India's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki has received a new title for its Alto hatchback to be proudly displayed in the trophy shelf. The Alto hatchback has recently been awarded 'World's best selling car in 2013'. Mayank Pareek, Chief Operating Officer for Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki said, “A car emerging from India as the top selling small car of the world and that too, for the third time is a matter of great pride. It also shows growing attraction of Alto among customers as the most suitable car in the market. We are confident, Alto will continue to remain and rule the game.”
The award is definitely consoling in times when the car market seems to be sluggish in the local market. The hatchback segment including A-Star, Alto and Wagon R from the Indian car-maker's production line saw a dip of 9.60% in February with 37,342 units being sold as against 41,311 units that were sold last year around the same month. Even though the 2013 annual sales for Alto fell with a marginal difference difference, the small car faired better in comparison with other global small cars with 2,65,777 units being sold in India. Its competitors in the international market reported – Toyota Aqua in Japan sold 2,62,367 units in 2013, Volkswagen Gol in Brazil 2,55,057, Volkswagen Golf in Germany 2,44,249 units, and Japan’s Kei cars Honda N-Box at 2,34,995 units and Diahatsu Move at 2,05,333 units.
The latest of the lot, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is powered by F8D 796 cc engine generates a peak power of about 48 Bhp at 6000 rpm and peak torque of about 69 Nm at 3500 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Features such as air conditioning, power steering and power windows come as standard in the top end Lxi version. Design for the car has undergone a complete overhaul in comparison to previous Alto model. The new Alto 800 is slightly taller and faster than its older counterpart. The car weighs around 715 kgs and with its peppier engine, it is perfect for city rides. The top end variant of Alto 800 is loaded with features such as central locking, left side rear view mirror, rear spoiler, front power windows and body side moldings, integrated audio system with USB port and full wheel caps. The manufacturer charges around 15,000 extra for this bulk in features. The fuel efficiency for the Alto 800 is on the higher side as it returns around 22.74 km/pl in petrol, whereas the CNG variant delivers around 30.46 km/kg.
On the exterior front the hatchback boasts of “Wavefront’ design that is responsible for prominent wheel arch and wider lip that adds to the side stance of this car. The Petal shaped headlamps compliment the stylish bumpers and grill. At the rear the car gets Jewel-finish combination lamps that blend well with the neatly crafted back-door design. Apart from high strength steel construct for safety, the Alto 800 also features an optional driver side airbag in the higher edition.
Maruti Suzuki Alto has always been a brand that stood out for efficiency, reliability and low cost of ownership. The freshest of the lot is the Alto 800, the base variants is priced at Rs. 272825 (ex-showroom Delhi).
