Maruti Suzuki Sells 1 Lakh Alto 800 In 124 Days

The Indian automobile industry might be reeling under pressure due to increased fuel prices and increased excise duty, but these do not seem to have affected Maruti Suzuki India, which has gone on to set another record. India's largest car manufacturer, in terms of sales, earlier this month, managed to sell one lakh Alto 800 compact hatchbacks in a record 124 days.

The new and improved Alto 800, which is based on the older Alto, was introduced in October 2012. Ever since its launch the new Alto 800 has taken the budget car segment by storm. The new Alto 800's redesign has managed to capture the attention of young and first time buyers, which seem to have significantly contributed to its increased sales.

The only other competition the Alto 800 faces is from Hyundai Eon, but so far Alto has clearly had the lead. Maruti offers the Alto 800 for a starting price of INR 2.4 lakhs for the base variant, which goes up to INR 3.6 lakhs for the petrol-CNG hybrid model.

The Alto 800 is powered by a 796cc, 3-cylinder F8D petrol engine that delivers 47 HP and a peak torque of 70 Nm. More importantly, the car has an impressive fuel economy figure of 22.74 kmpl.

Maruti Suzuki is is now set to launch the Alto 800 in Nepal, where it will be powered by a slightly tweaked engine, delivering more mileage. The Nepali version of the Alto 800 will also be slightly more spacious.