Maruti S-Presso and Alto: Base variants discontinued

Maruti Suzuki has discontinued the base variants of Alto and S-Presso. This has been done because the government has mandated dual airbags on vehicles. So, the Standard and LXi variants of the Alto and  S-Presso are no longer available. The prices of the Alto now start at Rs. 3.39 lakhs and goes up to Rs. 5.03 lakhs whereas the price of S-Presso starts at Rs. 4 lakhs and goes up to Rs. 5.64 lakhs. All the prices are ex-showroom.

Maruti Alto 800

The Alto is currently the most affordable car in Maruti Suzuki’s stable. It is available in four variants. There is Std Opt, LXi Opt, VXi and VXi Plus. Alto’s main rival is Hyundai Santro and Renault Kwid. It is offered only with a 0.8-litre, three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine. The engine produces 48 PS of max power and 69 Nm of peak torque. The claimed fuel efficiency is 22.05 kmpl. You can also get it with a CNG powertrain which is offered only on the LXi Opt variant. While running on CNG, the power output is decreased to 41 PS and the torque output falls to 60 Nm. The claimed fuel efficiency of the CNG powertrain is 31.59 km/kg.

Also read: Kia launches 6-seater version of Carnival MPV in India

Maruti S-Presso

Maruti Suzuki calls S-Presso, a micro-SUV. It is offered in four variants. There is Std Opt, LXi Opt, VXi Opt and VXi Plus. Maruti Suzuki offers it with a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 68 PS of max power and 90 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. The claimed fuel efficiency of a manual gearbox is 21.4 kmpl whereas AMT transmission it is 21.7 kmpl. You can also get a factory-fitted CNG version which is offered on the LXi Opt and VXi Opt variants. On CNG, the power output is decreased to 59 PS and 78 Nm. The fuel efficiency of the S-Presso CNG is 31.2 km/kg.

Maruti working on new gen Alto 800

Maruti Suzuki has started working on the new generation of the Alto 800. It is expected to launch in the Indian market by the end of this year. The test mules of the 2022 Alto 800 have been spied on the Indian roads.

According to media rumours, the new-gen Alto 800 will be based on the Heartect platform. Because of this, the dimensions can increase which simply means more space for the occupants. So, there would be an improvement in terms of legroom, knee room and headroom.

The design of the 2022 Alto 800 looks similar to the current version. The headlamps look larger, the grille has a mesh design and is definitely larger than the current model. The bumper has been redesigned. The turn indicators are still mounted on the front fenders and the hatchback is running on skinny tyres with steel wheels. At the rear, there are squared-off tail lamps which are new.

Maruti Suzuki might upgrade the engine with DualJet technology which would improve fuel efficiency. As mentioned above, the current engine is a 0.8-litre unit that produces 48 Ps and 69 Nm.

Also read: 10 DC Design cars & how they look in the REAL world: Maruti Swift to Mahindra XUV500