Maruti Suzuki 800 Overview: Generations and Buying Guide
An overview of the Maruti Suzuki 800, a micro car built from 1983 to 2012 with 35–45 hp, covering its single generation and which version to buy.
The Maruti Suzuki 800 is a micro car produced from 1983 to 2012, with outputs spanning 35 to 45 hp across its range. It suits drivers who want the smallest, simplest kind of car: a compact city runabout with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, where low weight and small dimensions matter more than outright performance.
Maruti Suzuki 800 generations
1 generation (1983–2012)
The first and only generation of the Maruti Suzuki 800 ran from 1983 to 2012 — a nearly three-decade production span in the micro class. It was offered exclusively with a manual transmission and front-wheel drive, and the lineup counts 2 modifications with power outputs between 35 and 45 hp. The notable version is the 0.8 MT (45 hp), built around a 796 cc engine; it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 18.5 seconds and served as the mass-market choice of the range.
Which Maruti Suzuki 800 to buy
- 0.8 MT (45 hp) (1 generation): the stronger end of the 35–45 hp range, with a 796 cc engine and 0–100 km/h in 18.5 seconds — the quickest figures in the data and the mass-market version of the model.
On the used market, the long 1983–2012 production run works in the buyer's favor: with a single generation, one body style, one gearbox type, and only 2 modifications, the cars are mechanically uniform, so later-year examples differ mainly by age and condition rather than specification. Aiming for the newest production year you can find is the simplest way to narrow the search.
Summary
The Maruti Suzuki 800 kept one formula for its entire 1983–2012 life: a micro car with a manual gearbox, front-wheel drive, and modest 35–45 hp outputs. Within that narrow lineup, the 0.8 MT (45 hp) stands out on the numbers — 45 hp from 796 cc and 0–100 km/h in 18.5 seconds put it at the top of the range, and its mass-market status makes it the natural first choice when comparing examples. With only 2 modifications ever offered, choosing a Maruti Suzuki 800 comes down less to picking a version and more to picking the best-kept car from a long and unusually consistent production run.