These spyshots, snapped by Motorbash reader, Mr. Anuj Kanojia, reveal that Maruti has started work on a refreshed Maruti Alto 800. Introduced in October 2012, the Alto 800 is Maruti's best selling model, with monthly sales accounting for over 24,000 units (January-March 2014 period).
The test mules are identified as Alto 800s thanks to the shape of the rear door and the way the roof meets the door shutlines of the car. Based on the camouflaging present on these cars, we can report that Maruti designers have worked out a new headlight cluster which seems inspired by the recently-launched Celerio. The wing mirrors too are identical to the one's used on the Celerio.
The grille of the Alto 800 seems larger and gets a noticeable chrome strip. The front bumper is completely new and sports foglight housings which are not seen on the current Alto 800.
We do not expect any changes to the engine and gearbox of the refreshed Alto 800. A 796 cc three-cylinder engine develops 48 PS and 69 Nm of torque, and comes with a cable-operated 5-speed manual transmission. Maruti offers the hatchback in petrol and CNG variants and this should continue on the refreshed model as well. The Alto 800 needs new branding if at all the 1-liter K10B engine from the Alto K10/Celerio/ is dropped under its bonnet to form a new variant tier.
The Alto 800's dominance risks coming under threat with cars like the Renault XBA and Datsun Redi-Go launching next year.
[Images from Motorbash]
