All-new Maruti Alto 800 nearly here

Maruti Suzuki has been working on an all-new 800, which will be based on the Alto platform.

The car will be powered by the same 796cc three-cylinder motor (F8D) from the Alto, which has been modified to meet the latest emission norms. The new Alto 800 will slot in below the Alto, is expected to have all-new interiors, and will be a tad more spacious than before. The design is rather basic, with the nose getting high-mounted headlights, a slim, slot-like grille and there is a huge secondary air-inlet opening above and below the bumper. Maruti has provided a wider, U-shaped rear-windscreen for better visibility, and there is a wide tailgate for better accessibility to the cargo bay.

The new 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 the Alto’s more up-to-date chassis.

Maruti is targeting a sub-Rs 2 lakh price for the new Maruti 800 to distance it from the Alto by at least Rs 40,000 and put it smack into Nano territory.