Maruti Suzuki India is an automotive company that is famous for its hatchbacks and entry-level cars. In February 2011, breaking away from the tag-Maruti Suzuki entered an arena of luxury in the Indian market with the Kizashi launch.
Kizashi is a Japanese word that meant “Something great is coming.”
Kizashi launched with a 2.4L(2400cc), 4 -cylinder Petrol engine (DOHC unit) in both manual and automatic variants at a premium price tag of 17lakh rupees(ex-showroom).
The engine was very advanced for the time, which produced 175hp and 230Nm of Torque. The engine was very sporty and took just 7.8secs to reach from 0-100kmph and had a top speed of 215kmph.
Unfortunately, the company failed to continue in 2014 as the company could not sell the numbers they were expecting.
The Premium Features are-
ABS with EBD, BA (Braking assist), and ESP (Electronic Stability Program).
Remote Central Locking with keyless entry and Speed Sensing Door Lock.
Projector Headlamps with
Alloy Wheels.
Functional Dual Exhausts and
Rear Ac vents with automatic climate control.
Genuine Leather seats, adjustable Seat Belts, Front Seats with electric adjust and memory function.
Engine start-stop button, Traction Control.
Expert Reviews:
According to some car review experts: The car looks excellent with an elegant look. It has a beautiful “Kizashi” badging in a Japanese font.
The car does not even feel like it is a Maruti car. It feels way too different and premium. Kizashi is a car for performance enthusiasts, and one can feel the raw power and grunt from the engine, which makes driving a thrilling experience. From an enthusiast’s perspective, Kizashi has a soul that is missing from the other Maruti cars.
Why did the car fail to sell?
Kizashi was priced obnoxiously high (more than 18lakhs including taxes) that too in the year 2011. If calculated, the value of 18lakhs in 2011 is around 32lakhs in 2020-that was not an attractive price to pay. Also, unlike any Maruti cars, the Kizashi returned a maximum mileage of only 12.5kms per liter. However, the reason behind such high pricing was that it was a CBU.
But after all, it was a product of Maruti, and people were not ready to spend such a hefty amount on it. Just after 18months from the launch, Maruti gave a discount of 5lakhs due to a terrible sales rate. But people’s sentiments continued to unfavorable for the company, and ultimately in the year 2014, the car had to be discontinued.
What is CBU? Why the high pricing?
CBU means Completely Built-up Units. As the name might suggest, CBU means a complete car with all parts assembled- which directly import from its country of origin (Japan in this case) to the country where it would se
A CBU with an engine displacement of more than 3000cc or a CIF (car price + Insurance (Warranty) + Freight (shipping) cost) of more than $40,000 will have 100% import duty. If below 3000cc, the import duty is 60%. Soll, for buying such a car, a customer has to pay more than 1.6times the original price.
CBU units are usually high-end luxury vehicles that do not have much following in the country. Setting up a manufacturing plant to make such vehicles is neither easy nor inexpensive .thus company prefers to import CBU as it is cheaper.
Justification of the price- CBU does not help the country where it is exported. It is a wholly built vehicle, thus requiring no assembly or workforce from India. To counter this and to help Indian companies, the government levies a hefty tax on such cars.
The Conclusion
Kizashi remains is the second least car out after the Grand Vitara(another CBU and Maruti’s most expensive car in India to date). There is no official confirmation, yet leaks suggest that Kizashi is coming in 2021 and it’s just above the Ciaz in price. However, a fun fact is-if someone is still interested in buying the old vehicle, he can get hold of the rare machine for just 3-4lakh rupees from a nearby dealer if lucky.
-Saurabh Dey.
Good work👍