India’s most popular and best-loved hatchback, the Maruti Alto 800, has received a massive facelift that makes arguably its most iconic entry-level car look completely at home in today’s automobile environment.
This mid-life update is Maruti Suzuki’s attempt at developing its easiest model without compromising on the basic virtues that have made it one of those ubiquitous vehicles on Indian roads for generations.
The redesigned Alto 800 fuses contemporary design principles with those that have stood the test of time for this segment.
Design Evolution: Old is New Again
The new Alto 800 houses an attractive new wavefront design that is sure to appeal to all and sundry. The new grille gets a wider, bolder hexagonal shape with honeycomb pattern to provide a more athletic appeal.
This is bookended by wider, sharper headlights that stretch back into the fenders to give a more aggressive face than the fussy appearance of previous generations.
“The design team had to tread a fine line between updating India’s most iconic small car and at the same time, ensuring existing clientele did not feel estranged,” says automotive design consultant Vikram Mehta.
“The challenge was to take the feels & fundamental looks of the Alto and infuse with contemporary styling elements that respect the car’s heritage while acknowledging the changing tastes of the consumers.
In the side profile retains its typical Alto stance, which includes its short length and high roof silhouette, nevertheless, minor changes to the character lines gives the new Alto a more chiseled look.
The greenhouse region is slightly adjusted, with slightly increased window sizes that make it easier to see through without compromising strength.
The new alloy wheel patterns on top-spec trims also lend a much needed bit of premium look to this segment.
At the back, the tailgate and bumper have been resculpted with beefier angles to match the front-end design.
The taillamps are more three-dimensional in shape and have a unique light signature they also enhance visibility and look good late into the night.
Tight and harmonized, these changes contribute to a vehicle that is not only unmistakably an Alto, but also stands out as a more modern, more substantial design.
Interior Evolutions: Digital Touch in a Space You Know
The Alto 800 carries a completely redesigned dashboard, which brings in contemporary elements maintaining the minimum complexity and functional needs of the car.
An important part of this change is the new 7-inch touchscreen infotainment higher variants get—a feature you could not have in this car —that infuses smartphone connectivity in this entry level segment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The dashboard now features semi-digital setup, meanwhile, the analog speedometer is complemented by a multi-information display that allows easier to read details of the car.
Quality materials are much improved with tactile plastics and a weightier switchgear, giving the impression that it’s built to last and not based purely on its price tag.
“The cool thing about the interior update is that it brings modern luxuries without overburdening first-time car folks with complicated gadgetry,” says car reviewer Priya Venkatesh. The electronics have been incorporated sensibly, adding to rather than ruining the spirit of the driving.
Seating comfort is aided by fresh cushioning and more supportive contours, while fabric quality on top trims is clearly better.
The seating in the back row is typical for the vehicle’s tidily packaged exterior dimensions, though compact gains in knee room have been achieved through new front seatbacks.
Cabin storage has been improved in terms of personal items with bigger cubbies and better door pockets more accommodating of today’s smartphones and water bottles.
Mechanical Refinements: Efficiency, With a Personality
Things continue under the bonnet, though, with the Alto 800 soldiering on with the same 796cc, 3-cylinder petrol motor, albeit as not just combustion but efficiency- and would you believe it, drivability too – underneath go under the microscope for calibration updates.
The engine’s power output is 48bhp and 69Nm of torque, modest numbers which are enough for the 760-odd kgs of the vehicle.
It continues to fully concentrate on fuel economy, and the new model boasting results of 22.05km/L in the standardized consumption rates.
It comes with a 5-speed manual transmission that is just as smooth, while the AMT on some of the variants has been improved as well.
Its AMT gets a new shift logic and is claimed to be smoother and more responsive than what we’ve seen on the sub-4m sedans, answering a frequent grouse with this budget-friendly auto.
“The engineering approach really values the fundamentals as they are most valued by Alto customers,” says automotive engineer Rajiv Sharma.
“Reliability, performance, and ease of maintenance are still the priorities behind any modifications, increasing refinement and driveability to make use everyday without compromising reliability, cost or complexity.”
The suspension set up is also the same with MacPherson struts at the front and torsion beam at the rear, albeit with new tuning for a better ride quality over broken or uneven roads.
Recalibration that increases assist at low speeds adds quicker, more urban-friendly maneuverability, and gives you a more consistent feel at speed.
Safety Upgrades: A Fulfillment of Modern Demands
One of the key parts of the update is in safety equipment, an aspect in which, typically budget cars had fallen behind.
The updated Alto 800 now comes with dual front airbags as standard on all variants, with ABS, EBD and Reverse parking sensors that meet end 2019 safety norms. Reverse camera, day/night interior mirror, seat belt pre-tensioners, previously not available: Upper trims.
There are also new high-strength steel reinforcements throughout the body on the next-gen system, increasing crash protection without adding a whole lot of weight.
This structural enhancement results in improved performance in standard safety testing, all while overall cost or efficiency of Alto remains virtually unchanged.
“Safety enhancements are probably the most significant aspect of the update,” safety advocate Sanjay Kumar says.
The company has taken a significant step in the interest of enhancing safety across both the price and income spectrum by upgrading basic safety features across the range, as opposed to making it available only in high-end models.
Market positioning and target group
The updated Alto 800 continues with its vital role as Maruti Suzuki’s entry level product and is the first milestone car in one’s journey of owning a car from being on two wheels.
Pricing is also well positioned with a starting price of about ₹3.39 lakh for the base model and topping up to about ₹5 lakh for the top-trim model.
This pricing approach keeps the Alto within reach yet recognizes the fact that today’s entry-level buyers don’t just seek bare-bones transportation.
The updated features and design elements of the Professional series work together to deliver a top-of-the-line appliance while keeping the same time-tested translation of value and performance.
“The success of the Alto boils down to Maruti’s deep knowledge of first-time car buyers,” says market analyst Amrita Patel.
“Today’s consumer is different than those that came before them, and they know what they should be able to get in a new family vehicle,” said Steve Majoros, director of Chevrolet passenger car and crossover marketing.
The new Alto 800 makes its way into a market that is growing more crowded thanks to not just established players stepping up their game, but also new ones in a segment that has overlapping with the premium compact hatchback space with the micro-hatchback.
Maruti’s design team has factored all of this into account, yet without losing sight of the basic qualities that keep the Alto India’s best-seller year after year.
Maruti Alto 800 New look : Evolution, Not Revolution
The new Maruti Alto 800 is, however, an evolutionary step instead of a revolutionary one, which is how it should be with such an established product.
While adding modern design cues, better digitisation and stronger safety features, and keeping their pricing and the old-school appeal intact, Maruti has made the brand relevant for this next generation of AMTs in the newbie car buyer’s consideration set.
If and when India’s automobile market churns again, it will do so with new leaders at the top; the Alto’s evolution, together with its core being kept intact, might just be the key to stretching ‘perhaps the most successful car’ sales story in the world a bit further into the future.
It also tells us that Maruti knows – down to the last detail – what has kept millions of Alto customers smiling, even as it holds wisdom that no matter how successful a model, it needs to change with the times to keep up with a more discerning customer.