Maruti Suzuki will launch the Alto 800 in the Indian market on the 16th of October, 2012. However the company has already started taking bookings for the car through its wide dealership network. India’s largest automaker wants to cash in on the upcoming festive season and has also started TV advertisements of the Maruti Alto 800. With more than 15 days of pre-booking, Maruti Suzuki expects to gain a good amount of orders for the Alto 800, thereby helping to create buzz around the product.
The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 will be offered with petrol and CNG/petrol dual fuel options. The vehicle is based on the Alto platform and uses the same 796cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine, with minor tweaks to boost output and mileage. Not only does the Alto 800 feel more driveable with the 7 Nm of increased torque, it also is more frugal at 22.74 km/l mileage (certified by ARAI). This engine is very old but is cost effective and hence still in production.
The upcoming Alto 800 also has changes to the exteriors, interiors and suspension. The exteriors are similar to the Ford Figo at the front and Hyundai i10 at the rear, something which has got the company a lot of mocking already. The interiors are vastly improved but still there isn’t enough space for rear passengers. The LXi variant is equipped with a driver side airbag, which is the first for the Alto. The Alto 800 is expected to be priced at Rs. 2.40 lakhs for the base variant, while the CNG variant would be costlier by Rs. 40,000/-. Bookings can be made at the Alto 800’s teaser website here.