The Maruti Suzuki Alto has been a strong seller for the company ever since it’s launch. It’s now the best-selling car for the past 16 years in a row. Launched in September 2000, the Alto was popular amongst those who wanted a new car and one that was affordable too. The Alto’s legacy spans across two decades and it’s been India’s bestselling car since 2004. When it was launched in 2000, the Alto was seen as a premium offering, as in many ways it was a replacement for the very popular Zen. True to Maruti Suzuki’s India strategy though, the Zen wasn’t phased out but the Alto drove in alongside it. Maruti Suzuki offered the Alto in two variants – the 796cc LX and the 1100 cc VX – that had the more powerful Wagon R engine, and better interiors. By 2001 Hyundai had upped the ante with power steering on the Santro, and the Alto (along with several Maruti models) also went the power steering way – adding an ‘i’ to the variant names – hence we got LXi and VXi.
