The Alto brand name came to India in the year 2000. It soon overtook the good old Maruti 800 as the largest selling car model in the domestic market. A common name in Indian households, Maruti has been upping the game by offering updates and features over the years. In 2008, the Alto hit the 10 lakh sales mark and as of today, there are over 35 lakh Alto owners across the country. The current Alto 800 model was launched in the year 2012 and remains one of the most affordable cars in India. This both in terms of the initial purchase cost, as well as longterm maintenance costs. It carries on a simple design language, one that is
still popular in smaller towns and rural markets. Maruti has evolved the brand with time, giving it more features - for example, the recently introduced, ranging topping Vxi trim. The Alto 800 comes powered by a 796cc, three-cylinder petrol motor that comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. AMT or an automatic is not offered, just yet. However, Maruti offers an optimal factory fitted CNG kit that makes it the most affordable CNG car in India. The petrol engine is known for its long term reliability
and exceptional fuel economy figures. The Alto 800 is a small car but with a big heart. It remains abuse friendly and can take on the worst of roads India has to offer. The fact that is rugged enough and can be serviced literally anywhere retains its popularity in far flung areas. Inspite of having rivals that offer more space, look better and have an extended feature list,
the Alto 800 remains hard to beat!