The grand old dame of India’s sedan class of cars has finally taken a bow. Starting yesterday, the first full working day in the new calendar year at Maruti’s Manesar facility where Esteem used to be built, the car will now not be made anymore.
Instead, what will in due course take its place is a hybrid between Esteem and Swift, some likely pictures of which have appeared in the latest issue of Autocar India. It’s still a toss-up as to whether the Swift’s hatchback model would also be withdrawn later this year.
The Esteem debuted in the year 1994, taking on the mantle of Maruti 1000 that was launched 4 years earlier. 1000/Esteem was the 4th model from Maruti for the variation-starved Indian roads after 800, Omni and Gypsy.
Esteem did very well for many years because it spelled class, and was a favorite among the country’s moneyed people. Later, early this century, when many sedans came to rule the road, Esteem saw its luck dwindling.
Many people felt there was lack of leg space in the car, and that to enter inside was a real problem. Yet, for all the perceived problems that the car still sold well bore testimony to Maruti’s vice like grip on Indian car market and its excellent pan-India network.
The Indian car market is slated to witness exciting times this year. Jan 10 auto expo in the capital’s Pragati Maidan will for the first time see the ek-lakhi car from the Tatas.
For Maruti it’ll be a big challenge to hold on to the magic of 800/Alto after Tata’s car comes on road in the middle of this year. While Maruti will no doubt not yield its small car space so easily, it may not still match the Tata Motors’ ek-lakhi car’s price.
This perhaps is why Maruti is slowly positioning its arsenal of cars in relatively higher price segments. SX-4, coming as it does in the category of higher-priced sedan, is quite well received after Baleno.
Similarly, who knows, the ‘cross’ between Swift and Esteem – let me call it Sweem – may also do well in mid-level sedans!
Like this blog? Get daily posts by email.
Leave a Reply