Photographs: Courtesy, Maruti Suzuki
India’s best-selling passenger car - the Maruti Alto - has also become the world’s best selling car in 2013, thanks to some help from sluggish market growth in the native countries of its main competitors, according to a report published in Hindustan Times.
Alto took the title despite seeing a 7.3 per cent decline in sales last year.
Let’s take a look at the top five selling small cars globally.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Daihatsu
Daihatsu Move
Sales in 2013: 205,333 units
Sales in 2012: 146,016 units
Daihatsu has been manufacturing this car since 1995. It has a ‘tallboy’ design similar to that of WagonR.
Move is currently in its fifth generation.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Daihatsu
Daihatsu Move
The car comes with 660cc engine in Japan and for exports it’s fitted with 850cc and 1,000cc engine.
The current generation Move is similar to the fourth generation except for minor design refresh and a new option of a crash-avoidance system, according to Wikipedia.
The car is sold in various other markets including Malaysia and China.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Honda
Honda N-Box
Sales in 2013: 234,995 units
Sales in 2012: 211,155 units
Honda, which has great experience in producing minivans, developed the small car N-BOX borrowing heavily from its minivan designs. It brought the vehicle to the market in 2011.
Featuring an innovative platform, the N-BOX is spacious, comfortable and fuel-efficient.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Honda
Honda N-Box
Through the combination of the new platform, the centre-tank layout, and the newly-developed powertrain, the N-BOX features one of the largest cabin spaces among all mini-vehicles in Japan.
With its success, in 2012, the company launched a newer version of the car called N BOX +.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Volkswagen
VW Golf
Sales in 2013: 244,249 units
Sales in 2012: 240702 units
Golf is a compact car that is in production since 1974 and is marketed worldwide under different names such as Volkswagen Rabbit in the US and Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico.
It is one of the most successful cars of all time. Volkswagen has produced over 29 million until 2012.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Volkswagen
VW Golf
Golf is in seventh generation and shares its platform (MQB) with third generation Audi and Skoda Octavia.
The company even has an electric version of the car called e-Golf and a hybrid called Gold GTE.
The car has many times won ‘Car of The Year’ title in many countries over the years. In 2013, it won European ‘Car of the Year’ and ‘World Car of the Year’ awards.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Volkswagen
VW Gol
Sales in 2013: 255,057 units
Sales in 2012: 293.293 units
The Gol is a subcompact car manufactured by Volkswagen in Brazil since 1980. It’s an entry-level car sold across South American market.
The Gol has been the best-selling car in Brazil for 26 years straight (since 1987) as well as in Argentina since 1988. Volkswagen has sold over 5 million GoI in South America since 1980, according to Wikipedia.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Passarinho/Wikimedia Commons
VW Gol
The car is presently in its third generation, and the new version was released in Brazil, in 2008 . The model is marketed as the "Novo Gol".
It is based on the same platform (PQ25) as Polo.
There is a sedan version too based on GoI called as Volkswagen Voyage.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Toyota
Toyota Aqua
Sales in 2013: 262,367 units
Sales in 2012: 266,567 units
The Toyota Aqua (as known is Japan) is also called as Toyota Prius c. It is a full hybrid (gasoline-electric) compact car. It was launched in Japan in 2011.
Aqua is the third member of the Prius family, and combines the features of a Yaris-sized car with a hybrid powertrain.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Toyota
Toyota Aqua
The Aqua is priced lower than the conventional Prius and has a higher fuel economy. The Aqua is ranked by the EPA as the 2012 most fuel-efficient compact car when plug-in electric vehicles are excluded.
The Aqua is considered the most successful nameplate launch in Japan in the last 20 years.
The car is sold worldwide in countries such as US and Japan under different brand names.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Maruti
Maruti Alto
Sales in 2013: 265,777 units
Sales in 2012: 286,833 units
Alto has been India’s highest selling car for many years. Its selling points have long been a low price and good fuel economy.
Internationally, the model, which is currently in its seventh generation, was first introduced in 1979 by Suzuki of Japan.
…
Maruti Alto is the world's best selling small car
Photographs: Courtesy, Maruti
Maruti Alto
The Indian Alto is based on the fifth generation Alto sold internationally. It was launched in the Indian market in 2000.
It was Maruti’s third model to cross the 1 million production figure, after Maruti 800 and Maruti Omni.
In 2013 Maruti released Alto 800, which was the first major redesign since its introduction in India.
article