Maruti Suzuki 800 automatic: What it feels like to drive [Video]

The Maruti 800 might have been discontinued a decade ago, but the infinite memories of lakhs of its owners and car enthusiasts are still fresh in my mind. Even today, one can see fresh samples of Maruti 800 plying on Indian roads, which is a testimony of its incredible reliability and admiration among its owners. We have come across one such pristine example of an old Maruti 800. And this one is special, for it is the limited-run and rarely-seen version of the 800 with an automatic gearbox.

A YouTube video from The Motozip has shown a beautifully restored 1993 Maruti 800 with an automatic gearbox, which is owned by Mr Salman, who happens to be the second owner of this car. This well-kept second-generation Maruti 800 (the one which came just after the first-ever SS80 version) you see here is a white-coloured car, which looks in its original condition. However, there are certain add-ons installed by its owner, which makes this Maruti 800 an even more desirable car.

Also read: 2022 Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 spied ahead of launch (Video)

While this well-maintained Maruti 800 automatic retains its original white paint shade, the current owner of this car replaced its front bumper, which too is an original-spec component. The original Maruti 800 came with 12-inch steel wheels, though this sample of the 800 has been installed with custom 13-inch alloy wheels with bigger profile tyres. Also, while the original car had the ‘Maruti 800’ badge placed on its front grille in an offset manner, the grille of this car has the badge right in the middle.

Comes with modern features

The current owner of this car has made a few more noteworthy changes to the inside of this car. This particular Maruti 800 comes with an aftermarket Bluetooth-enabled music system and a race-spec three-spoke Momo steering wheel. The original Maruti 800 was not offered with a power steering setup, though this particular sample got one installed by its original owner. Apart from that, this Maruti 800 retains the three-speed automatic gearbox, which was available in this version of the hatchback for a brief duration.

The current owner of this car explains how he purchased this old Maruti 800 from its previous owner. Mr Salman purchased this car for Rs 50,000, which for a 30-year-old car is an astonishing value, considering that the Maruti 800 was priced below a lakh in 1993. The new owner explains how his 800 automatic is special to him, as there are not many samples of this rare car in the market.

The Maruti 800 was available for nearly three decades, during which it went under various changes to stay afresh in the market. It always came with a 796cc three-cylinder F8B petrol engine, which was upgraded with time over its course of existence. Maruti Suzuki discontinued the 800 in 2014, owing to stricter safety and emission norms and a higher acceptance of more modern cars like Alto and WagonR.

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