Maruti 800 to be replaced by end 2012

Maruti Suzuki is preparing to launch the replacement of its erstwhile bread-n-butter car, the Maruti 800, according to the Hindu Business Line. The “new” Maruti 800 will feature the same 3-cylinder petrol engine as the Alto, thus making it BS IV compliant and eligible for sale in the metro cities. According to sources, the new Maruti 800 will be based on an existing platform.

The 800, launched in 1983, was for decades the best-selling car in India. In recent time though, the 800 ceded that position to the Maruti Alto, and has been selling a mere 1,800 units per month. Worldwide, the 800 was replaced by the Alto and then subsequently, by the A-Star, but in India, all three models are sold simultaneously.

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