A Humble History

1. Long back, an automobile magazine released an article on the safety features and build quality of all the cars on Indian roads. In the list, it was the Omni that has scored the most (close to some 240 points). I was actually surprised. Then when i read the last line, it stated, the more the points, the worse the vehicle.

2. Indian Automobile sales for the month of April 2010. Omni is overall No 8, selling 8090 units and still going strong. Omni is also upgraded to meet BS IV emission norms.

Confusing?

Maruti began its first success story in 1983 with the 800. The second success story started silently in 1984 in the name of Omni. It was a model from Suzuki in the 1960s named Suzuki Carry. In India, Omni carries a unique engine in the front middle and a rear wheel drive. It is a 3 cylinder engine producing 798cc and 35 bhp @ 5000 rpm. It is available in 5 seater and 7 seater models along with Petrol and LPG versions. 

What is the success story of this highly criticized vehicle by auto experts?

I believe the answer is the Value it has created to its consumers. Or in other words the utility rate of this car is way high. Recently no great advertising or other marketing techniques are used to promote the brand. The peace of mind that comes with the Maruti tag and the feedback from the existing consumers through word of mouth, still has kept this brand young and active, even after 26 years. All that Maruti had done is to meet the emission norms and give the brand timely updates. Even now, there is no exact replacement or alternate for an Omni.