India's leading passenger car maker, Maruti Suzuki, has announced its plans of increasing its market share and cement its stronghold further. Officials from the company have already spoken about the firm speeding up the production in the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment. Now, reports have surfaced that the firm is working aggressively on the production of the diesel variant of Alto 800 hatchback. Sources close to the matter have said that the Alto 800 Diesel might make its way to showrooms in India by 2014. The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is, currently, one of the most successful hatchbacks in the Indian market.
Industry experts feel that the diesel variant of the Alto 800 will create a tremendous buzz among buyers in India. Alto 800 has totally captured the imagination of buyers in the Indian car market. In its entirety, the Alto 800 encompasses what a middle class consumer would want from a car. It is compact, decent looking, fuel efficient, affordable and most of all, carries the name of the country's most reliable brand. The Alto 800 is powered by a 796 cc 3-cylinder engine that generates an output of around 46 bhp at 6000 rpm, along with peak torque of 69 Nm. Its engine, controlled by a 32-bit computer, is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. It is being said that the turbo diesel engine is going to be developed by Maruti Suzuki itself. This automatically means that the firm will not be required to pay any royalty to another firm for getting the diesel engine. Also, Maruti Suzuki will be able to further control the pricing strategy of the Alto 800 Diesel, making it much more affordable.
Reports have claimed that the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Diesel is going to be the least priced oil burning car in the country. Analysts feel that the launch of this car is a smart move by India's largest passenger car maker. Interestingly, diesel is the most used car fuel in the world and a number of diesel powered vehicles have enjoyed a great stint in the Indian market. South Korean auto maker Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki's biggest rival, has pretty detailed plans for the future, wherein it hopes to launch a number of new models. To begin with, Hyundai is expected to introduce the Grand i10 in a month's time. Apart from the Grand i10, Hyundai is also working on launching the next generation i20 hatchback and the Eon 1. The rivalry between these two brands is clearly a positive sign for the Indian auto industry, which is currently enduring a torrid time. The rising price of petrol has further strengthened the case for the demand of diesel cars.
The launch of Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Diesel might also set a trend in the market, wherein other brands also develop diesel variants of small cars. Recently, in an interview, an analyst was quoted as saying, ”Everybody seems to be working on diesel platforms and from a fundamental standpoint it makes sense. The acquisition cost and running cost are very important for entry-level car buyers. We have seen people are willing to shell out Rs. 30,000-40,000 more and get CNG and LPG kits fitted on their petrol cars to get higher fuel efficiency. So, if the acquisition cost of diesel is not dramatically higher, people will shift.”
