[sidindica]

all mechanical specs remain the SAME.

only positive is that mileage certified by ARAI is 19.73 kmpl.
0-100 is written in 17.7 seconds
intelligent drive assist power steering
new speedometer with digital fuel gauge
tubeless radials
front seats with integrated headrest
source: brochure titled-alto refreshed.

[ottocycle]

The price of alto at website is still not refreshed. They are still showing BSIII prices.

Maruti Alto

Is there a new link for BSIV model?

[hellmet]

I called up Gem Motors, Hyderabad today and was told that they have stopped selling the new BS4 versions due to some 'mechanical problem'. Is this bu**sh*t just to sell off the existing inventory?

[samsag12]

Is Hyderabad not in the list of BS4 norms applicable cities? I think it is and if this is true then they cannot sell BS3 models anymore. So must be some other reason for the discontinuation.

[ashutoshb]

No temp gauge!
digital fuel gauge from eeco looks fine!

[hellmet]

It's confirmed by the sales guy at Gem motors, Kondapur, Hyderabad. They say there is a technical issue with the car which is expected to be fixed in a couple of days, after which they would start sales and get clarity on the pricing.

[rajeev k]

In this manner Maruti should have upgraded the 800 also and sold in BSIV cities and gone on till eternity. Nostalgic purchases would have happened. The Omni has already been modified to comply to BSIV. Saw an ad a week back.

[hellmet]

The new Alto website is up. Well renovated. However, it still talks about the BS III vehicle. ??

[samsag12]

The new site clearly states the various features of BS4 version such as integrated front headrests et al.

[sada]

After waiting for BS-IV Alto for eight months, i was completely disappointed after having a look at the "refreshed" alto. The only thing I liked about the new Alto was the tubeless tires, but still I went ahead and booked the new Alto (Ecru Beige) on 24th April at Pratham motors. After coming home, I was casually comparing the earlier brochure with the present one and I was shocked to see that the new avatar Alto weighed 30 kgs less than the previous one!

I was totally confused whether to go with the new Alto or the old one and on Monday morning I called up various dealers to find out if they have a BS-3 Ecru Beige Alto and it was available with Sagar and Garuda. After visiting Garuda stockyard on the same day and having a look at the car, i have booked the same and cancelled my booking at Pratham. Registration will be done in Tuesday or Wednesday, but I am planning to take delivery on May 16th, Akshaya Thrithiya Day!

Have i have made a right decision by going for the BS-3 Alto? I am asking this question because in "on buying a car" thread, there is a point which states not to buy an outgoing model!

[_raviShankar_]

I personally feel that the quality of plastics used has gone down. Alto refreshed does'nt seem very refreshing to the eye .

[S.I.N.G.H]

can the new speedometer which comes in the "refreshed" alto be put into the old alto?

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by sada

After waiting for BS-IV Alto for eight months, i was completely disappointed after having a look at the "refreshed" alto. The only thing I liked about the new Alto was the tubeless tires, but still I went ahead and booked the new Alto (Ecru Beige) on 24th April at Pratham motors. After coming home, I was casually comparing the earlier brochure with the present one and I was shocked to see that the new avatar Alto weighed 30 kgs less than the previous one!

I was totally confused whether to go with the new Alto or the old one and on Monday morning I called up various dealers to find out if they have a BS-3 Ecru Beige Alto and it was available with Sagar and Garuda. After visiting Garuda stockyard on the same day and having a look at the car, i have booked the same and cancelled my booking at Pratham. Registration will be done in Tuesday or Wednesday, but I am planning to take delivery on May 16th, Akshaya Thrithiya Day!

Have i have made a right decision by going for the BS-3 Alto? I am asking this question because in "on buying a car" thread, there is a point which states not to buy an outgoing model!

That rule might apply when there are severe cosmetic changes to the car. However, the 'new' Alto remains mostly the same with regards to parts and engine (correct me if I'm wrong). Also, there are so many 'old' Altos on the road that they would have to be supported by Maruti for a very long time to come.

If the car weighs less, it would get better mileage since it has to lug lesser weight around. That shouldn't be a deterrent in buying it.

[airbender]

Originally Posted by Gansan

In the mid to late nineties when GM,Ford,Fiat,Hyundai and Daewoo opened shop here, we all expected Maruti to concede market share very rapidly and come down to ~ 30% in about five years. This was the time the Indica was launched as well. But after about fifteen years, they are still pretty much near the 50% mark, which I think is quite an achievement.

A lot of established players presumed they only need to set up shop and take things easy, and people will make a beeline to their show rooms! Well, that has not happened and MSIL has given them a run for their money. They may be chaff in other markets, but are heavy weights in India. Give credit where it is due! And pray spare me the line of "consumers in India are nit-wits" etc! A lot of people here will buy a German/Italian/Japanese brand in a jiffy, but have very little trust on US brands. They (rightly or wrongly) presume US cars have obsolescence built in to them and will have to be replaced every five years!

Originally Posted by longhorn

I don't think anyone in their right sense of mind would have expected Maruti to hold on to 80% market share for such a long time. 43% market share itself speaks volumes for the company. That's something most manufacturers in India today can only dream of.



While its kudos to Tata for launching the Nano, let's not count the chickens before they hatch. The petrol Nano itself has got its fair share of niggles. I don't think Maruti will be sitting around idle from now on. The heat is on them now, and they have started to act.

Originally Posted by misquitas

Well said, Gansan. There appears to be a common grievance with Maruti and many cannot digest the fact that Maruti still commands over 40 percent of the market share, even though there are over a dozen manufacturers churning out scores of four-wheelers in the country.

Everyone seems to praise maruti for the 40% market share. One reason given is new products introduced by the competition. Let's analyze this for a minute. Maruti sells more than 90% of cars in the hatch or entry level sedan segments. How many new products(selling in numbers) were launched in this segment in the last 10 years? i10, i20, getz. Nano is still not doing big numbers so I will count it out. Figo and Beat were launched very recently, so it's too early to see the impact. With only three new products from competition Maruti's share has eroded. What happens when Toyota and Honda join the game and GM, Ford sales get stabilized? Don't see this post as Maruti bashing one. I am just analyzing the market for you. If maruti holds on to 35-40% 2 years from now I would commend them for it. But I don't see that happening. Well, monopoly is never good. Ideally I would like to see no company having more than 25% in the indian market.

[rajeev k]

Alto is quickly losing market share and the i10 is breathing down Alto's neck. See the sales figures for April 2010. Soon Alto is going to lose the No 1 spot on sales.

The dealers' way of milking the Alto owners during services would also speed this up.

A couple of months back, I was made poorer by Rs 6500 during the fourth service (on completion of 2 years - first paid service) where there were no complaints, but the regular 20000 km paid service. The dealer, Popular vehicles and services finds many a ways to bill. There are charges for oil changing and also for flushing with a flushing oil which costs much more than the real oil; for engine as well as for gear box.