By Bhargav TS
Maruti Suzuki has launched the new generation of its small car Alto K10. The new K10 is the second car in the Maruti Suzuki portfolio to get the AMT transmission (Auto Gear Shift/AGS) after the Celerio; this made the Alto K10 the most affordable automatic to go on sale in India at Rs 3.94 lakh. The car is also available in manual transmission and are priced between Rs 3.19 lakh and Rs 3.70 lakh (ex-showroom price in Chennai), while the newly introduced compressed natural gas (CNG) version is priced at Rs 3.82 lakh.
Manohar Bhat, Vice President Marketing, Maruti Suzuki, told Auto Components India on the sidelines of the launch that the company is working along with its AMT manufacturer Magneti Marelli to increase the supply, by setting up a manufacturing facility. “We are working on reducing the waiting period of AGS variants. Currently it stands at about 6 to 8 weeks for the Celerio range. To meet the demand for AGS equipped variants, the company is in the process of setting up the manufacturing plant with Magneti Marelli at Manesar which is expected to begin production next year,” he added.
The new Alto K10 has been developed on the existing platform at a cost of Rs 200 crore. The company has tweaked the 1-litre K-series petrol engine which resulted in fuel efficiency increasing by about 15%. While the petrol version delivers a mileage of 24.07 km per litre, the CNG variant will have a fuel economy of 32.26 km per kg.
The new car is made out of high tensile steel; the engine is redesigned to be more lighter and use of light weight materials in engine auxiliaries has helped to contain kerb weight. Low viscosity engine oil and low drag brake calliper reduces frictional losses while drive by wire by ensures precise throttle control, leading to fuel savings. The car also comes with a driver side airbag as optional, front fog lamps, fasten seat belt indicators, 3 point ELR seat belt, key off reminder, high mount stop lamp and head lamp levelling.
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