Day after day, month after month and year after year, new models are launched in the India car market. There are innumerable brands that sell their cars in India, thereby hoping to capture the market and register good sales figures. The presence of both international and domestic companies makes the competition really tough. In a situation like this, for any model to make a mark and achieve sustained success is quite commendable. Now, it is quite certain that some auto companies, due to some reasons, have enjoyed an advantage over others, be it early entry or having a better understanding of the market. Some models, since their inception in the market, have created a tremendous impact in India. Maruti Suzuki, the undisputed king of passenger car segment, has manufactured some of the most successful models in history. However, there are two cars that have stood out, galloping ahead of others in terms of sales and popularity, Alto 800 and Maruti 800.
Maruti 800 can easily be termed as the most popular car in the history of Indian automobile industry. The kind of success it achieved for such a long time can never be undermined and is highly unlikely to be replicated by any other car. Such was the popularity of this model that for a long time, the name of this car was synonymous to the brand, a significant achievement not likely to be repeated ever. Statistics alone have the ability to reflect upon the excellent performance of Maruti 800. Since its introduction in the year 1983, India's largest passenger car manufacturer has sold over 2.5 million units of this compact. However, the legacy of Maruti 800 goes beyond numbers and transcends generations. The decade of 1990s was significant in the history of India as a nation, wherein new economic policy was introduced and the middle class came into prominence. A Maruti 800 model, back then, was an indication of the economic progress a person had made. Also, for a prolonged period, this model symbolised the 'term' car in India.
This model was the brand's best-selling car till early 2000s, registering top sales figures year after year. However, due to the evolution of market and rise of other models, Maruti Suzuki decided to phase out this car. The Suzuki owned firm decided to stop sale of Maruti 800 in 13 cities across India, which includes the likes of New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Kanpur and Agra among others. Sources suggest that this phasing out happened due to unwillingness of Maruti Suzuki to make the model Euro IV compliant. It is believed that this model will be sold in other cities till the year 2016. Current version of Maruti 800 is powered by a 3-cylinder engine that has a displacement of 796 cc, delivering maximum output of around 33 bhp along with peak torque of 56 Nm.
Industry experts have always felt that repeating the success of Maruti 800 is somewhat an impossible task, which is correct to a certain extent. However, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, the perpetual replacement of Maruti 800, has managed to live up to expectations of its manufacturer. At the time of its introduction in India, Alto 800 had a huge mountain to climb as it had to fill the big shoes of Maruti 800. To say the least, this compact hatchback has managed to replace its predecessor quite nicely. In fact, Alto 800 has been appreciated quite a lot by customers and critics, who have praised it for modern styling, mileage and compactness. In the past few years, along with Swift and WagonR, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 has been ruling hatchback segment. Notably, it has been one of the main contributors in Maruti Suzuki's market share, propelling the firm to the top spot.
Featuring the unique wave front design, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 comes with stylish exteriors, modern-day interiors and several utility features. This hatchback comes equipped with an F8D 796 cc engine that is controlled by a 32-bit computer and is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. This powertrain is capable of producing a maximum power level of around 46 bhp and peak torque of 69 Nm. Being a modern-day car, it is loaded with some technologically advanced features that enhance driving dynamics, such as Detent Pin Technology (DPT), Diagonal Shift Assist (DSA) and flat torque curve.
Although the success and popularity of Maruti 800 cannot be denied, there are some areas where Alto 800 has proved to be better. There are a lot of industry experts who consider Alto 800 to be a better model than Maruti 800. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that Alto 800 has managed to be successful despite strong competition. Unlike Maruti 800, which has little competition, Alto 800 has stiff rivals in the form of Hyundai Eon, Tata Nano and Chevrolet Spark. To put things in a nutshell, both Maruti 800 and Alto 800 have been top class models for their manufacturer and although the former has an iconic status, the latter has proved to be an excellent replacement.
