Maruti Ritz automatic review, test drive

With the constant stop-start in our burgeoning traffic, there has been an unsurprising rise in the popularity and convenience of an automatic gearbox. And say your driving is done mainly in the confines of the city, the diminutive body of a hatchback equipped with an auto ‘box makes the most sense. There are quite a few small automatic hatchbacks already on sale in India and the latest to join the fray is the Maruti Ritz automatic.

The four-speed auto ‘box is similar to the one in the Swift Dzire and A-star, and as a daily commuter, the Ritz auto is a likeable car. It takes off eagerly from a standstill and even part-throttle responses are good. Thanks to this, you can easily keep up with other cars in traffic and it never feels underpowered. However, as you press on, there is a bit of a delay in the response and it takes time for the ’box to drop down to a suitable gear. As the transmission has only four speeds, the gear ratios are quite tall. So every time the gearbox shifts to a lower gear it is usually at a very high engine rpm and consequently the engine also becomes very noisy.