Maruti Suzuki Alto crosses 25 lakh milestone

The Maruti Suzuki Alto has crossed the cumulative 25 lakh sales mark. Launched in the year 2000, the Alto has achieved this milestone in just 14 years. It is the second Maruti car to breach the 25 lakh mark, the first being the Maruti 800.

The Alto was launched with an 800 cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine producing 47 bhp. In 2001 a 1.1-litre, 4-cylinder unit with 64 bhp was introduced. This power plant was discontinued in 2004, much to the dismay of enthusiasts.

In 2010, Maruti launched the Alto K10 with a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder engine that was good for 67 bhp. The car was also given styling changes at the front. Maruti says that it has sold more than 4 lakh units of the K10 in 4 years.

In 2012, the first-generation Alto was replaced by the Alto800, which had new bodywork and interiors. The 800 cc engine was retained, but the company claimed that it could now return better efficiency figures. The company also claims that it managed to sell 1,00,000 units of the Alto 800 within 124 days of its launch. A CNG-powered version of the car is also available.

Additionally, Maruti Suzuki has exported more than 2.85 lakh units of the Alto to various countries around the world.