- Was powered by a 796cc petrol engine
- Succeeded by Alto K10
Maruti Suzuki has officially stopped the production of one of its best-selling cars, the Alto 800. The hatchback was launched in 2000 and has completed more than two decades on the Indian road. The company attributed discontinuation of the Alto 800 to financial deficiencies.
The Alto 800 was broadly offered in six trims, namely Std, Std(O), LXi, LXi(O), VXi, and VXi+. Mechanically, the hatchback was powered by a 0.8-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine that produced 47bhp and 69Nm of torque and came exclusively mated to a five-speed manual transmission. When switched to the CNG mode, the same motor had an output of 40bhp and 60Nm of torque.
Commenting on the occasion, Shashank Srivastava, Maruti Suzuki India’s Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, said, “What we have observed is that the entry-level hatchback segment, where the Alto 800 operates, has been coming down over the years. The volumes declined because the cost of vehicle acquisition in the entry-level segment has increased substantially over the past few years.” He further added, “Another factor that played a key role in halting Maruti Suzuki Alto 800’s production is the rise in demand for the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10, the elder sibling of the 800cc hatchback.”