New Delhi/Mumbai: Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. country’s largest car maker on
Tuesday launched new version of its Alto model ranging from Rs 2.44 lakh to
3.56 lakh ex showroom New Delhi for petrol and CNG variant.
Launching the car, Maruti Suzuki said, the company has
already received bookings of over 10,000 units of Alto 800.
“Our engineering team has made many innovations to offer
more space, improve drive ability and safety to customers,” Shinzo Nakanishi,
Maruti’s managing director, told reporters.
The new car’s petrol model offers 15% greater fuel
efficiency, he said.
The company says, petrol variant delivers fuel efficiency of
22.74 kilometers per litre and the factory fitted CNG variant branded Alto
Green, delivers a fuel efficiency of 30.46 kilometers per kilogram, 13% better
than the outgoing Alto Green.
Maruti, controlled by Japan’s Suzuki Motor, has had over
10,000 pre-orders for the Alto since bookings were opened in late September,
Nakanishi added.
The Alto has been launched in the view compete against
variants of Tata Motors Nano, Hyundai Santro & Eon and Chevrelot Spark,
from General Motors which is also getting ready with its facelift, which will
be launched soon. Importantly. Sales of Maruti’s entry-level models are down
21% so far in the current fiscal year in comparison with these models.
In the fiscal year 2011-12 that ended in March, Maruti sold
over 310,000 Altos, making it the world’s biggest selling small car. Indians
bought 2.02 million cars that year.