Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday said it will bring the curtains down on its once bread-and-butter car Maruti 800 starting next year.
Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday said it will bring the curtains down on its once bread-and-butter car Maruti 800 starting next year, even as one of the most anticipated cars in recent times, Nano, hit the showrooms.
Maruti 800 has sold over 27 lakh units since its launch in 1983 would take a bow along with the company's second oldest model, Omni.
"Once Euro-IV emission norms is applied across the country, which is likely to happen around 2015-16, then M800 and Omni may not be a salable product. We will have to
eventually phase (them) out then," MSI chairman RC Bhargava said.
Meanwhile, Tata Motors' Nano, the Rs one lakh car, arrived at showrooms to a reception usually given to movie stars. Thousands of people thronged showrooms across the country to catch a glimpse of the people's car. Nano to be sold in Delhi would cost Rs 1.23 lakh (ex-showroom for the base version).
Maruti, however, ruled out upgrading its M800, whose base version costs Rs 1.93 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), and Omni to meet new emission norms. In the initial phase, the two models will be done away with in 11 cities from next year, where the Bharat Stage-IV emission norms (which is equivalent to Euro-IV norms) will become applicable.
The company would not upgrade the engines of these two models to meet better emission standards, Bhargava said while also ruling out their replacements.
"We regularly introduce new models in the market, but at present there is no plan to bring out substitutes for these two cars," he added.
Bhargava said sales of M800 and Omni would stop next year in 11 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, where Euro-IV emission norms would come into effect.
"In any case, we are selling very small numbers in these cities as they have opted for higher standard cars. Our main markets for the small car are the rural areas, where we will continue to sell," he added.
Launched in 1983, the M800 has sold over 27 lakh units in its 25 years of existence and was the highest selling car for the company till recently when the Alto was introduced. Sales of M800 in February fell by 29.07 per cent at 4,075 units as against 5,745 units last year. Omni was launched in 1984.
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