The Maruti Suzuki Alto was launched in India on 27 September 2000 as a modern successor to the Maruti 800. It has been the country’s best-selling car since 2006 and, as of 2024, is the only car in India to have sold more than five million units.
Maruti Alto at a glance
| Maker | Maruti Suzuki, India |
|---|---|
| Production | since 27 September 2000 |
| Generations | RF (2000), Alto 800 (2012), third generation |
| First generation | Indian version of the fifth-generation Suzuki Alto |
| Base engine | 796 cc three-cylinder |
| Alto K10 | 998 cc K10B, 68 PS at 6200 rpm, 90 Nm |
| Alto 1.1 | 1061 cc four-cylinder, 63 PS |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual; three-speed automatic in Europe |
| Best-seller | since 2006 |
| Million mark | one million built in February 2008 |
| Sold | over five million by 2024 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Maruti Suzuki Alto.
History of the Maruti Alto
Launch
The first-generation Alto was launched in India on 27 September 2000, although the Alto nameplate had already been used since around 1994 for Maruti Suzuki Zen cars exported to Europe, where it took over 40% of the market in Belgium and 33% in the Netherlands by 1998. The original Alto 800 carried the RF308 chassis code, the three-cylinder K10 the RF310 and the four-cylinder export version the RF410. It was seen as the natural successor to the Maruti 800 and offered what the older car lacked: power steering, power-assisted braking and a fifth gear.
Sales success
Competitive pricing, helped by lower excise duties, and Maruti’s extensive dealer and service network made the Alto a phenomenon. It was the first car in India to sell more than 200,000 units in a single financial year, with the last 100,000 of those sold in just five months, and the only car to sell more than 22,000 units in a month. It passed one million units in February 2008 — the third Maruti model to do so after the 800 and the Omni — and has been India’s best-selling car since 2006.
K10 and Europe
In August 2010 Maruti launched the Alto K10, using the 1.0-litre K-series DOHC three-cylinder engine already seen in the Celerio and Wagon R. The 998 cc K10B engine delivers 68 PS at 6200 rpm and 90 Nm at 3200 rpm through a five-speed manual gearbox, and the car received a redesigned front end with more sculpted headlights. This ended the F10-engined model, while the F8-engined Alto was replaced by the all-new Alto 800 in late 2012. In Europe a version with the fuel-injected 1061 cc F10D engine appeared at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show, sold only as a five-door and available with a three-speed automatic; it was discontinued in 2006.
The Alto 800 and after
A new Alto 800 was released in India on 16 October 2012. Model code AOD308, it kept the previous platform — itself based on the 1998 Alto kei car — but had all-new bodywork and interior, and it replaced the Maruti 800 at the bottom of the range. The base price was actually lowered, partly by saving a gram from each component and by building the company’s own robots. A refreshed Alto 800 followed in May 2016 with improved fuel efficiency, quoted at 24.7 km/L, and another update came in April 2019. The third-generation Alto is built on the same underpinnings as the S-Presso.
Design and features
- More car than the 800: power steering, power-assisted brakes and a five-speed gearbox at an entry-level price.
- K10 engine: the 998 cc K10B three-cylinder with 68 PS gave the small car useful performance.
- Sales machine: India’s best-selling car since 2006 and the first to pass five million units.
- Export version: the European Alto of 2002–2006 used a 1061 cc engine and an automatic option.
Maruti Alto versions
- Alto 800 (RF308): the original 796 cc car with 47 PS and 69 Nm.
- Alto 1.1 (RF410): four-cylinder 1061 cc version with 63 PS and a tachometer.
- Alto K10 (RF310): 998 cc K10B, 68 PS, built until 2014.
- European Alto: five-door F10D model sold from 2002 to 2006.
- Alto 800 (AOD308, 2012): new body and interior on the old platform.
- Third generation: built on the S-Presso platform.
The Alto replaced the Maruti 800 as India’s entry-level car, and its K10 engine was shared with the Maruti Wagon R. More cars are in the Maruti collection.
Video: 2015 Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 – Quick Review
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Maruti Suzuki Alto, English Wikipedia: history, engines, sales, generations
