Next-gen Maruti Alto may have a crossover design - Report

Likely to be launched in October-November 2019.

The next-gen Maruti Alto was confirmed by Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki, in August. The new generation model was previously said to feature an evolutionary design, but as per a new report from Economic Times, that may not be the case.

The next-gen Maruti Alto is currently under development, under the codename 'Maruti Y1K'. With the confidence gained from the locally developed Vitara Brezza's strong response, parent company Suzuki Motor has delegated the development of the new generation model to its Indian subsidiary Maruti Suzuki.

Company sources have told the business newspaper that the next-gen model will be the most expressive Alto ever, and it may even have a crossover design. Buoyed by the huge success of the Vitara Brezza as well as the Alto's rival Renault Kwid, it comes as no surprise why Maruti Suzuki is considering crossover design for its next-gen Alto.

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The next-gen Maruti Alto will be underpinned by a new platform to meet future crash test regulations. The hardware and technology will be the work of Suzuki Motor, but the designing, engineering and validation will be tasked to the Indian team. The newspaper adds that the car is likely to launch in the festival season of 2019.

A low-cost sub-1.0-litre petrol engine and a more powerful, yet frugal 1.0-litre petrol engine are inevitable for the Alto's continued success, but additionally, a mild-hybrid system may come in place to take the fuel efficiency of the Alto close to 30 km/l.

[Source: Economic Times]