Reference Auto

So, this new Nano could give the Cervo a run for its money. But if the Cervo is not priced too steeply (that is, if the price difference is not more than Rs 1 lakh compared with the Nano), Maruti’s Cervo will have an edge over competing cars.

One disadvantage of the Tata Nano is that buyers will have to bear the stigma of owning it (with comments like Oh… a Nano). Tata Motors wanted to position it as India’s first car to compete with motorcycles but it backfired with not too many people opting for it. 

Maruti Suzuki hopes to regain lost market (which fell below the 50 per cent-mark for over a year) and the Cervo could be its best bet. In fact, the car maker strongly believes that the Cervo could replicate the success of the 800 and the Alto.

The Cervo, which will be a five-door hatchback, has a very spacious passenger cabin. It has a 0.7 L, 660-cc petrol engine, which can produce a maximum power of 60 bhp. 

The phenomenal fuel efficiency (of almost 23 kms to a litre) is one of the talking points of this new car. If the design is anything to go by, the Cervo could also be preferred to cars like the Chevrolet Beat and Spark, the Hyundai Santro and i10 and the Skoda Fabia as well as the Ford Figo, which are higher category cars.

Although, Maruti said the basic variant of the Cervo will not have airbags, its officials assured customers that safety features will almost be at par with higher-version cars.

Going by the looks, the price (which is yet to be confirmed by the company), the safety features, the fuel economy and the inside space, the Maruti Suzuki Cervo could be a runaway success and vie with top brands like the Alto and even the Swift.