Launched in 2010, the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 has clocked cumulative sales of 4.3 lakh units and the Alto brand overall has sold 26 lakh units in 14 years since its launch. But since last year, the company has hit a rough patch in sales and in order to boost the sales, it has launched the all-new K10. Ammar Alvi has more.
The new Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 is being launched at a time when the company’s sales in the mini segment, comprising Alto and WagonR, witnesses a downfall.
The new Alto K10 is the second car in the Maruti Suzuki portfolio to get the popular AMT transmission after the Celerio, and with it the Alto K10 also becomes the most affordable automatic to go on sale in India. The new Alto K10, mated to its manual gearbox, gets fresh styling inside and out. It is 75mm smaller in length, but grows 15mm in width and height to its predecessor. And Piano black inserts on the centre console coupled with silver accents make the interior feel much plusher than before. It gets an integrated music system with Aux-in and USB ports, internally adjustable ORVMs, a tachometer and front power windows.
The 998cc 3-cylinder K10 engine has been reworked in the new Alto to make it lighter and deliver more efficiency. As a result, it delivers an ARAI-certified mileage figure of 24.07kmpl which is 15 per cent more than the outgoing model. The engine develops 68PS of peak power at 6000 rpm and 90Nm of peak torque at 3500 rpm.
Says Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa, “Alto K10 is the third Maruti Suzuki car within few weeks where our suppliers and engineers have improved the fuel efficiency substantially. Maruti is positioning the new car as a mass-market product equipped with ‘futuristic technology’.”
The new Alto K10 has been developed at a cost of `200 crore on the existing platform of the model. It will take on the Hyundai Eon 1.0 and Datsun Go in the entry-level hatchback segment.
The Alto K10 will be available in six colours and four variants—the base LX, mid spec LXi and top of the line VXi and VXi (O). The AMT K10 will only be available in VXi trim and the CNG version will only be sold in LXi trim.