Maruti Swift to Renault Kwid: What these hatchbacks looked like when they were concepts

Before a car starts its production life, there are years of hard work behind it. A car goes through a lot of study and changes before finally coming to production. Firstly, a concept is discussed that the company can make such type of car. Then the concept is sketched, which is the first look at how the vehicle would be. It is then made into a real life concept car, which is mostly an embodiment of all what the company has to offer.

The concept to production stage is where most of the game lies, as bringing a dream to reality ain’t so easy. So today, let’s take a look at 8 such concept to production journeys of hatchback cars.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

The Maruti Suzuki Swift is the most popular hatchback in India currently. Launched in 2005, it has since then went on to become the ultimate hatchback option for all buyers. The car started its life in the form of Concept S you see above. It has a design language similar to the first generation car launched in India. Even the third generation swift has the same basic shell design. The production version saw some changes but was largely the same as the concept. The changes made include a new front grille and headlamps, more real world bumper as well as smaller tires.

Renault Kwid

The Renault Kwid is the current sales champion for the company and is a very successful entry level hatchback. The popular car harks back its origin to the Kwid concept car seen above. The futuristic looking concept car was pitched as SUV inspired hatchback, which the production ready Kwid actually was. It was fully drive-able, unlike usual concepts which are just clay modeled samples or woodwork. The production version saw a lot of changes which includes the whole bodywork, tires, doors, light among others. However, the basic DNA remained intact.

Maruti Suzuki Celerio

Another popular hatchback, the Maruti Suzuki Celerio is originally based on the Suzuki A Wind concept. It was showcased at the 2013 Thailand Auto Expo and had a design that looked inspired by the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and some tall boy manners from the WagonR. As it is quite apparent, the A Wind concept was more a more close to production design. The production car (Celerio) looks almost the same except for the fancy stuff like the tires, headlamps and bumpers among others.

Datsun Redi-GO

The Datsun Redi-Go concept was quite simple yet very attractive. The entry level hatchback manages to incorporate a high raised look while at the same time looking small and beautiful. It was showcase at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo and the French automaker intended to use it as a base for a small car for countries like India. The production ready car looks almost the same, which is quite a novelty in the concept car world. The only changed bit include regular headlights and tires.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

The Baleno as we know today originally started its life as the Suzuki iK-2 concept car pictured above. It was first showcased at the 2015 Geneva motor show and was pitched as a premium hatchback for countries like India. The concept was made in a nearly production ready manner which is quite evident by its body design. Talking of the production car, the Baleno looks exactly similar to its concept guise, albeit with the evident changes like regular headlights and other minor tweaks.

Maruti Suzuki A-star

The Maruti Suzuki A-Star was a fairly good car by the manufacturer in India which was discontinued some time back. While the small hatchback had people divided over its looks, in the concept form, the A-Star was certainly a looker. It was showcased at the 2008 iteration of the Delhi Auto Expo and one was of the major attractions of the show. Though the car finally to come out on the streets looked quite different, it had the same basic shape and design as seen on the concept.

Honda Brio

Honda had recently decided to discontinue the Brio hatchback in India, which despite being a good product could not attract enough buyers. It started off its life as the Honda Small Concept which is seen above. The chic concept was also among the few unveiling that were done first in India before anywhere else. It was showcased at thee 2010 Delhi Auto Expo and later was released as the Brio, which was in fact Honda’s first attempt to launch a small hatchback in India. The production version had a lot of changes from the futuristic looking concept but had the same silhouette as the one you see above.

Maruti Suzuki Ritz

Another car which is now no longer sold in India, the Ritz was successful car for Maruti Suzuki in India. Showcased first at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, the concept was called the Splash and was Suzuki’s attempt to create a better looking tall boy hatch than the Wagon-R. The car was called Ritz in India but internationally, it carried over the name of the concept, i.e., Splash. The production version of Ritz was a heavily toned down version of the car with a more realistic window line, tires, headlamps and almost the whole body  panel.