The STUNNING Maruti RIII at Rs 700,000

The journey of Maruti cars in India began with the launch of the iconic Maruti 800 and since then India's largest carmaker has added cars to every segment.

Talk of hatchbacks, sedans or SUVs -- all have made their unique presence in the market and have, in many cases, lead in their respective segment.

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Maruti is a household name not because of its fuel efficient cars, but it is one of the most reliable brands in India.

But there is a vacuum in its line up. Till now no multi purpose vehicle has come form the Maruti stable.

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In order to fill this gap, Maruti showcased Maruti R3, a seven-seater concept prototype in 2010.

The Maruti MPV is likely to be priced at Rs 700,000 and will arrive hopefully by the end of this year.

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As per available information, Maruti R3 (also known as Maruti RIII) will be available in both petrol and diesel versions.

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The petrol version will in all probability be powered by 1.3L Maruti Suzuki K-Series engine.

On the other hand the diesel version of the Maruti R3 will have the same 1.3L K Series engine under its hood that currently powers Maruti Swift Diesel.

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The petrol R3 will be able to output 95 Bhp power and a maximum torque of 130Nm while the diesel variant will expectedly deliver 72 PS.

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A five-speed manual gearbox is expected to be mated to the engine.

It is expected to deliver a mileage of around 13 kmpl in the city and 17 kmpl on the highway.

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Maruti is also reportedly thinking of putting in two airbags in the basic variant.

Besides, there would be parking sensors, fog lamps and anti-lock braking system in the MPV.

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R3 will be based on the Ritz platform in a stretched form and will have three rows of seating for seven in addition to four doors and a hatch.

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Besides the standard features such as power steering, power windows and central locking, the R3 is also expected to have remote boot operation, rear wiper, rear defogger, rear AC vent, sun roof and button controls on steering.

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The wheelbase is 2740 mm which is 380 mm more than that of the Ritz.

Leather seats and steering adjustment would be optional features.

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MPVs in India

Currently, MPV market in India is primarily governed by Toyota, Tata and Mahindra offerings.

For a period it was dominated by Toyota Qualis which was later replaced by Innova which is also quite popular in India.

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Mahindra Xylo and Tata MPV offerings such as Tata Sumo Grande and Tata Aria are the also doing good business in the MPV segment.

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The upcoming Mahindra Xylo Mini will also be an MPV in the under four-meter category.

Besides, if we compare Maruti RIII price with others then Tata Sumo and Mahindra Bolero are also in the ambit of MPVs.