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Monday, September 3, 2012

Maruti Alto 800 More Details Revealed

Maruti Alto 800 is inching closer to reality. The next generation Alto will be a rip off the existing car. It will also run on the same 796cc three-cylinder motor (F8D). However it has been tweaked to meet the latest emission norms.

The best part is new Alto 800 will be a slot below the Alto which is expected to be a mouth watering deal in the entry level segment. The changes are expected to come in the form of all-new interiors. It is also expected to be more spacious than before to shake off its match box tag.

In terms of the looks it will still stick to its basic design, with the nose getting high-mounted headlights, a slim, slot-like grille and a huge secondary air-inlet opening above and below the bumper. Drivers of the new Maruti Alto will have a bird’s eye with a wider, U-shaped rear-windscreen for better visibility, and there is a wide tailgate for better accessibility to the cargo bay.

The new 800 will however retain the tried and tested running gear of the current car. The suspension is a strong but basic and cost-effective MacPherson strut setup in front and a coil spring torsion beam axle at the rear. Expect better interior packaging to liberate a few vital centimetres. Crash protection should be better than the old car too, thanks to the Alto’s more up-to-date chassis.

Maruti is targeting a sub-Rs 2 lakh price for the new Maruti 800 to distance it from the Alto by at least Rs 40,000 and put it smack into Nano territory. Maruti is expected to launch the car during the festival season to push up its volumes and make up for the business that it lost due to the riots at its Manesar plant. The word is that the car might be rolled out in September, but we still believe that the small car major might wait till October to launch the model. It is expected to stir the hornet’s nest against the likes of the Tata Nano and the Hyundai Eon.

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