The Maruti Suzuki Alto is a city car manufactured and marketed by Suzuki through its subsidiary Maruti Suzuki primarily for the Indian market since 2000. The first generation was essentially the Indian-built version of the fifth generation Japanese Alto, while the second generation Alto is a standalone model developed mainly for Indian market. It is the best-selling hatchback in India. Since 2006, it is India's largest selling car and crossed the 1 million production figure in February 2008 becoming the third Maruti model to cross the million mark in India after Maruti 800 and Maruti Omni and fourth overall joining Hyundai Santro.
First generation (2000)
The first generation was launched in the local Indian market on 27 September 2000 although the Alto nameplate had been successfully used to export the Maruti Zen to Europe from India since around 1994 having captured over 40% market share in Belgium and 33% in Netherlands by 1998.
In Europe
This model, using the fuel injected 1061 cc F10D engine, entered the European market at the March 2002 Geneva Motor Show. Being built in India by Maruti, it was only available with five doors, unlike earlier Altos in Europe.
Specifications
Until the late 2010 introduction of the K10 Alto, it was powered by a three-cylinder gasoline engine with 4 valves per cylinder, MPFI and a 32bit ECM. All models have a five-speed manual transmission. There also used to be a VX/VXi model with a four-cylinder engine with and torque, launched in April 2001. This has now been discontinued, although it was sold for longer in certain European countries. The VX model also featured a tachometer not found in lesser Altos. 800 cc Alto:
Maximum Power: at 6200 rpm
Torque: at 3000 rpm
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: approximately 20 seconds
Top Speed:
Maruti Suzuki India launched a new version of the first generation Alto in the Indian auto market in August 2010, the Alto K10. The new Maruti Alto K10 is equipped with the company's 1.0-litre, K-series DOHC inline-three petrol engine which also currently powers the Celerio and Wagon R, mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The K10B engine delivers of maximum power at 6200 rpm with of maximum torque at 3200 rpm. The K10 has a redesigned front end, with more sculpted headlights. This spelled the end for the F10-engined model, while the F8-engined Alto was replaced by the all new Alto 800 in late 2012. The Alto K10 remained in production until 2014. The Alto was seen as a natural successor to the time-tested and equally popular Maruti 800. It contained all the plus points that the 800 offered Indian car-buyers, in addition to features such as power-steering, power-assisted braking and a 5th gear that the 800 did not normally have. The popularity of the Alto has steadily increased over the past few years, mainly due to the aggressive pricing. This reduction in prices has mainly come in due to the reduction in excise duty over time. Alto became the first car in India to sell over 200,000 units in a single financial year, the last 100,000 units being sold in 5 months. Alto was also the only car to sell over 22,000 units in a single month. Maruti's vast network of dealerships and Maruti Authorized Service Centers have also contributed towards this massive popularity in the Indian entry-level automobile market.
Second generation (2012)
A new version of the Alto called the Alto 800 was released in the Indian car market on 16 October 2012. The Alto 800 has all-new bodywork and interior. It replaced the first generation Maruti Alto, and while keeping the engine, there have been several modifications. The price of the Alto, already India's best-selling car, was actually lowered with the model change. Various methods were found to lower the price, including the lowering of the weight of each individual component by one gram each, and also by building their own robots for manufacturing the car. This is also sold as the Suzuki Alto 800 in many export markets. In May 2016, refurbished version of Alto 800 has been introduced with notable changes to the exteriors, interiors, features and specifications. The new Maruti Alto 800 comes with an improved fuel efficiency. It is now capable of returning a mileage of 24.7 km/l. ; Alto K10 Maruti Suzuki then launched a K10-powered version of the second generation Alto on 3 November 2014. Introduced at a base price of Rs. 3.06 Lakh, the next gen Alto K10 comes with multiple exterior and interiors updates, however mechanically it remains same. The car is a somewhat upgraded version of the Alto 800 with a new front fascia comprising a new chrome fitted front grille, new swept back headlamps, and a redesigned bonnet line. There are also amendments for tail lights, restructuring of bumpers, 13 inch wheels, ORVMs, door moulding and some other minor modifications. Interiors too have been updated, with a new dashboard, three-spoke steering wheel, refined upholstery, black finished music system and a better looking instrument cluster. Other added features inside the car include front power windows, 12 V power socket, internally adjustable ORVMs, headlamp warning buzzer, key off reminder and gearshift indicator. Powering the 2015 Alto K10 is the same 1.0-litre K10B engine that also powers the Celerio and Wagon R. However, this time it has been tuned to provide better fuel economy, and the new Alto K10 returns an ARAI-certified fuel economy of 24.06 km/L, 15 percent better than the outgoing model. The Alto K10 facelift is available with two different transmission; 5-speed manual and 5-speed Auto Gear Shift transmission. The AGS is an automated manual transmission technology, which shifts gear with the help of an ECU mapped actuator on pre-defined engine speeds. It also allows driver to shift gears when required. The Alto K10 was discontinued in 2020, being replaced by the S-Presso. The 800 cc variant remains in production.
