Maruti Suzuki Ritz
Maruti Suzuki RitzMaruti Suzuki

India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has reportedly stopped the production of the Ritz hatchback. It was reported last month that the company slowed down the production of Ritz in order to manufacture more units of popular models such as Vitara Brezza and Baleno.

The production of Ritz from Maruti's Indian plants has stopped from October 1, 2016, reports TeamBHP. Maruti Suzuki has not issued any statement regarding the information. Since dealerships usually keep a stock of cars, sales of Ritz will continue till the stock lasts.

Launched in 2009, the Ritz is powered by 1.2-litre petrol and diesel engines. The petrol unit develops 86bhp and 114Nm of torque, while the diesel motor churns out 74bhp and 190Nm of torque mated to five-speed manual transmission.

It is not surprising that Maruti Suzuki pulling the plug on some of the models. The move will help the company to squeeze out more units of Vitara Brezza and Baleno. Both the plants of the company are already running in full capacity and hence Maruti Suzuki is struggling to deliver cars for confirmed bookings on time. Both Vitara Brezza and Baleno have over 50,000 bookings at present and the waiting period starts from six months. The discontinuation of Ritz will help Maruti Suzuki clear the remaining bookings, which is the top priority for the company at present.

In place of Ritz, Maruti Suzuki will launch the Ignis soon. The first compact crossover of Maruti Suzuki will come with raised ground clearance like SUVs but in the silhouette of a hatchback. The Ignis will be sold through Nexa, the premium dealership of Maruti Suzuki. As for engine, the India-spec model is likely to get a 1.2-litre VTVT petrol engine and a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel unit.