MARUTI'S WAGON-R REPLACEMENT SPLASH TO HIT THE INDIAN ROADS NEXT YEAR

Although it was shown as a concept at Maruti Suzuki’s pavilion at Auto Expo ‘08, Splash has been in the international market for a while now. Keeping the trend in mind, India has been getting all the latest products developed by Suzuki, be it the Swift, SX4 or the Grand Vitara, so it is only but correct to imagine that the Splash will be here, soon. The small car market is what dominates the sales chart and Swift has proven to be a runaway success for Maruti Suzuki. Now to beat its closest rival, Hyundai, the largest passenger car maker will do all it can to throw the current darling of all - i10 off from its perch.

The three engines that are available can all come to India as well. The 1.0L petrol mill is a three cylinder unit and gives out 65PS at 6000rpm while the torque is rated at 90Nm peaking at 4800rpm. The 1.2L engine will spark the fuel to produce 85PS of peak power and 114Nm of turning force. The litre capacity engine will take you to a hundred from naught in 14.7 seconds while the 1.2L motor will do the same in 12.3 seconds while the top whack will be 160kmph and 175kmph respectively. There is another engine, a diesel one, which will be offered. The 1.3L DDiS will deliver 75 horses to the front wheels to reach a 100 clicks in 14 seconds to keep the power-hungry blokes happy while the 165Nm of torque will ensure smooth drivability.

Being a Maruti, be sure of bulletproof reliability and strong maintenance to go in its favour. Since it is already in production in the international market, expect it to become a reality for Indian roads as well, by the early 2009.