Maruti Suzuki to revamp Alto K10 and add an AMT option

Yesterday, we showed you in-house renders of the revamped Maruti Alto 800 and the K10 hatchbacks. Maruti Suzuki has already begun testing the facelifted Alto 800 on Indian roads and a similar exercise is likely to be carried out with the K10 in the coming months.

The Indian car maker is likely to launch the revamped Alto K10 by January 2015 with the automated manual transmission (AMT) in tow, which is in line with previous reports that mentioned the addition of the AMT to the Alto K10. The revamped Alto K10’s exterior design is expected to be similar to that of the facelifted Alto 800. 

Delving into the AMT technology addition to the Alto K10, the affair will be a straightforward one given Maruti Suzuki’s experience in mating the AMT technology to the 1 liter K-Series petrol engine on the Celerio. The Alto K10 features the same engine as the Celerio.

As is the case for the Celerio, Maruti Suzuki will source the AMT unit from Italian auto parts maker Magneti Marelli. Plans are afoot to get Magneti Marelli to license Maruti with the manufacture of the AMT unit in India, to cut down import costs and production lead times.

Currently, the Celerio commands waiting periods of 6 to 8 months due to shortage in AMT supply as Magneti Marelli hasn’t been able to cope up with the sharp rise in demand. Maruti Suzuki also plans to add the AMT option to another hot selling hatchback, the WagonR.

The WagonR AMT also features the 1 liter, K-Series petrol engine and the new variant will follow the Alto K10 into India. All AMT cars launched by Maruti Suzuki are likely to come with fuel efficiency numbers that are as good as their manual gearbox equipped siblings, a factor responsible for the success of the AMT equipped Celerio.

Via FinancialExpress