Maruti Suzuki has stopped the production of the Estilo, which was introduced initially as a replacement of the Zen hatchback. The Estilo price range was rubbing shoulders with the Wagon R and people preferred the latter because of its roomy interior space, better features as well as the up to date overall styling. The Estilo was launched with a 1.1-litre petrol engine and later in 2009 was updated with revised styling and a 1.0-litre KB series engine that produces 68 BHP of maximum power and 90 Nm of peak torque, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Even with significant updates, Maruti couldn’t find the expected sales of the tallboy hatchback. On an average, the carmaker managed to sell just about 850 units per month over the last fiscal year. Maruti Suzuki is the country’s largest carmaker and is known to churn out segment leading volumes. The Estilo was totally against the characteristics of Maruti and hence it gets axed. The A-Star is also showing similar traits since its launch reporting even worst sales than the Zen Estilo (only 310 units sold last month) which is next in line to be phased out, to be replaced by the upcoming YL7 hatchback early next year.
Just recently Maruti Suzuki has launched the Stingray, which is an upmarket version of the Wagon R. It is priced Rs. 19,000/- above the standard Wagon R, making it worth it for customers who care about looking different. Both of these tall boys can now have breathing space in the company’s lineup, as the Estilo has been discontinued. At present, the Maruti Estilo is being offered with heavy discounts ranging from Rs. 35,000 – 50,000/- and the discounts are expected to be increased further in the coming festival season to clear piled up stock.
Source – Autocar India
