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New Maruti 800cc hatchback launch deferred due to violence at Manesar plant

Maruti Suzuki India made it clear yesterday that the launch of its new Maruti 800 hatchback has been deferred, the launch was slated to take place during Diwali this year, but due to the untoward labour unrest at the company’s Manesar plant the launch has been postponed.

Confirming the reports, Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director Shinzo Nakanishi said that the company has postponed the launch of the new hatchback with 800cc engine due to the violence at the Manesar facility. However he also added that if the company could recoup from the situation, they will try to conduct the launch at the scheduled time.

MSI proclaimed earlier this year that it will come up with a new 800cc small car which will be rendered during Diwali 2012. The company also claimed that this new hatchback will be more fuel efficient and also more expensive than its current entry level hatchback Maruti Alto.

The commercial manufacturing of the small car was supposed to commence at its Gurgaon plant beginning July or August. Reports suggest that the company instead of giving a complete facelift to the hatchback, Maruti Alto, has tweaked the current powertrain and platform. This has resulted in reduction in the cost of development of the new hatchback from Maruti India.

MSI gradually stopped selling its iconic small car, Maruti 800 in certain cities where Bharat Stage IV emission norms are mandatory to follow since the hatchback does not comply with the stern parameters.However, the oldest model from Maruti Suzuki India’s clan is still being sold in some of the cities, though the company had deliberately refused to upgrade the hatchback. Once the emission norms are upgraded in rest of the cities, the Maruti India will have to kill its oldest model in India. Maruti Alto which is another entry level hatchback from the stables of Maruti has also seen drop in monthly sales to 20,000 units including Maruti Alto K10 which earlier stood at 30,000 units. A huge stock of the petrol powered cars is lying at the dealers level. In May, the company even stopped manufacturing of the petrol powered cars like, Maruti Alto, Maruti 800, Maruti A Star, Maruti Estilo and Maruti Omni for three days.