Staying on top of the sales chart becomes a regular phenomenon especially if it’s the Alto from Maruti Suzuki we are speaking about. Crossing one milestone after another, the Alto has once again emerged as the highest selling vehicle for the 13th consecutive year. The Indian automaker has reportedly sold over 2.41 lakh units of the Alto in 2016-17. To put things into perspective, Alto single-handedly sells more units each year than the total volumes sold in a year by other passenger car makers individually in India.
In 2016-17, Alto sales amounted to about 17 per cent of the total domestic sales clocked by Maruti Suzuki that year – which in itself is a staggering figure of 1443,641 units. The Alto brand has always found many takers in the country because of good fuel efficiency, its design and performance in the entry-level segment. Moreover, affordable pricing and low maintenance has also helped the brand stay ahead of its competitors for so many years. The Indian automaker first launched the brand in September 2000 and in the first three years, it clocked cumulative sales of one lakh units. In the 17 years of its existence, Maruti Suzuki has brought in several upgradations to the car to keep up with customer demand.
Currently, Maruti Suzuki offers the Alto with two engine options – 800cc and K10 1.0-litre. The former is available in manual transmission, while the later gets an optional Auto Gear Shift Transmission (AGS) technology. Along with regular petrol, the vehicle is also available trim-specific CNG options. Speaking about Alto’s success, R S Kalsi, Executive Director at Maruti Suzuki said, “Given Maruti Suzuki’s unmatched nationwide service network, guaranteed performance and lower maintenance cost, Alto is a natural choice of the customers across India. We are thankful to all our customers for their continued support to Brand Alto.” He further added, “The Alto K10 with AGS is the most affordable two pedal technology in the entry segment.”