Buoyed by its popularity as the highest selling model in the country, Maruti Suzuki Alto crossed the sales milestone of 20 lac units recently. The country's favourite car achieved this feat in just 11 years and 9 months since its launch and has been the highest selling car for the last 7 years. Since the last two years, the model has been the world's highest selling small car. It also attained sales volumes of 10 lac units after just 8 years and 3 months since its launch in 2000. Alto sold the next 10 lac models within a mere 3 years and 6 months and broke its own record in June 2012. After Maruti 800, it is the second Maruti Suzuki model to have sold more than 20 lac units. The domestic best seller is the first model to cross cumulative sales volume of 5 lac units in 6 years. It went on to sell next 5 lacs unit in just 2 years and 2 months.
Chief Operating Officer (COO), Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki, Mayank Pareek said, “Alto’s superior fuel efficiency, compact sleek design, good manoeuvrability and overall low cost of ownership are the attributes that make it the best car for the first time buyers. Alto as a complete package continues to win customer’s hearts and surprise everyone with its performance.”
The high grossing vehicle also become the only car model in India to sell more than 3,00,000 units in one financial year in 2010-11 and then again in the following year. Alto has also set 13 national records in a 24-hour endurance test which it passed successfully to become the first Indian car to do so. As it kept getting accolades from the customers for the car, Maruti Suzuki has extended the Alto as a brand by introducing a more powerful K-series powertrain in an all new Alto K-10 back in August 2010. A CNG version of the model was also launched by the car maker at the same time. The K-10 model of the car offers class-leading before mileage of 19.7 kmpl and 20.2 kmpl on road. The fact that the car offers unmatched mileage to its owners has been established by several mileage rallies held all over India.
Maruti Suzuki Alto is preferred by most of the customers as it offers easy driving in congested urban conditions thanks to its small form factor, swift handling, good manoeuvrability and smaller turning radius. The car was felicitated with the 2011 JD Power APEAL award in the entry level segment. Parameters that are taken into account by the panel for this award include vehicle exterior, vehicle interior, storage and space, multimedia, navigation, and seats. Others features that are also considered by the judges are Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), driving dynamics, powertrain specifications, visibility, and driving safety and mileage.
Alto is the preferred model for all first time buyers due to its superior mileage and compact and sleek design, brilliant manoeuvrability, and low costs in terms of running and maintenance. The car was awarded 'Overdrive Most Exiting New Car of the Year' in its launch year, 2000. In the following year, it was recognised as 'Car of the Year' by BS Motoring and was given the same title in 2002 by Overdrive. In 2006, it won the EFFIE award for Boondein campaign 'First Indian Car' in the same year. It was the winner of EFFIE award for the ‘Fuel Efficiency’ campaign in 2007. The model was recognised as the topper of the JD Power IQS in its segment for 2 consecutive years, 2004 and 2005.
