Maruti Alto India

28-June-2012: Maruti Alto 800 is the next evolution of the planet most selling car. The new Maruti Alto800 codenamed YE3 will make its presence felt around Diwali this year. The new Maruti Alto with dashing looks and high practicality will look to take on the likes of Hyundai Eon and the Chevrolet Spark in a reinvented, a more fuel-efficient, powerful and freshly-designed avatar.
The Maruti Alto 800 price is expected to be between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh. The move looks to have been sparked due to the poor sales which have halved to about 16,000 units, from the peak of 35,000 units in August-September 2010. This has been attributed to rising petrol prices. It sports a new Suzuki corporate grille, while the dashboard is a rip off from the SX4 and the A-Star. The shape of the headlights reminds one of the Ford Figo.

Maruti Alto is fifth generation Suzuki Alto for the Indian audience. The car made its entry into the market on September 27, 2000. The Alto has gone to become the most successful car in India and has since captured the major market share and is the best-selling hatchback in India. In fact from 2006 it is the largest selling car in India and has crossed the 1 million production figure in February 2008. The Maruti Alto also has the distinction of doing sales of more than one million in India after the likes of the Maruti 800 and the Maruti Omni.

Maruti Alto Exteriors

The Maruti Alto for a small car has good space efficiency. The car sees to it that the users are able to make the most of the car. The doors are not styled and have simple black color handles. The tyres are covered with 8 spoke cover. At the sparkling tail lamps adds to the beauty quotient of the car. The stylish front bumper and the attractive front grille make sure the entry level hatch back is not an amateur in terms of the looks. The clean lens headlights are fitted nicely between the headlights and rounds off the beauty of the car making it far above its class. The base variant does not have the body color ORVMs and door handles, etc. Turn indicators are present on the side panels above the wheel arches.

Maruti Alto Engine

The Maruti Alto engine is a 796 cc petrol enginewhich delivers 47 PS of power at 6200 rpm and a maximum torque of 62 Nm is generated at 3000 rpm. The Maruti Alto CNG is loaded with both petrol and CNG fuel system with the 796cc, 3 cylinder FC engine. The engine with the CNG fuel belts out a max power of 39.4 PS at 6200 rpm and torque of 54 Nm at 3000 rpm.

Maruti Alto Interiors

The Maruti Alto interiors are apt for an entry level hatch back. The Gear knob is a bit low and you have to reach out a bit. The Air conditioning has been restyled and has a new design. For an entry level car, the fabric and the quality is quite good and so are the colours and the graphics used. In terms of the practicality, the doors do not have map pockets at the side and lack enough cup holders. In terms of the interior space, the Alto is quite constrained and this is clearly felt at the rear seats. For four full size adults, the Alto is certainly not the car. If the front seats are taken right back, it leaves no space for the person sitting behind.

Maruti Alto Safety Features

The Maruti Alto Safety features include collapsible steering, Intelligent Computerized Anti Theft System, booster assisted brakes, clear lens headlamps with head lamp leveling device for better visibility, clear lens tail lamps, side impact beams, front and rear seat belts, rear seat head restraints, tubeless tyres and unique high mount stop lamp.

Maruti Alto Colors

The Maruti Alto colors include Fire Brick Red, Ecru Beige, Blue Blaze, Midnight black, Silky silver and Superior white.

Maruti Alto Ride and Handling

Maruti Alto does not have any comprises on the safety aspect for any entry level car and comes with a very sound and dynamic braking system which gives full control. The emergency brakes make sure that even the worst of terrains are tamed easily. The front suspension is Mc Pherson strut with torsion type roll control device and rear suspension of coil spring gas filled shock absorbers with three link rigid axle and isolated trailing arms. Maruti Alto has tubeless radial tyres which are puncture resistant to give you a hassle free journey. The size of the tyre is 145/80 R12.

Maruti Alto Specifications

The Maruti Alto specifications stand at Length - 3495 mm, Width - 1475 mm, Height - 1460 mm and a wheelbase of 2360 mm. It has a ground clearance of 160 mm turning circle radius of 4.6 m. The Alto has a kerb weight of 690 kg while the LX and LXi weigh 705 and 1140 kg respectively.

Maruti Alto Ex-Showroom Price

The Maruti Alto price as per the variants:

Maruti Alto Models

Maruti Alto Petrol Models

Maruti Alto: This is the base model, non-AC, launched in 2004.

Maruti Alto LX: The Maruti Alto LX comes with rotary control of AC with heater, tinted glasses, floor front console with cup holders, etc.

Maruti Alto LXi: High-end, with extra features like integrated rear seat head restraints, remote fuel lid opener, electronic power steering, etc.

Maruti Alto CNG Models

Maruti Alto Green LXi (CNG): The high-end CNG variant of Maruti Alto comes with a leakage proof design and has one of the lowest running costs in comparison to other fuels.

Maruti Alto Green STD BSIV: The green Alto comes with dual fuel system-petrol/CNG which delivers a power of 39.4 PS at 6200 rpm with i-GPI technology and a torque of 54 Nm at 3000 rpm on the CNG mode.

Maruti Alto Green LX BSIV: This CNG variant of Maruti Alto is heavier than the standard green Alto model.

Maruti Alto Competitors

The Maruti Alto competes with the likes of Tata Nano, Hyundai Eon, Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Beat, Hyundai i10 etc.

Compare Maruti Alto with other Models

Maruti Alto vs Hyundai Eon: The Alto is definitely a better car to drive and has proved its worth. It is the better car in terms of the ride and handling, responsive controls and a superb engine. The engine certainly pulls more weight and has that raw feel to it. The Eon is not a performance beater but is certainly the better looking car. The car surely looks a lot above its class and is also the spacious of the two. The mileage of Eon is also higher. The Eon certainly offers a lot more for its money while the Alto is reliable.

Maruti Alto vs Maruti Alto k10: The Alto has a capacity of 800 cc while the Alto k10 has an improved capacity of 1000 cc. The Alto delivers 46 BHP while the Alto k10 generates a power of 67 BHP. The Alto k10 has power steering while it is optional in Alto. The K10 has lower levels of emissions than Alto. The Alto k10 also delivers a better mileage.

Maruti Alto vs Chevrolet Beat: The Chevrolet Beat is the best looking car in its segment. The Alto is more of a value for money car with a better mileage.

Maruti Alto Awards

The Maruti Alto award list includes:

 2000 : Winner of the “Overdrive most exciting new car of the year”

2001 : BS Motoring Car of the year 2001

2002 : Overdrive Car of the year 2002

First Indian car to undergo a 24 hrs endurance test and set 13 national records

Topper of the JD Power IQS in its segment for 2 years i.e 2004 and 2005

2006 : Winner of the EFFIE award for Boondein campaign

2007 : Winner of the EFFIE award for the ‘fuel efficiency’ campaign

Maruti Alto Mileage

The Maruti Alto mileage is 19.73 km per liter. The Maruti Alto CNG mileage is 15.6 km/kg in the city and 20.2 km/kg on highways.