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Maruti to launch the cheapest automatic car in the world

October 29, 2014 14:42 IST

Photograph: Courtesy, Indian Autos Blog/Maruti Suzuki

Maruti will introduce the new Alto K10 next month, and has released the first set of images of the exterior and interior of the car.

Dealers of Maruti-Suzuki have started accepting bookings for the car. The booking amount is Rs 10,000, and one of the dealers Indian Autos Blog spoke to says he has received a lot of inquiries for the AMT variant of the K10.

The new K10 is based on the Alto 800, but gets its own design formula with new headlights, a chrome grille, new front and rear bumpers, Celerio-inspired taillights and a new rear windshield.

Photograph: Courtesy, Indian Autos Blog/Maruti Suzuki

Inside, the dashboard of the new K10 looks nothing like the Alto 800 or even the older K10 for that matter.

Designers have given the city punter an attractive dual-tone black-and-beige interior with a piano-black finish for the centre console and a new 3-spoke steering wheel. The instrument cluster and switchgear are new and appear very modern.

The most significant update to the K10 is the addition of the AMT (automated manual transmission), which was first introduced on the Celerio.

Photograph: Courtesy, Indian Autos Blog/Maruti Suzuki

The top-end variant of the car can be had with a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT, both of which have an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 24.07 kmpl.

Maruti has carried over the engine from the previous K10. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder K-Series engine outputs the same 68 PS (67.04 bhp) and 90 Nm of torque.

Petrol and CNG variants of the car will be offered. The CNG variant has an ARAI rated mileage of 32.26 km/kg.

Developing the new K10 cost Maruti-Suzuki Rs 200 crores, and development work took place in India and Japan. The K10 AMT is now in prime position to claim the title of the cheapest automatic car in the world.

Photograph: Courtesy, Indian Autos Blog/Maruti Suzuki

Competitors: Hyundai Eon 1.0L, Datsun Go

Expected Price: Rs 320,000-400,000, ex-Showroom

Launch date: Next month

Image: Old and new Maruti Alto exterior

The new K10 uses the Alto 800’s body and gets newly designed headlights and a smaller chrome grille in comparison to the older K10. While the bumper is new, the overall design looks similar to the outgoing model.

Comparing the front-three-quarter view, the new K10 looks fresher (the older K10’s side profile is identical to the Alto which was launched 14 years ago).

Though Maruti haven’t released press images of the rear of the K10, spyshots have shown it to wear Celerio-inspired taillights, which is a marked design improvement over the outgoing model.

Image: Old and new Maruti Alto interior

Maruti has done a commendable job inside the car as well. Gone is the sea of black, and the slightly outdated buttons and center console. The new K10’s dashboard with its dual-tone black-and-beige theme and a piano black center console certainly looks smarter.

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