Maruti Suzuki Alto sold 47 lakh units, offers 33 km fuel economy at ₹3.70 lakh

Maruti Suzuki Alto is the true legacy bearer of the iconic Maruti 800, the first people's car in India. After discontinuation of the Alto 800, Maruti Suzuki now sells the Alto K10, which carries the iconic nomenclature. The Alto has sold more than 47 lakh units to date, being the bestselling car from the automaker. Amplifying the celebratory mood is Maruti Suzuki's achievement of selling three crore cars since 1983. The WagonR is the second bestselling model from the brand, recording more than 34 lakh units, followed by the Swift with over 32 lakh units retailed.

Maruti Suzuki took 42 years to reach this milestone since delivering its first car Maruti 800, on December 14, 1983. Since then, the auto OEM took 28 years and two months to sell its first one crore units. The two crore sales milestone came in another seven years and five months. The three crore milestone came even faster, in only six years and four months.

The small and compact cars like Alto, WagonR and Swift contributed a massive chunk of the total three crore sales, cumulatively contributing 1.13 crore units.

Maruti Suzuki Alto: Top 5 facts about India's most loved car

Here are some key facts about the Maruti Suzuki Alto.

Maruti Suzuki Alto: First launched in September 2000

The Maruti Suzuki Alto was first launched in September 2000. It quickly became immensely popular across India, succeeding its legendary sibling Maruti 800. The Alto soon became the go-to car model for middle-class families in India, offering affordable personal mobility, with a massive value-for-money proposition. In February 2008, the Alto surpassed the 10 lakh unit sales milestone in just eight years after its launch. This made the Alto the third Maruti Suzuki car, after the Maruti 800 and Omni, to achieve the feat.

Maruti Suzuki Alto: Launched in 800 cc and 1,000 cc engine options

The Maruti Suzuki Alto was initially launched in two engine choices - 0.8-litre and 1.0-litre. This helped the small hatchback reach a wider spectrum of consumers. However, with the evolving emission norms and consumer preferences, Maruti Suzuki discontinued the 800 cc model and currently Alto is available only with a 1.0-litre engine, which churns out 65.71 bhp peak power and 89 Nm of maximum torque.

Maruti Suzuki Alto: One of the most affordable cars in India

Despite the Indian consumers' shifting focus on premium cars, Maruti Suzuki Alto remains one of the most sought-after cars in India. Available at a starting price of ₹3.70 lakh (ex-showroom), the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 remains one of the most affordable cars in the country.

Maruti Suzuki Alto: Compact and lightweight

The compact design, measuring a length under four metres, makes the Alto K10 easy to manoeuvre in congested urban traffic. Driving it through the dense bumper-to-bumper traffic, parking it in a tight spot is easy owing to its small size. The lightweight of the hatchback makes it easily drivable on patches where many believe only 4x4 cars can go. There is a reason why the hatchback is called ‘Lord Alto’, ‘Queen of Hills’.

Maruti Suzuki Alto: CNG and AMT make it a high VFM proposition

The Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 is available in both petrol-only and petrol-CNG fuel options. The 33 km/kg fuel economy offered by the CNG variant of the car makes it the car with the best fuel efficiency in the country. Adding more zing is the availability of AMT, which offers the comfort of automatic driving technology and the affordability of a manual gearbox.