With crash test compatibility becoming a real thing in India from 1st April 2020, car makers are busy upgrading their models, which do not meet these norms. One such car is the current gen Maruti Alto, which is also one of the best selling car in India.
Well before the 1st April 2020 deadline, to make cars meet India’s crash test norms, Maruti will launch new generation Alto small car. As per a report by Times of India, this new Alto will be launched around the festive period this year.
New gen Maruti Alto will be based on the Future S concept, which was showcased by Maruti Suzuki at the 2018 Auto Expo. Unlike the current Alto, which is more like a small hatchback, the 2019 model will be more like an SUV in stance. It will be even smaller than the Ignis in size.
The Future S concept which boasts of an aggressive SUV stance, has been designed and developed by Maruti’s Indian R&D team. Though the concept looked very futuristic (no pun intended), the production variant is expected to be relatively toned down in terms of looks, in an attempt to appeal to a larger target audience.
However, it is certain that it will retain the SUVish looks. It will sit under the Ignis, in the mini SUV segment of Maruti’s line-up. Alto has consistently been one of the highest selling product for Maruti and an addition of a new model will further boost its sales for the future. Maruti however hasn’t confirmed any of the theories, as of yet.
On the inside, the new Alto will feature a more modern design. It will come with touchscreen infotainment system, digital instrument console, steering mounted controls, more space than current Alto, etc. This will help it compete better with new rivals like Hyundai Santro, Renault Kwid and Tata Tiago.
Apart from crash test norms coming into effect, new emission norms are also coming into effect. This means that the engine line-up too will get updated. Current Alto is available in 800 cc and 1 liter engine options. Both these are BS4 compliant. In order to meet the new norms, Maruti will need to update engines to BS6 standard. It is not clear whether Maruti will be updating both engines, or only 1 of them.
More details are expected to be revealed closer to launch. The car is currently being tested internally. Expect prices to be increased, thanks to better build quality, more features, and BS6 engines. Current Alto price ranges from Rs 2.63 L to Rs 3.9 L for the 800cc variant and Rs 3.38 L to Rs 4.24 L for the 1 liter variant.
