Automatic cars will get a major push in India as Maruti Suzuki on Monday drove in the Alto automatic at Rs.3.80 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), making it the cheapest version in the country . Maruti said it will launch more cars with automatic options and expects 30-40% of its sales through automatic variants in the coming years. The Alto, which has been the country's largest-selling car, also comes with some upgrades as Maruti fires all cylin ders to add punch to its bestseller. Maruti chose the 1,000cc version, or what it calls the K10, for the automatic variant, leaving the popular Alto 800cc version out of the loop.
Maruti's closest rival Hyundai has an automatic variant on its `i10 Grand' model, but this costs Rs.5.7 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Maruti relies on the automatic gear-shift (AGS) technology for its automatic versions, which basically is an inexpensive transmission system that allows the driver to choose between automatic and manual gear changes. Kenichi Ayukawa, MD of Maruti Suzuki, said that the company is witnessing a big response to automatic variants, something that began with the Celerio mini car where as many as 40% of sales have been for the automatic version. “We are looking to increase the supplies of the automatic variants as there is a very good demand in the market, especially in metros,“ he said. “We will be launching more cars with automatic versions and I feel that, going forward, as many as 30-40% of our small car sales will be through them.“
The non-automatic version of the Alto K10 is available for Rs.3.06 lakh, going up to Rs.3.6 lakh for the top-end variant. Maruti also launched a CNG variant which will cost Rs.3.81 lakh.
The new Alto has a fuel efficiency of 24.07 kmpl, around 15% higher than the outgoing version. Maruti has also made some changes to the interiors as well as the exterior of the car to give it a minor facelift. Ayukawa said that he expects as much as 20% of the Alto's sales from the automatic variant, which may go up later.
Nissan's Datsun, which has also launched a rival to the Alto in the `Go' mini car, currently does not have an automatic variant in its line-up. Tata Motors currently does not have an automatic variant of the Nano budget car.
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