Whatever the case may be, Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest carmaker cannot afford to lose its small car -- Alto from its portfolio. Guided by this thought, the company is reportedly working on a next-generation Alto codenamed Y1K.
This bit of news might not come as a surprise to those close to the auto industry in the country since Maruti has always taken the competition to the next level with its launches. According to a report in BW Businessworld, the next-generation Alto may get a 660cc engine under the hood. So you wonder why Maruti is opting for a lower displacement engine. Apparently, the new 660cc engine is ultra-refined motor compliant with the BS-VI standards. The engine is also expected to be more powerful than the current mills powering the Alto and it is rumoured to clock a mileage of 30kmpl.
The next-gen Alto is expected to be built on a new platform, which will make it lighter and agile. The company is expected to introduce the new Alto in 2019. With the new gen Alto, Maruti Suzuki would be looking at regaining its lost share in the small car market, which was dented by the Renault Kwid and other models like the Hyundai Eon and Datsun Redi-GO.
Currently, the Alto comes powered by 800cc and 1.0-litre engine. The Alto 800 is powered by 796cc three-cylinder engine, which develops 47bhp and 69Nm of torque under the hood, and comes mated to five-speed manual transmission. The Alto K10 draws power from a 1.0-litre three-cylinder K-Series engine that churns out 67.1bhp of power at 6,000rpm and 90Nm of torque at 3,500rpm. The engine either comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission or five-speed Auto Gear Shift (AMT).
Source: BW Businessworld
