Maruti Suzuki Accelerates Work On New 800

Published: Monday, June 25, 2012, 12:30 [IST]

The much awaited Maruti 800 replacement can be expected to be launched in India as early as this Diwali according to reports. Maruti Suzuki India is said to have accelerated work on a new 800cc car in an effort to boost sagging sales of its petrol cars.

The Maruti 800, an iconic brand name for the leading Indian carmaker is no longer being sold in cities. The Alto, Maruti's highest selling car is losing its market share and the carmaker had to do something about it. The closest solution is to launch the Maruti 800 replacement as soon as possible.

Maruti Suzuki is developing its new 800cc car at its plant in Gurgaon. The carmaker has reportedly started trial runs on the new car. Some automobile websites have already carried images of the new 800 cc car which is reportedly named as the Alto 800. The design of the new Alto 800 appears to be a mix of the current Alto and the A-Star. The A-Star, incidentally is sold as the Alto across the globe.

With trial runs starting for the new 800, it is clear the new car is close to completion than previously believed. The fact that its lowest priced car is not selling well and the launch of Hyundai's Eon must have forced Maruti to quicken the pace of the new Alto 800. Maruti Suzuki is reportedly using the the current Alto's platform for its new car.

However, the engine is completely new and has been developed in house by Maruti Suzuki India engineers. The new engine is said to be technically superb and also fuel efficient. The new Maruti 800 is expected to be priced above the current Alto as the cost involved in the new car's development has been high.

Maruti Suzuki India is also contemplating completely phasing out the current Maruti 800 and the Alto and replace them with the new Alto 800. The carmaker is not too keen about speaking about its new car. With showrooms having high stocks of the Alto, they fear any announcement with regard to a new Alto will affect sales of the existing model.

The Alto 800 could be priced higher than the base Alto ( Which is priced at Rs.2.32 lakhs) but under the Alto K10's price of Rs.3.2 lakhs.