Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), the country's largest passenger car maker, has reported that more than 50,000 units of its latest entry level small car, Alto 800 has been booked in the domestic market. The numbers are astonishing as the latest product from stables of Maruti Suzuki was launched just one and a half months back in October 2012. The immense response and popularity of Alto 800 among Indian car enthusiasts has baffled top automobile industry critics and media alike.
Prior to its launch, Alto 800 entry-level small car was pegged by the automobile industry to be filling in the shoes of iconic Maruti 800 model. The Alto brand has been a mass puller for Maruti Suzuki, since its launch in Indian auto market at the turn of century (2000). The latest version of Alto seems to be doing just fine and is already being credited as new volume seller for the company.
At present, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is pitched against the likes of Hyundai Eon, Chevrolet Spark and top end variant of 'World's cheapest car' Tata Nano in the Indian auto market. As per reports, Alto 800's stiff most rival Hyundai Eon has witnessed annual sales of 97,236 units in the period between October 2011 and October 2012. The Chevrolet Spark has been given a recent facelift and carries an extremely attractive price tag as well. Evidently, Alto 800 has stormed the Indian entry-level passenger car segment with its alluring price tag and youthful good looks, besides flaunting Maruti Suzuki's new design philosophy.
Eyeing the incredible success of Alto 800 in India, the Japanese car maker Nissan has also revealed intentions to introduce an entry-level product from its Datsun subdivision. Hence, the domestic entry-level small car segment seems like a captivating affair for many major auto players operating in the country. The remarkable success stories of Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon are there for everyone to see, which further underlines the fact that penchant for low cost entry-level products is a thing synonymous with Indian consumers.
