Maruti Suzuki Alto sales cross 35 lakh units

NEW DELHI: India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki's ever-popular entry level hatchback crossed the landmark of 35 lakh in sales units in February, the company said on Wednesday. In fact, the Alto is the highest selling car for the company, not just in India, but across the globe, Maruti Suzuki Senior Executive Director RS Kalsi said.

Currently, the Alto is available with two engine options-- 800 cc and K10 -- and a CNG fuel variant. The Alto K10 has the option of a clutch- less auto gear shift transmission (AGS). The BS-VI version of the Alto would be ready well before the 2020 deadline, Kalsi said. The government has set a deadline for all cars to be BS-VI (Indian equivalent of Euro-VI) compliant by 2020. BS-VI emission norms -- the strictest till date-- will ensure that harmful pollutants emitted from vehicles are reduced substantially.

As far as the Alto going electric is concerned, Kalsi said, "there are no plans as of now to introduce electric mobility on Alto." This is primarily owing to the fact that electric cars are still expensive to make in India and it would be difficult to sync that with the Alto's entry-level pricing and positioning, he added. India imports lithium-ion batteries that are at the heart of electric cars -- the main reason why they are far more pricier than regular internal combustion (IC) cars. Maruti Suzuki is slated to launch its first electric car by 2020, which will be "a different car altogether," Kalsi said. The government has set a deadline to be selling only electric cars in India by 2030, in another push for a cleaner environment -- at a time when the country is grappling with toxic levels of pollution in most of its cities.

Launched in 2000, Alto continues to retain its leadership spot in the entry segment for 14 consecutive years. Maruti Suzuki has been selling half a million Alto, every two years since 2006, the company said.

Alto alone sells more than the total combined volumes sold by competitors every month in the entry segment in India, according to Maruti Suzuki.

Nearly 25 per cent of Alto sales contribution comes from young customers under 30 years of age, according to Maruti Suzuki. Kalsi pointed out that the hatchback is especially popular with first-time car buyers, "with 55 per cent of Alto sales coming from this segment".

Maruti Suzuki India Limited