New stripped-down Maruti Alto at Rs 2 lakh by 2011
Maruti Alto, the best-selling car in the Indian market plans to be launched in a stripped-down version in the Indian market
. The new version of Alto is expected to be 20-25% cheaper than the base variant of the existing Alto model. The launch of a new car in this price range can be considered a part of company's strategy to bridge the gap between the cheapest car of the country, Tata Nano and the Alto series. According to recent industry reports, Indian auto giant Maruti Suzuki has already started sourcing components for the production of the engine of this prospective new Alto. The new Alto model has been codenamed as YP3 and will carry a two-cylinder engine in its heart. Currently, the lowest priced version of Maruti Alto model comes equipped with a 800-cc, three-cylinder F8D engine.
It is widely speculated among the company's vendors that the new Maruti Alto model will be launched in the second half of the next year and will be about Rs 50,000 cheaper as compared to the existing model. However, the company hasn't made any announcement regarding the launch of a stripped-down version of this car in the Indian market. At present, the Alto Standard carries a price tag of Rs 2.53 lakh which is almost double the price of the standard version of Tata Nano in the country.
Moreover, it is also expected that the company may launch the much awaited Maruti Cervo model in the Indian market by the end of this year. The Cervo model is believed to carry a 660 cc engine and will compete with Tata Nano in the price segment of sub Rs 2 lakh.
New stripped-down Maruti Alto at Rs 2 lakh by 2011