Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 To Return Soon - Three Regular Variants Axed

India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is set to launch the new version of the Alto K10 hatchback in India soon claims a new report. Meanwhile, Maruti has discontinued three variants of the regular Alto.

India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is set to launch the new version of the Alto K10 hatchback in India soon claims a new report. Meanwhile, Maruti has discontinued three variants of the regular Alto.

Maruti Suzuki To Launch New Alto K10 Hatchback Soon

According to the report by the Financial Express, Maruti is set to be reintroduced to the Indian market more than two years after it was discontinued due to the implementation of the BS6 norms in 2020.

Maruti Suzuki To Launch New Alto K10 Hatchback Soon

Sources told the publication that Maruti was bringing back the K10 codename Y0M as the carmaker felt that there was still a market for the car and that there wasn't much competition for it.

Maruti Suzuki To Launch New Alto K10 Hatchback Soon

Meanwhile, Maruti Suzuki seems to be streamlining the regular Alto lineup. The carmaker has silently discontinued the Std, LXi and LXi CNG variants of the Alto hatch from the Indian market. With the axing of the three variants, prices for the 800cc Alto now start at Rs 3.39 lakh (ex-showroom). The Maruti Suzuki Alto is now only offered in variant [LXi (O)] for those looking to use CNG as fuel.

Maruti Suzuki To Launch New Alto K10 Hatchback Soon

The return of the Alto K10 to the Indian market should help Maruti Suzuki boost its sales numbers with its other offerings in the segment - the 'regular' Alto and the S-Presso - accounting for nearly 212,000 units in the financial year 2021/22.

Maruti Suzuki To Launch New Alto K10 Hatchback Soon

The Alto is Maruti Suzuki's best-selling car to date. The Alto was first launched back in the year 2000 and the first generation of the car stayed around till 2012. The second generation of the Alto has been around since then and in total Maruti has sold over 4.3 million (43 lakh) units of the entry level hatchback in the Indian market. From 2005 to 2018, the Alto held the record for India's most popular car model before it was overtaken by the Dzire sedan.

Maruti Suzuki To Launch New Alto K10 Hatchback Soon

India's entry level hatchback segment has been shrinking over the years. In the Financial Year 2022, the segment accounted for just 7.8 per cent of all car sales in India. This was down from Financial Year 2021 when the segment accounted for 9.8 per cent of all cars sold in the country and 10.6 per cent in FY2020.

Maruti Suzuki To Launch New Alto K10 Hatchback Soon

Thoughts On The Return Of The Alto K10

The steady decline of the entry-level hatchback segment along with stricter emission and safety norms was one of the reasons why the Alto K10 was removed from the market back in 2020.

Maruti Suzuki is also the only company vocally against the government's new norms mandating a minimum of 6 airbags for cars sold in the country, so this move to bring the K10 back seems a bit confusing as the carmaker has previously claimed that it would quit the small car market if it became unfeasible.

Most Read Articles

English
Read more on: #maruti suzuki #auto news
Article Published On: Tuesday, July 5, 2022, 12:18 [IST]
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X