New Delhi : In the domestic market of India, about 23 years ago, the hatchback segment car Maruti Suzuki Alto has crossed the mark of 45 lakh customers. This is a milestone for the company. It took about 23 years for the company to make this benchmark. Domestic automobile manufacturer Maruti Suzuki Limited introduced Alto in the market in the year 2000. Maruti Suzuki India Limited has announced that Alto has crossed an important milestone of 4.5 million customers in India. This affordable hatchback has been sold in the Indian market for over 20 years, making it one of the longest running nameplates in the country. Over the years, Alto has been developed according to the needs of the customers. Maruti Suzuki is currently selling 10 models of Alto in the Indian market. The biggest thing is that the craze about Maruti Suzuki Alto is still intact in the younger generation.
Alto was launched in the year 2000.
The Alto was first launched in 2000 and by 2004 it had become the number 1 selling car in India. Maruti Suzuki Alto has been the first choice of many people who were looking for an affordable hatchback. This car runs smoothly on low maintenance. Other than that, the Alto features well and has ample cabin space for its occupants. Then in the large service network of Maruti Suzuki, this car gives confidence to the customers.
The Alto K10 is sold in the showroom for Rs 3.99 lakh to Rs 5.96 lakh.
Currently, the Alto is sold in its K10 avatar. Its price is between 3.99 lakh to 5.96 lakh rupees. Both these prices are ex-showroom. It is offered only with the 1.0-litre Dualjet petrol engine, which generates 66 Bhp and 89 Nm of torque. It is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. There is also a CNG powertrain that generates 56 Bhp and 82 Nm. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox only. Maruti Suzuki has also equipped the Alto with idle-engine start/stop technology.
Alto hits a milestone
Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “Over the last 2 decades, the Alto brand has established a strong emotional connect with our customers. We are extremely proud of Alto’s incredible journey. Achieving the milestone of 45 lakh customers is a testimony to the unwavering support and trust placed in us by our customers. This is a milestone which no other car brand has been able to achieve till date.
Alto’s craze will remain in the younger generation
He further added that Alto has consistently set new benchmarks in the auto industry and established its dominance as India’s favorite car. The craze for Alto will continue to prevail among the young population of India. With rising income levels etc., the potential for cars like the much-acclaimed Alto remains immense and we are confident that the Alto brand will continue to delight millions of families with its legacy and exceptional ownership experience.
It took 23 years to set the record
Let us tell that in the year 2000, Maruti Suzuki, which introduced Alto in the hatchback segment in the Indian car market, created a benchmark in the year 2008 with the sale of about one million units of this brand. After this, in the year 2012, the company set a new record with the sale of around two million units. About three years ago today, Maruti Suzuki had set a milestone by selling about 40 lakh units of Alto in the year 2020. Now Alto has set a new record by adding 45 lakh customers with it.
Alto will soon cross the 5 million mark
Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki India said that “Maruti Suzuki Alto remained the best seller in the industry for 16 years till 2019-2020 and was the number one car in 2004. Alto has been a good selling model for us. Vehicle sales per hour 100 Altos have been sold. A large percentage of sales are happening in Tier-2 -3 cities. Presently, the company which introduced Alto K10 is expecting to cross the 50 lakh sales mark by 2025, while the target is to sell the next 1 million by 2028.
hatchback car sales witnessed growth
He said that in India’s automobile sector, when the sales of hatchback segment cars are witnessing a decline, Maruti Suzuki has managed to sell Alto even in such a critical situation. The automaker is very excited to see the demand for Alto. The year 2022-23 saw a 20 percent jump in the hatchback segment, with sales of hatchback cars increasing from 11,52,000 to 13,40,000 in the year 2021-22. The price elasticity is very high in this segment and we have seen a reduction in the affordability factor and that is the reason for the drop in volumes.
There was a boom in sales after the Corona epidemic
He said that the boom we saw after the Corona epidemic in the year 2022-23 was good and it was so because we saw a reversal. In this the prices became stable and the income level of the people came back on track. This segment could make a comeback even further, as India is a young country with good economic growth and the need for transportation for people in the workforce is huge. He said that there are about 45-48 percent people who buy Alto for the first time. It also depends on whether first-time buyers move to other segments, but I expect there will be consumers at the lower end who will not move to other segments.