Maruti Suzuki is expected to relaunch the Alto K10 anytime soon to increase its market share in the A-segment
Maruti Suzuki is gearing up to relaunch the now-discontinued Alto K10 anytime soon. The move comes in the wake of the void left by the discontinuation of the Hyundai Santro, Datsun Redigo, and Datsun Go.
With the Renault Kwid being the 1 and only competitor for Maruti Suzuki in the A-segment, the Indo-Japanese manufacturer feels there has never been a time as good as this for an offensive in the segment to regain the lost market share.
Back then, Maruti Suzuki was always synonymous with the Alto as the entry-level hatchback was India’s best selling car until about a few years back. While the base Alto 800 catered to the first time buyers, the Alto K10 was for those who sought fun on a budget.
Until about half a decade ago, the Alto 800 was single-handedly selling over 25,000-30,000 units every month with the K10 also trailing it in the top spots. But, with the entry of Renault Kwid, Datsun small cars, and the third-generation Hyundai Santro, Alto began to lose sheen.
The K10, for example, suffered massive downfall in sales forcing Maruti Suzuki to not work on the BS-6 model. The car was finally discontinued in January 2020.
Now codenamed Y0M, the upcoming Alto K10 might feature extensive design changes to suit the mandatory 6-airbag rule and the Bharat NCAP crash tests. But, it will share its powertrains with the BS-6 S-Presso currently on sale.
In the era of SUVs, the A-segment hatchbacks still command a respectable market share of 7.8 percent and the upcoming Alto K10 might also pull some customers from the B-segment if it offers exceeding value for the price.