The original Maruti takes on the People’s Car… it doesn’t get more exciting than this. The Maruti 800, synonymous with the company name Maruti itself, has spent 3 decades on Indian roads. For more than two-third of its lifespan, it had dominated the sales charts in the Indian Automobile industry. But Tata Nano’s launch in 2009 has changed the game for Maruti’s ‘bread earner’. The Maruti 800 is no longer the cheapest vehicle on the roads and what’s worse? It’s not even available for sale across the country. So does this mean that the Nano has successfully replaced it? Well, not exactly.
PERFORMANCE
The Maruti 800 has been India’s dependable car for a long time. And it continues to satisfy the needs of entry-level customers who have switched from two-wheelers to car. Maruti 800 offers more power than Tata Nano. It gives a maximum power of 37 bhp while the Nano gives out a maximum power of 33 bhp. But the Nano is a lighter vehicle; weighing 580 kg compared to Maruti 800 which weighs 660 Kg. Nano has a better Power-to-Weight Ratio (PTWR). It has a PTWR of 0.057 bhp/kg whereas that of 800 is 0.056 bhp/kg. So even with the bigger engine, there isn’t a big difference in both the vehicles and you can almost get the power of 800 in Nano at a less price.
FUEL EFFICIENCY
Fuel Economy is the biggest factor for both the cars, keeping in mind its targeted customers. And fortunately, both the cars are ultimate performers in their own way. Although the company claims Nano’s fuel efficiency to be 25kmpl, but in actual driving conditions, it returns about 20 Kmpl. The Maruti 800 offers 15 to 18 kmpl. The reason behind Nano’s better fuel economy is that it has a low engine capacity, which means that it runs close to its higher engine speeds mostly. Also, Tata Motors have built the Nano by keeping in mind the Euro 5 norms which further helps in increasing its fuel efficiency. The Maruti 800 on the other hand will never be upgraded to Euro 4 norms.
FEATURES
In this entry-level segment, you should not expect the cars to be loaded with all the modern features. But surprisingly, the Tata Nano has got more space and enough legroom that even a 6 footer finds it comfortable inside rather than in Maruti 800 which has less space but looks a bigger car on the outside. The dashboard of Nano is more stylish as compared to its Maruti counterpart, which looks largely outdated.
What you miss out in Maruti 800 are some cool features like Digital gauges, Front and rear fog lamps, Rear spoiler, Central locking, Music system with USB, Allow wheels, body coloured bumpers,
LOOKS
Tata Nano is a clear winner with its trendy exterior having body coloured bumpers as compared to outdated exterior of Maruti 800. But some may argue that Nano has a van-like body and may opt for 800, which is also a correct observation. The 800 looks like an ‘actual car’ while the Nano looks like compact car. The 800 has a body length of 3335mm while the Nano is shorter at only 3099mm. The reason behind Nano’s spacious headroom is its taller overall height of 1652mm as compared to 1405 of Maruti 800.
The Nano happens to be really commuter friendly as it has a shorter turning radius of 4m. That means you can hop around in congested city markets and parking it won’t be a headache. Being the longer car, the 800 has a turning radius of 4.4m. The Nano also has a larger ground clearance of 180mm as compared to 170mm, which further raises its desirability quotient.
SAFETY
The Tata Nano is loaded with some handful safety features like strong passenger compartment, crumple zones, intrusion resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorage. On the other hand, Maruti 800 has got less safety features like Side impact beams, laminated windshield, and additional body reinforcement.
But one important aspect where the 800 scores better is that it has a larger fuel tank. You can store 28 litres of fuel in 800 but only 15 litres in a Tata Nano. Also there are front disc brakes on Maruti 800 but the Nano has drum brakes. So when it comes to braking, the 800 is a safer vehicle. Also Nano comes in with Tubeless tyres as a standard fitment whereas Maruti 800 comes with Radial tyres.
VARIANTS
The Maruti 800 comes in two models- Standard and AC, with later having an air conditioner and green tinted glasses. Maruti also offers an LPG version of Maruti 800, but that is little expensive.
The Nano comes in three models- Nano, Nano CX and Nano LX. Only the top end LX model comes with Heater, Power Windows and Central Locking.
COLOURS
Maruti 800 is offered in 4 colours- Superior White, Silky Silver, Brick Red and Blue Blaze.
Tata Nano is offered in host of colour options. The variant Nano comes in Serene White, Rouge Red and Aqua Blue. The model Nano CX is available in Serene White, Rouge Red, Neon Rush, Papaya Orange, Meteor Silver and Champagne Gold. The top model Nano LX is available in Papaya Orange, Sunshine Yellow, Champagne Gold, Mojito Green, Pearl White and Meteor Silver.
PRICE
Maruti has priced 800 Std. at Rs 2,10,027 and 800 AC at Rs 2,32,610. The prices of Nano, Nano CX and Nano LX are Rs 1,53,765, Rs 1,90,430 and Rs 2,17,830 respectively. (All prices are ex-showroom Delhi). The price is really the key here. Apart from giving the customers an option of owning a car at just Rs 1.6 lakhs (on-road), Tata Motors has also tempted the customers by pricing the top end version of Nano around Maruti 800 Std.’s price.
While the Maruti 800 is available only in select Indian cities, you’ll get a Nano from any Tata Motors showroom. Also there have been some fabulous offers on Nano like an attractive interest rate of 10.99% or buy Nano from your credit card offer.
VERDICT
There is no doubt that the Maruti 800 provides you with a value for money deal on a four-wheeler in which you can move around with your family. The Tato Nano is more comfortable and provides all these at a lesser price. The verdict is that you have to sit down and carefully think the pros and cons of both the vehicle. You just can’t ignore Maruti’s service quality and countrywide service network apart from the best resale value that these cars come with.
Tata Motors too have an extensive presence across the country but sadly, quality issues still remains with Tata cars even after 15 years of launch of their first car Indica in 1998. The 800’s brand value and conventional car-type looks may dip the scales in its favour but Nano’s futuristic design, combined with some new-age features are really hard to miss. Besides Maruti will eventually phase out the 800 sooner or later, so after sales parts may get a hit but Nano’s here to stay. In fact Tata Motors have some really cool concepts for Nano. So the Nano will only get better in the future.
TECHNICAL SPECS
