Maruti 800 - the small car that revolutionised personal transport in modern India - will take a bow starting next year and be phased out by 2016, when the country is expected to embrace new emission norms, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said today.
Along with the M800, MSI will also be phasing out its second oldest model, the utility van Omni. In the initial phase, the two models will be done away with in 11 cities from next year, where the Bharat Stage-IV emission norms (which is equivalent to Euro-IV norms) will become applicable.
"Once Euro-IV emission norms is applied across the country, which is likely to happen around 2015-16, then M800 and Omni may not be a saleable product. We will have to eventually phase (them) out then," MSI Chairman R C Bhargava told PTI.
The company would not upgrade the engines of these two models to meet better emission standards, he said while also ruling out their replacements.
"We regularly introduce new models in the market, but at present there is no plan to bring out substitutes for these two cars," he added.
Bhargava said sales of M800 and Omni would stop next year in 11 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, where Euro-IV emission norms would come into effect.
"In any case, we are selling very small numbers in these cities as they have opted for higher standard cars. Our main markets for the small car are the rural areas, where we will continue to sell," he added.
Launched in 1983, the M800 has sold over 27 lakh units in its 25 years of existence and was the highest selling car for the company till recently when the Alto was introduced.
Sales of M800 in February fell by 29.07 per cent at 4,075 units as against 5,745 units last year. Omni was launched in 1984.
