Maruti-Suzuki launches Alto 800, the successor of Alto and 800, with prices starting from INR 2.44 Lakhs

Take note, ladies and gentlemen. The car you see in this post is going to be India's largest selling car starting from CY 2013. That is a tall claim we know, but when we are talking about the car that's going to succeed the erstwhile 'Maruti 800' and the ever-popular 'Maruti Alto' that were the best-selling cars in India for an unprecedented 27 years, you get the point. And here is a shocker to prove that - the new Alto 800 has clocked more than 10,000 bookings even before its launch. Yes, the price wasn't announced, the specifications weren't released, the feature list was unknown and many of them hadn't even seen a single picture of the car, but still more than 10,000 people have lined up for the car.

Such is the brand pull of 'Maruti' and combined with the legacy built up by the 800 and Alto, Maruti-Suzuki had a really tough job on their hands. As the company officially launched the new Alto 800 today at an event held in New Delhi, it seems that they have done a great job at it. As a successor of two of India's largest selling cars ever, the new Alto 800 is priced from INR 2.44 Lakhs for the base variant and goes up to INR 3.56 Lakhs for the top-end LXi CNG variant. The range consists of 3 variants - Base, LX and LXi, all three of them available with petrol and bi-fuel (petrol & CNG) options. With sky-rocketing petrol prices, that's a smart move by Maruti-Suzuki.

Maruti-Suzuki has tried to mix and match design elements from a lot of cars, some of its own and some from competitors as well, the most notable being its striking similarity at the front with the just-launched Ford Figo facelift. As a result, the overall design isn't cohesive. Though the new Alto 800 has become more modern with petal-shaped headlights, crystal taillights, flared wheel arches and a split grille, we strongly feel that the Alto's cuteness is lost. Also spoiling the stance are the car's high ground clearance and tiny wheels. But then, people lining up for the Alto 800 aren't going to ask for head-turning looks and that is where this conservative approach will work for Maruti-Suzuki. Hyundai Eon then is still the best-looking car in this segment.

While the exteriors may not appeal to all, the interiors surely will. Looking at the pictures released by Maruti-Suzuki, we can vouch that the interiors are a generation or two ahead of the existing Alto, both in terms of design and quality. The Alto 800 comes with an attractive two-tone dashboard that's finished in a darker shade of beige. Silver inserts in the door handles, center console and around the air-conditioning vents liven up the interiors further. That's not all, the Alto 800 even comes with features like front power windows, remote fuel lid release, remote boot release, internally adjustable mirrors, dual trip meter, tubeless tyres and driver airbag (optional) in the top-end variant, quite an impressive list considering its retail price.

Powering the Alto 800 is the same 796-cc F8D 3-cylinder petrol engine with 48 PS of maximum power at 6000 rpm and 69 Nm of peak torque at 3500 rpm. This is slightly disappointing as we were expecting an all-new engine based on the K-Series for the Alto 800. Nevertheless, this engine is claimed to be tuned for better driveability and fuel-efficiency compared to the existing Alto, which is great news. More importantly, the Alto 800 comes with an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 22.74 km/l in petrol and 30.46 km/kg in CNG, which is better than its competitors and even the old Alto.

While the Alto K10 and the 800 will continue to co-exist alongside the new Alto 800, the existing Alto would be gradually replaced with this all-new model. 

With conservative looks, good-looking and relatively high-quality interiors, a proven engine, superb fuel-efficiency and value-for-money pricing, there is no doubt that the Alto 800 will start its journey right at the top of the sales charts in India, just where its predecessors were all along. 

Get ready to see a lot of these cars on our roads soon!