Maruti Zen Estilo is getting revamped for the Indian audience

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. is one of the top small car makers in India.

Maruti Zen Estilo is one of the popular sub-compact cars produced by the company. If you are one of those people who are looking for a small family car, then the Maruti Suzuki Zen Estilo is the ideal car for you. It is small, comfortable and comes with features that not only fulfill your needs but also provide great comfort.

Maruti Zen Estilo is the upgraded version of Maruti Zen which was launched in 1993. Maruti Zen has been promoted by the company for more than fifteen years. The word “Estilo” is Spanish. It means style. Though compact, Estilo is quite spacious. Maruti Zen Estilo was first unveiled on December 6, 2006 at Gala fashion show. In 2008, a sports edition of the car was released. Though dubbed as sports edition, there were no major upgrades. It was more of a facelift to revive the sliding car sales.

The Maruti Zen Estilo is a mixture of Suzuki MR Wagon and Wagon R. It has got MR Wagon’s shape and Wagon R’s engine. The car has a monoform design which has been further modified in several steps. The car design followed the “tall boy philosophy.” In addition, to create more leg space in the front, the engine space has been decreased but it did not change the car’s performance. Simple yet elegant, the Maruti Zen Estilo is a car that will make your city driving a pleasant experience.

There is another great news for Maruti Zen Estilo buyers. Maruti Suzuki is going to revamp all its cars including the Zen Estilo. Maruti is going to fit its 1.5 litre K-series engine in the car. The move comes in the face of meeting the Bharat IV emission norms by the Indian government that will come into effect from April 2010. The new K Series engine is a very fuel efficient engine. If offers high mileage at lower fuel consumption. The 1.1 liter K-series engine produces around 67 bhp.

Currently available in three variants- LX, LXi, and VXi, the Maruti Zen Estilo competes with Hyundai Santro, Tata Indica, Maruti Swift and other subcompact cars in the market.

Dimensions, weight and color:

• Length: 3495 mm.
• Width: 1475 mm (LX, LXi), 1495 mm (VXi)
• Height: 1595 mm.
• Kerb Weight: 855 kg (LX, LXi), 875 kg (VXi)
• Gross vehicle weight: 1275 kg.
• Colors: Champaigne beige, Bright red, Pearl silver, Midnight black, Superior white.

Other specifications:

• Turning Radius: 4.6 m
• Seating capacity: 5 persons.
• Tyre type: Tubeless
• Tyre size (LX & Lxi): 145/70 R13
• Tyre size (Vxi): 155/65 R13
• Fuel tank: 35 liter
• Steering type: Electronic Power Steering (LXi and Vxi)

Engine

• Engine type: F10D
• Engine capacity: 1061cc
• Max Power (bhpm): 64 @ 6200 RPM
• Max Torque (Nm): 84 @ 3500 RPM
• Number of cylinders: 4
• Transmission: 5–speed manual transmission.
• Drive: 2WD
• Clutch type: Cable
• Front brake: Ventilated disc brake.
• Rear brake: Drum brake.
• Wheel Base: 2360 mm.
• Front tread: 1295 mm.
• Rear tread: 1290 mm
• Ground clearance: 165 mm

Suspension System:

• Front suspension: McPherson Strut with Torsion type roll control device
• Rear suspension: Coil Spring, Gas filled shock absorbers with three link rigid axle and isolated trailing arm.

Safety features:

• The Maruti Suzuki Zen Estilo comes with many safety features:
• SRS Airbag (Drive Side) & Anti-lock Braking System(ABS) (available in VXi only).
• Back Door Defogger (available in VXi only).
• iCATS (intelligent Computerised Anti-Theft system) security system.
• Side Door Beams
• High Mount Stop Lamp
• Rear Door Child Lock
• Front Wiper

Security features:

Central door locking system (available in LXi and Vxi)

Steering lock

Exterior features:

• Body coloured bumpers (available in LXi and VXi only)
• Body coloured side door handles (available in LXi and VXi only)
• Body coloured outside door mirrors (available in LXi and VXi only)
• Body side moulding (available in VXi only)
• Body coloured back door handle (available in VXi only)
• Black out film (available in VXi only)
• Front fog lamps (available in VXi only)
• Wheel Cap
• Antenna

Interior features:

• Moulded side door trims
• Moulded back door trim
• Moulded floor carpet
• Front seat adjustable head restraint
• Rear seat adjustable head restraint
• Front seat back pocket for driver seat
• Three spoke steering wheel
• ABC pillar trims

Console features:

• Centre Console with Cup Holders.
• IP Pocket.
• Ash Tray
• Lights - off and key reminder chime (available in VXi only)
• Tachometer (available in VXi only)
• Accessory Socket (available in VXi only)

Comfort features:

• Power windows (available in LXi and VXi only)
• Power steering (available in LXi and VXi only)
• Remote Keyless Entry System (available in VXi only)
• Front Door pocket
• Internally Adjustable Outside rear view mirror
• Air Conditioning
• Vanity Mirror
• Grip Assistant
• Four speakers attached to side doors.

Price:

Zen Estilo Lx - 3,19,403

Zen Estilo Lxi - 3,48,403

Zen Estilo Vxi - 3,73,403

Zen Estilo Vxi with ABS - 4,02,403

Related articles:

Maruti Zen Estilo official website

Car Trade India

Car Wale.com

Vicky.in

Tata Indica: The car that brought Tata Motors in the limelight

(This entry was originally uploaded on May 2009.)

When it comes to Indian small car, the name Maruti Suzuki automatically comes to one’s mind because Maruti Suzuki is the most popular small car in India and it is the icon of the Indian auto industry. Today, India is considered to be one of the emerging auto markets in the world. There are both domestic and foreign automakers that are competing in the Indian market. Tata Motors is one of the top Indian auto makers. Though the company is known for its commercial vehicles, it also produces passenger cars. Tata Indica is the flag ship passenger car of Tata Motors.

Background:

The Tata Indica is a five-door hatchback vehicle produced by Tata Motors. It is the first passenger car produced by the company and the first car that is entirely developed in India and the car that marked the rise of Tata Motors. The car was announced on December 30, 1998. At that time, Tata Indica was the most modern car designed by any Indian company. Initially, Tata Indica was not well accepted among auto analysts. Tata Motors released Tata Indica in 1999. Within a week after its release, the company received 115,000 bookings and in the next two years, Tata Indica became the top car in its segment. Thanks to Tata Motors’ aggressive campaigning, Tata Indica’s high fuel economy and powerful engine. The car was marketed with slogans like “ The Big… Small Car,” and “More car per car.” Another major reason behind Tata Indica’s huge success was that it came with features like air conditioning, electric windows which were previously available in imported cars.

The exterior of Tata Indica was designed by an Italian design house named I.DE.A Institute under contract with heavy interaction with Tata’s own design team. The engine of the car was entirely produced in India. Tata Indica came with 1.4 litre petrol/disel i4 engine. It was a homegrown engine which derived from the engine used by Tata in its pickups and SUVs. For the Tata Indica, the engine came with a reduced stroke. The Tata Indica engine was designated as “475 DL internally.” The original engine was designated as 483DL and it had 4 cylinder and 83 mm stroke.

Here are some of the major features of Tata Indica:

• The Tata Indica had power steering.
• The Tata Indica came with heater, ventilation, and air conditioning.
• The Tata Indica came with turbocharger and intercooler.
• The Tata Indica had alloy wheels.
• The Tata Indica had power windows.
• The Tata Indica came with central- locking system with remote-controlled entry.
• The Tata Indica had alloy pedals.
• The Tata Indica came with tacho meter (not available in all models).
• The Tata Indica came with child lock on rear doors (not available in all models)
• The Tata Indica came with powerful fog lamps.
• The Tata Indica came with beige/black interiors.
• The Tata Indica had ventilated disc brakes.
• The Tata Indica had tinted windshields.
• The Tata Indica had audio warning system. For example, it had driver/passenger seat belt warning and door open warning.
• The Tata Indica had night adjust rear view mirror
• The Tata Indica had rear spoiler with integrated LED stop lamp
• The Tata Indica came with 4 spoke steering wheel.
• The Tata Indica had chrome tip on silencer and chrome lining on grill and bonnet.

In India, Indica is famous for its spacious interior and high fuel economy. In India, Tata Indica mainly competes with Maruti Suzuki, Maruti Wagon-R, Maruti Alto, Hyundai Santro and Fiat Palio. The diesel version of Tata Indica faces no competition because currently in India, there are no other diesel run car in the price range offered by Tata Motors.

Tata Indica in foreign markets:

Three years after its launch, Tata Indica was exported to European markets for the first time. From 2003, a badge engineered version of Tata Indica was sold in UK as the Rover City Rover by the MG Rover Group. In April 2005, Rover City Rover ceased production as the MG Rover Group went bankrupt. Later, Nanjing Automobile took over the company and launched its own version of the MG Rover range in 2007.

Indica V2:

After its launch, Tata received many complaints about Tata Indica. The car failed to live up to its promise such as horsepower and gas mileage. So, Tata Motors then re-engineered the car and launched as Indica V2 which solved many of the problems and went on to become one of the most sought after cars. The first Tata Indica V2 came with 1.4 litre petrol and diesel engines.

In 2001, a compressed natural gas version of Indica V2 Xeta was launched. It was offered through OEM Bedini Kits by Shrimanker Gas Services India. Tata received numerous complaints against the car and later organized a systematic recall. Tata then equipped those cars with new equipments including a lamda sensor / electronic control unit, bedini emulator and new wiring harness which had been approved and tested by both TATA and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

In October 2005, a turbo-charged diesel engine version was introduced. In November 2006, Tata Indica V2, with a 1.2 litre petrol engine, was introduced. In January 2008, a DiCOR (Direct Injection Common Rail) diesel version was introduced. This new version of Tata Indica V2 comes with 16 valves, double overhead camshafts, a variable geometry turbocharger, intercooler.

Later, the Indica V2 was again updated. Currently, the Indica V2 is marketed as the “Refreshingly New Indica V2.” In early 2008, Indica V2 Xeta Petrol was launched.

Tata Indica Vista:

Length: 3,795 mm

Wheelbase: 2,470 mm

The Tata Indica Vista was unveiled at the 9^th Auto Expo in New Delhi. This model is entirely different from its predecessors. Built on an entirely new platform, the Tata Indica Vista is bigger than previous Indica models. The car is available in three different engines- The 1.4 litre TDi (Turbo Diesel), the 1.3litre SDE Common Quadra Jet (Fiat JTD), and the new 1.2 litre, MPFI, Safire Petrol engine. The Qudra Jet Indica was produced by the Tata-Fiat joint venture in Ranjangaon.

Electric vehicle:

The electric version of the Tata Indica is scheduled to be released in Norway in 2009 and in India in 2010. Currently in the testing phase, on a single charge, the electric version are expected to go 120 miles. The car is run by lithium ion batteries. Once charged, it can travel up to 200 kilometers. The electric Tata Indica will also be sold in Europe and UK.

Related articles:

Tata Indica-Wikipedia

Tata Motors-Wikipedia

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