + leg room at the back is a squeeze.

The i10 was a good option even though it is a smaller car and a segment lower. Its beige + black interiors are really good and 1.2 magna engine is decent. However for some strange reason their showrooms are either poorly staffed or have completely inept or uninterested staff. It took 3 visits to 2 seperate dealerships and a lot of prodding and pushing to get someone to show us the car and get price and availability details. 2 more visits before we get a short test drive (requested not offered) of 1/2 km as there was no fuel in the demo car! Out of patience we had to rule this one out.

Coming to the RITZ --- the car seemed to be tailor made for our requirement---compact yet spacious from inside. Extremely mordern looking yet in a restrained manner. the engine is the new K series and  has a service interval of 1 year/ 10,000km!! Not to mention the excellent sales and service offered by Maruti Suzuki. The overall package really appealed to us and the price was just right....4.65L in thane for the Vxi.  We finalised the deal and got delivery the car in about 2 weeks (dark blue option)

THE EXPERIENCE SO FAR-

The car is extremely comfortable to drive and be driven about. the interior space at front and back is fantastic and the high headroom makes it seem even more so. Boot space is a bit tight but probably expected in a hatch. The dials are simple yet brilliant with one central large speedo with warning lights around it. Tacho is in a seperate pod on top like a race car. Dashboard is in a textured silver gray finish which is different and goes well with the overall grey scheme interiors. However if you re parital towards beige you may feel short changed. In my opinion grey is more practical and user friendly. AC is good and cools the car reasonably quickly even if its been parked in the sun -- however tinted film would be a good idea due to the large glass cover.

The not so good parts are - the door panels especially the inside handles are not designed too well and seem like an afterthought. Switches for windows and central locking also seem flimsy. The seat upholstery seems to be of very average quality and would probably wear  out in no time so good seat covers would be an added expense 

 As mentioned earlier the engine is super smooth and has enough pep for green signal bursts. Torque is good for high traffic and gear shifting can be minimised. The suspension is perfect for potholed mumbai roads and speedbrakers. As the car has only done about 1000km --- i have not tried any high speed driving above 100kph but 80-90 seems to be the comfort zone.

Though its too early, the mileage is about 12kmpl in city with ac on all the time and approx 15-16 on highway. will post more on this later with accurate figures.

A note- I had read reports that ritz did not have tubeless tyres and remote boot and fuel cover release ---Would like to confirm that all these are very much provided.    

interior space, quirky yet modern looks, excellent engineFit & finish some interior material,