Reports suggest that Maruti Alto 800 will be discontinued gradually by 2021 to make way for a brand new sub-5 Lakh hatchback.
Earlier when Maruti 800 existed, Alto was an upgrade for it. It was more stylish and peppier than the 800. However, now, it remains the entry level model of Maruti Suzuki and nearing towards the end of its life cycle in India. Alto managed to make it nearly 20 years in India.
Reports suggest that Maruti is planning to discontinue the Alto by 2021. It has already received the BS6 compliant engine almost a year back. Alto has not received any upgrade or a minor facelift in the past couple of years, except the dual-airbags, ABS and EBD update.
Maruti is developing two hatchbacks that will be priced under Rs 5 Lakh. One is an 800cc hatch and the other one is a 1.0 Litre. These two cars will be completely new with fresh design and possibly, revised dimensions and platform as well.
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The new cars will get its features from S-Presso, including the touchscreen infotainment system, digital instrument cluster and dual-airbags. Both of them will undercut the prices of S-Presso, which starts off at Rs 3.7 Lakhs up to Rs 4.99 Lakhs (ex-showroom).
The sales of Alto K10 have dropped over the past couple of months because of S-Presso. Both are priced very closely and ofcourse, more buyers are going for the latest S-Presso. It is a SUV-type styled hatchback with an impressive ground clearance and a new design language.
Other model to face the axe by 2021 is the Celerio. It was bought it as an upgrade to WagonR, equipped with the same engine but a more stylish appearance. While WagonR has managed to overtake Celerio in terms of features and even design, the latter is towards the end of its life.
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Maruti remains the undisputed king in the hatchback segment, whether it is for entry-level or premium. Due to the rising competition, every other manufacturer is eating into the share of the king. To regain its share, Maruti is taking up certain measures. One of these measures includes the possibility of bringing back a diesel engine for certain models. Naturally, that is the 1.5 Litre unit for the Ciaz, Brezza, XL6 and S-Cross.
