The all new Alto 800 from the stables of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. which hit the roads in the second half of October 2012, saw an overwhelming response from buyers and recorded more than 10,000 bookings even before it was launched. With such a tremendous demands for Alto 800, it was believed that its nearest competitor Tata Nano would stand nowhere close to it and would witness a dip in its sales. However, much to everyone's surprise, the Nano recorded a 4 per cent increase in its sales.
The sales of Tata Nano stood at 4,004 units in October 2012 which is 4 per cent higher than its sales in October 2011 which was 3,868 units. With festive season going on, the Nano is expected to do a good business and so is the Alto 800.
Common features of these two cars include superior performance and excellent mileage which have acted as the unique selling proposition (USP) for them.
When talking of the looks of these cars, the all new Alto 800 is truly adorable with taller, smarter and exquisite exteriors. Fresh designs and trendier pattern adds to the beauty of Alto 800. Some of the salient features of Alto 800 include high mounted headlamps in petal design, two part front grille, wheel arches, crystal tail lamps etc. On the other hand, Tata Nano has a rather simple exterior.
The interiors of Alto 800 come with some grand cabins that look elegant. Alto 800 has interiors with bits of Silver Tracing in the cabins and sleek seating arrangements. Its counterpart mini car Nano is excellent from inside, when compared to its older sibling. Nano's 2012 version is quite refined and appealing and comes adorned with luxury features along with several toned up interior designing.
Tata Nano comes powered by a 2-cylinder, 624cc, MPFI engine that churns out a maximum power of 37.5 bhp at 5500 rpm and an impressive torque of 51 Nm at 4000 rpm. On the other hand Alto 800 houses a 3-cylinder, 800cc petrol engine capable of delivering a maximum power of 47.5 bhp.
Though Alto 800 may look superior to Nano, however, when compared on price and mileage parameter, Nano leaves Alto 800 way behind. While Alto offers a mileage of 22.74 kmpl, Nano offers an ARAI certified mileage of 25.4 kmpl. The petrol version of Alto 800 is available at a price tag of Rs. 2.44 lacs, while the CNG variant comes with a price label of Rs. 3.54 lacs. On the other hand Tata Nano is available at a price between Rs. 1.27 lacs and Rs. 1.96 lacs. These features of Nano have helped it to boost its sales, despite Alto 800 giving it a strong competition.
