The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is one of the highest-selling cars in India and it has just received a major update. The new 2019 Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 facelift now gets more safety features, updated tech on the infotainment front and visual updates on the exterior and interior. Let‘s take a closer look at the new entry-level hatchback and see what it offers.
New Maruti Alto prices
But first, the prices – the base model Alto 800 Std is available at Rs 2.94 lakh in standard form or with an optional package that adds a passenger side airbag for Rs 3,000 more. The mid-level LXi variant is priced at Rs 3.50 lakh for the standard car with the single airbag or Rs 3.55 lakh for the LXi (O) with dual front airbags. The top-spec VXi comes with dual airbags as standard and is priced at Rs 3.72 lakh.
New Maruti Alto safety
Now let’s talk about those safety updates. The new 2019 Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 has an updated body shell that is now compliant with the upcoming mandatory crash tests norms that will kick in from October 1, 2019. Besides the aforementioned airbag, the new Alto 800 also gets ABS and EBD as standard across all variants, along with an audible speed limit warning. Apart from the above, the Alto 800 also gets a set of rear parking sensors as standard across all variants.
New Maruti Alto exterior
Visually, the 2019 Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 facelift gets an updated front-end. A more prominent grille that extends across the front joining the two headlamps has replaced the slim grille on the previous generation. The fog light cluster on the bottom half of the bumper has now been removed and replaced with smaller slots that seem to be made more for a set of daytime running lights rather than fog lamps. That said, Maruti Suzuki will not offer daytime running lights on any of the Alto 800 variants. The front bumper now also has an updated lower grille. The horizontally slatted grille on the older car has now been replaced by a rather handsome version with a honeycomb design.
There are no updates to the rear end with the bumper, tailgate and tail-lights being carried over from the previous model. That said, while the previous car got ‘ALTO 800’ badging, the updated model has dropped the 800 script on the badge and gets just a simple Alto badge instead. The Alto 800 continues to get only steel wheels as standard – either painted silver or painted black depending on the variant.
New Maruti Alto interior
The new Alto 800 facelift also gets a significantly updated interior. The older dashboard has been replaced with a new unit that has been borrowed from the larger and more powerful Alto K10. The new dashboard gets a two-tone beige and grey finish and space for a 2-DIN audio system. The new car also gets a Bluetooth-equipped infotainment system but is not available with a touchscreen like its rival, the Renault Kwid. The steering wheel, too, has been borrowed from the K10, and so has the instrument cluster.
New Maruti Alto engine
Finally, let’s take a look under the hood. While the new 2019 Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 gets the same 796cc engine as before, making the same 48hp and 69Nm of torque, the new car is now BS-VI-compliant. The engine is said to make about 25 percent less NOx emissions as compared to its predecessor but its fuel economy figures have fallen. While the older car delivered a mileage per litre of 24.7kpl, the new car is rated at 22.05kpl.
All in all, even though the Alto facelift is more expensive than its predecessor and also the most expensive (for the entry-level variant) among its competition, the new Alto 800 is still expected to rule the roost when it comes to sales figures in India.
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