March 2023 - Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Petrol, CNG Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Petrol?

The pros or advantages of Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 petrol are:

• Compact dimensions make it very easy to drive in traffic
• Good mileage figure of 22kmpl+ with the petrol engine and 31.5kmpkg+ with the CNG
• Maruti’s reliability and widest service network makes it easy to find spare and competent mechanics for long-term ownership
• Option of a factory-fit CNG kit with good mileage figure

The Maruti Suzuki Arena Alto 800 petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:

• The Alto 800’s 160mm ground clearance doesn’t inspire confidence
• 12-inch wheels are the smallest among all passenger cars
• The Alto 800’s limited power and torque output makes it less suitable for highway driving
• Kwid RXL, RXL (O) aren’t priced too far and offers more features, better styling and the option of a more powerful 1.0L petrol engine for a negligible premium of just Rs. 10,000

What Is The Price Of Maruti Suzuki Arena Alto 800 Petrol Variants?

The new Alto 800 petrol-manual is available in 4 variants with prices starting at Rs. 3.54 lakh for the STD variant and going up to Rs. 4.57 lakh for the VXI Plus variant. The LXI (O) variant is also available with the CNG-manual powertrain for an additional Rs. 90,000. This price gap has come down recently because of the price revision.

Also Read: Maruti CNG Hatchbacks Now Cost Only 90k More; What Is The Reason?

Note: Check your Car EMI with our - Car EMI Calculator

Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 STD - Base Model Features & Review

The base STD variant of the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 only comes with a manual transmission and carries an ex-showroom price tag of Rs. 3.54 lakh. The most notable features of the Alto 800’s STD base model are:

• Black outside mirrors and bumpers
• Body-coloured door handles
• 12-inch steel wheels
• Digital instrument cluster
• Standard safety features
• Retractable rear seatbelts

The base variant doesn’t get several must-have features like:

• AC
• Power steering
• Wheel covers
• Music system
• Remote central locking
• Body-coloured bumpers

So, we’ll not recommend this to anyone as you’ll have to make huge compromises in terms of ownership experience.

2023 Arena Alto 800 STD vs LXI Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Alto 800 STD variant costs Rs. 4.23 lakh (ex-showroom) with the manual transmission and it’s Rs. 69,000 pricier than the base model. The LXI variant is also available with a CNG powertrain for an additional Rs. 90,000 and it costs Rs. 5.13 lakh (ex-showroom).

It gets the following notable features over the base STD variant:

• Manual AC with heater
• Power steering
• Front power windows
• Body-coloured bumpers
• Intermittent wiper setting
• Internal fuel and boot lid open lever
• Wheel covers
• Digital clock
• Fabric + leather upholstery

With the VXI variant, you will miss the following features:

• Music system
• Remote central locking
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors
• Rear parcel tray

While the LXI variant offers decent value for money and most of the must-have features, the higher worth stretching your budget for the VXI variant. It only costs Rs. 20,000 more than the LXI. If you absolutely can’t stretch your budget further, then this variant is worth buying. So, it’s suitable for budget buyers.

For Alto 800 CNG buyers, the LXI (O) is suitably loaded and gets several must-have features. Since this is the only variant with the CNG powertrain, you have no choice. Otherwise, we’d have recommended VXI to CNG buyers.

Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Petrol LXI vs VXI Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The 2023 Alto 800 VXI costs Rs. 4.43 lakh with the manual transmission and it’s only Rs. 20,000 more expensive than the LXI variant.

The Alto 800’s VXI variant gets the following notable additional features over LXI:

• Music system
• Phone dock
• Remote central locking
• Rear parcel tray
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors

Even in this variant, you may miss the following features:

• Day/night inside mirror
• Rear power windows

Not only are the VXI variant’s features a must-have, this variant also offers a far better value for money than the lower LXI variant. So, we’ll suggest all Alto 800 buyers to buy at least the VXI variant. This is also our top recommendation.

Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Petrol VXI vs VXI Plus Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The top-spec VXI Plus manual costs Rs. 4.57 lakh, which is Rs. 13,500 higher than the lower VXI variant.

This variant gets the following notable additional features over the VXI trim:

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Wired Android Auto and Apple Carplay

The top variant adds some more good-to-have features, which justify the incremental cost over the VXI variant. So, you can consider upgrading to the VXI Plus variant if you want a touchscreen. It offers similar value for money as the VXI trim.

However, even in the top model of the Alto 800, you may miss features such as:

• Day/night inside mirror
• Rear camera
• Rear power windows

Which Variant Of The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Petrol Should You Buy?

The base STD variant doesn’t get must-have features like AC and power steering. So, we won’t suggest the Standard variant to anyone. The LXI variant gets these 2 critical features along with a few more, but it costs a bit much and offers less value for money than all other variants. Moreover, the VXI variant only costs Rs. 20,000 more and offers more useful features along with the best value for money. So, this is our top recommendation for all Alto 800 buyers.

This is the minimum variant we can happily recommend to all Alto 800 buyers. The top-spec VXI Plus variant also offers similar value for money as the VXI variant and is worth considering if you want a touchscreen.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 Petrol?

In terms of performance, the Alto 800 has the lowest power and torque output among all entry-level cars. But, its torque peaks at a lower RPM compared to the Kwid’s 0.8L petrol engine, which should help with the drivability.

*Estimated

With the CNG powertrain, the Alto 800 offers only 41PS of power and 60Nm of torque. Even the fuel efficiency of this engine is lower than the more powerful 1.0L engines of the S-Presso and Alto K10. However, the fuel cost is still in the same ballpark as it costs Rs. 2.52 per kilometre with the March CNG prices in Delhi.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator in India

What Are The Dimensions Of The 2023 Maruti Suzuki Alto 800?

In terms of dimensions, the 2023 Alto 800 is the smallest among entry-level cars and it also has the lowest ground clearance of 160mm. The Alto 800 also has the smallest wheelbase and the smallest boot. It’s also the only A-segment car with 12-inch wheels. However, it has the biggest fuel tank measuring 35 litres.

*Estimated

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800?

The 2023 Alto 800 is available in the following 4 monotone colour options:

• Red
• Silver
• Grey
• White

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.