The news that Maruti vehicle has dropped the popular automobile, the Alto 800, from its lineup and stopped producing it was originally reported by India Today.
Many throughout the nation will recall 2023 as the year Maruti Suzuki India ended production of the venerable Maruti Suzuki Alto 800. Due to limited sales, the automaker claims that upgrading the entry-level hatchback to meet BS6 Phase 2 regulations would not have been financially feasible.
The news that Maruti vehicle has dropped the popular automobile, the Alto 800, from its lineup and stopped producing it was originally reported by India Today.
As of April 1, 2023, the BS6 Phase 2 standards are in force. In FY16, the market share of the entry-level hatchback sector was approximately 15%, with a volume of about 450,000 units. The share fell to less than 7%, with a volume of around 250,000 units in FY23.
In 2000, the Alto 800 made its debut in India. Almost 3,500,000 Maruti vehicles were sold when they were discontinued in 2023.
At the time of its discontinuation, the Alto 800 was priced between Rs 3.54 lakh and Rs 5.13 lakh (ex-showroom). Its 796-cc petrol engine produced 48 PS of maximum power and 69 Nm of peak torque. A CNG alternative (41 PS and 60 Nm) was also available. There was no choice for an automatic transmission, and only a 5-speed manual was available.
In an interview with India Today at the time, Maruti vehicle’s Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, Shashank Srivastava, stated that the Alto 800’s operating volume fell in the entry-level hatchback sector since the cost of purchasing a car increased significantly.
The causes of the rising cost of purchasing a car included increased material costs, increased road, registration, and other taxes, increased feature offerings, and regulatory changes.
Srivastava had noted that although the cost of buying a car in this market segment was up, the income level of the consumers in this market did not rise correspondingly.