Maruti Suzuki on Wednesday launched the advanced version of the country's largest selling car Alto.
Equipped with advanced 998 cc K-series engine and promising best-in-class mileage of 20.2 km a litre, the two variants of Alto-K10 will come at introductory prices of Rs.3.03 lakh and Rs.3.16 lakh.
With new versions of Alto that comes with added features like improved suspension, cable-type transmission, superior brake system and more space for passengers and luggage, the largest carmaker hopes to further consolidate its position in the mass-selling (compact car) segment. The existing Alto clocks average sales of over 20,000 units every month and Maruti Suzuki expects the Alto-K10 to bring in additional customers. Since its launch in September 2000, Alto has so far sold over 14.13-lakh units.
“The Alto's package of performance, fuel efficiency and attractive cost of ownership have together made it India's most popular car. The Alto-K10 will take this forward,” Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi told journalists here.
To address the issue of supply constraints, the company is considering advancing the date of commissioning of new units at its Manesar plant in Haryana. “We have been unable to meet the demand because of unexpected market growth, as its production is limited…we are desperate to get additional capacity at the earliest. We are now running 100 per cent of our capacity and I am asking people at our company to advance the commissioning of the second plant at Manesar to meet demand,” Mr. Nakanishi pointed out. At present, Maruti Suzuki has an order backlog of about 15-20 per cent of its monthly sales. It is investing Rs.1,700 crore to expand capacity at its Manesar facility by 2.5-lakh units that is scheduled to kick in by early 2012. The plant has now an annual output of 3-lakh units.
