The Maruti Suzuki Zen is a 5-door

hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...

produced and sold in India by Suzuki's Indian subsidiary

Maruti Suzuki Maruti Suzuki India Limited, formerly known as Maruti Udyog Limited, is an Indian automobile industry, automobile manufacturer, based in New Delhi. It was founded in 1981 and owned by the Government of India until 2003, when it was sold to the ...

from 1993 until 2006; it is a widened version of the Suzuki Cervo Mode. The word "ZEN" is an acronym standing for Zero Engine Noise. It also stands for the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

word "Zen" which means 'Complete'. The Indian-built Zen was also exported to other countries as the Suzuki Alto.

First generation

Based on the

Suzuki Cervo is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal co ...

, the first generation Maruti Suzuki Zen was introduced on 21 May 1993 (MH410). While it looks very similar to the Cervo Mode, it has a lot of unique sheetmetal as it is ten centimeters longer and ten wider. In Europe and many other export markets, the car sold as the Suzuki Alto. Zen used an all aluminium engine Suzuki G10B engine which produced 50 BHP of power at around 6500 RPM. Also the Zen which was sold as Suzuki Alto 1.0 in Europe came with a G10B 8-valve engine which produces at 6500 rpm and of torque at 4500 rpm. The engine head & spares are exactly identical to the Zen Carburettor MH410 model Indian version slightly detuned. There was a minor facelift in 1997 with body coloured bumpers. In 1999, Zen Classic with retro looking front and rear was launched, but was soon discontinued due to lack of demand. In 2000, Maruti introduced a 16 valve MPFI engine with 4 valves per cylinder. Power output went up by 10 HP to 60 BHP. Its cost (of the Zen LX model) was around Rs 3,40,000 in India. A diesel version of Zen was launched in 1998 with the

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...

's TUD5 (

PSA TU engine The TU family of small inline-four piston engines by PSA Peugeot Citroën were introduced in 1986 and used in the Peugeot and Citroën range of cars. It was first installed in the Citroën AX in October 1986, replacing the X family, although it ...

) engine. This model did not sell well and was discontinued. In 2004 Zen underwent a facelift with new body which was called Zen Tiger. The Zen underwent a facelift in 2003. A three-door version of the Zen in VXi segment was launched, priced at 5.0 Lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). It was only available in Black (Zen Carbon) 300 nos or Silver (Zen Steel) 300 nos, cars. In 2006 the second generation (Zen Tiger) was discontinued. File:Suzuki Alto front 20080116.jpg, European export version with "Suzuki Alto" badging File:Suzuki Alto rear 20080116.jpg, European export version with "Suzuki Alto" badging Maruti Suzuki Zen (2003 facelift).jpg, Maruti Suzuki Zen (2003 facelift) File:Maruti Zen.jpg, Maruti Suzuki Zen interior

Second generation

The second generation Maruti Suzuki Zen, called the Zen Estilo was introduced in December 2006 as a part of

's Indian market strategy to launch a new car annually for the next five years. The Zen Estilo had the same engine and chassis as the Maruti Wagon R; both being based on the Suzuki MR Wagon (Nissan Moco). The pricing was also nearly the same as the Wagon R. The Maruti Suzuki Alto (model prior to Alto K10), Wagon R (till Aug 2010) and the new Zen Estilo all shared the same chassis. In 2009, along with a minor facelift, Maruti Suzuki dropped the Zen branding from the name.

Reception

The Zen was a very successful model for Maruti Suzuki both in India and abroad. It was called India's first world car and was exported to Europe as early as 1994. Besides being exported to Europe from 1994 to 2004, it has also been exported to several other countries. The Zen quickly became a hit with the Indian Racing Scene with highly modified versions of the 993 cc G10B engine topping 100+ Bhp. The Zen was the first fun to drive hatchback in the Indian market. It was a driver oriented car with low seating and go kart like handling. The car was very reliable and it is possible to find many good examples of Zen still in use. The Zen still commands a relatively high resale value on the used car market.

Technical specifications

Trim levels at launch badged as MH410 later as LX, LXi, VXi and D,Di The Maruti Suzuki Zen has a four-cylinder in-line all aluminium engine mounted transverse and using

Carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...

MPFI Manifold injection is a mixture formation system for internal combustion engines with external mixture formation. It is commonly used in engines with spark ignition that use petrol as fuel, such as the Otto engine, and the Wankel engine. In a mani ...

Carburetor Valvetrain is 2 Valves/Cylinder SOHC with Displacement of 993CC Max Power is 50bhp at 6500rpm and Maximun Torque 7.2 kgm at 4500rpm. Compression Ratio 8:8:1 MPFI valvetrain is 4 valves/cyl,

SOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

with a displacement of 993 cc. Max Power is at 6000 rpm and max torque is @4500 rpm. It has a 5 speed

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...

. * Bore x Stroke: x
Comp Ratio: 9.4 (+/- 0.2):1
Drivetrain * Front brakes: disc
Rear: drum
Type: Hydraulic, vacuum assisted
Wheels F/R: 4Jx13,4.5Jx13 (carbon/steel) and 4Jx12”
Tyres: 145/70/R13 (Earlier Petrol and Diesel variant) and 145/80/R12 (Petrol variant)
In Zen 155/65/13, Measurements are best to upsize tyres in petrol and diesel variant too (not touches the body of car from top while there is load in car and sides while turning the steering and there is no need to make changes in suspension system) and not effects the mileage * Steering: Rack and pinion, First EPS from Maruti appeared in Zen.Electric Power assist
Turning circle dial:
Turns lock to lock: 9.8
Suspension:
Front: Independent, MacPherson strut, coil springs
Rear: 3 link rigid axle with isolated trailing arm, coil spring and gas filled shock absorbers

General data
Kerb weight:
Wheelbase:
Track (F/R) 1335/1305 mm
L/W/H: 3465/1495/1405 mm
Ground clearance:
Accommodation

Seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

: 5
Head Room, F/R 952/930 mm
Leg room, F max/min 1170/990 mm
Leg room, R max/min 750/610 mm
Knee room, F max/min 750/610 mm
Knee room, R max/min 840/650 mm
Shoulder space

Fuel economy
Overall:+ 14 kmpl
City: 12.0 kmpl ( with AC )
Highway: 16.21 kmpl
Worst: 10.9 kmpl
Fuel Tank Capacity: 35 litres
Range: 528.5 km
+ is 75% city driving and 25% highway driving

Braking
Minimum Stopping Distance
From 100 km/h 54.33 m/3.73 s
From 80 km/h 28.11 m/2.59 s

References

External links

Official Maruti Suzuki Zen India Page

Exports of Maruti Suzuki Cars

Businessworld on the old Zen and the new Zen Estilo
{{Suzuki vehicles

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...