Maruti 800 replacement coming soon

Autocar India broke the news on the upcoming Maruti 800 way back in July last year and now we bring you more info on the car that will finally replace the venerable Maruti 800. 

This new car, to be called the Alto 800 (codename: YE3), is based on the Alto, but with significant modifications done to make it cheaper. Not to be confused with the Alto sold in Japan, the new Alto 800 is based on the current generation Alto (YG4) but with a new body and interior.

As seen in the pictures, the design is rather basic but there is more than a passing resemblance to the Japanese Alto, especially from the front. The nose gets high-mounted headlights, a slim, slot-like grille and there is a huge secondary air-inlet opening above and below the bumper. The styling is in line with the current-generation Suzukis, and details like the slanting window-line point to an aggressive tip-forward stance. Also, there is a prominent character-line that runs on the sides, right from the headlamps all the way back to the tail lamps. Maruti has provided a wider, U-shaped rear-windscreen for better visibility, and there is a wide tail-gate for better accessibility to the cargo bay.

The Alto 800 is likely to share a lot of running gear with the current car. It will also have a basic but cost-effective MacPherson strut setup in front and a coil spring torsion beam axle at the rear.

Expect better interior packaging to liberate a few vital centimetres. Crash protection should be better than the old car too, thanks to Alto’s more up-to-date chassis.

The new Alto 800 will hit showrooms later this year. Expect Maruti to price the new Alto 800 slightly above Rs 2 lakh (ex-showroom), Delhi.  

Image Source: Cardekho.com